As Hurricane Earl churned toward the Caribbean then turned northward I though of the thousands of Haitians living under tarps ad scraps salvaged from the January 12, 2010 earthquake that killed over 250,000. Mission Discovery had an immediate impact with victims because of our ground operations there through HOLD the Children, our child advocacy ministry division. Immediately following the earthquake, friends and supporters responded with monetary gifts of more than $150k that was distributed through local churches in Port-au-Prince to meet the physical needs of the most needy. Thousands of children were provided meals by a feeding program at a temporary mission house in Port-au-Prince. Mission teams served in Port-au-Prince General Hospital and other triage sites to provide emergence medial care for many earthquake victims. Mission Discovery has been actively involved in Haiti since 2000 and continues to serve by providing medical assistance and help with the vast challenge of cleaning up the destruction.

Mission Discovery’s HOLD the Children Home near Port de Paix, Haiti opened in January providing a home for thirty-one orphaned or abandoned children. It cost $2,000 to care for a child for one year. Thus far just half of the 31 children have sponsors, but the home will eventually house 64 children. Mission Discovery continues to look for sponsors for each child.

Teams are an important part of the HOLD the Children ministry. This past April a Mission Discovery team of twenty-eight served daily at the HOLD the children Home Each night the team participated in an open air crusade in the center of Port-de-Paix where many trusted Christ for the first time. Teams also provide resources for teachers and pastors. The Mission Discovery team hosted 150 teachers in a training conference and hosted 75 pastors for a conference of encouragement, and equipping.

East of Port de Paix is Cap Haitian, Haiti. There 75 children attend a school sponsored by HOLD the Children. These are passionate students and teachers meeting in a structure with no roof and a dirt floor. They run for cover when the rain comes doing their best to protect books and papers. This past summer thanks to a donor in the U.S. Mission Discovery was able to provide a new education floor for the children and plans have a team on the ground this November to continue in the construction of the school. An education is the beginning of a different future for Haiti and Mission Discovery’s HOLD the Children makes that possible for not only these 75 children but 250 other sponsored children.

Rich Rhode

Director HOLD the Children