Haiti in Crisis
Child Evangelism Fellowship continues work in crisis-torn country despite challenges
With conditions in Haiti nearing anarchy, Christians may wonder how best to help the nation’s people.
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) has been working in the country for 40 years and has 19 staff and hundreds of trained volunteers seeking opportunities to minister to children and families in the time of crisis.
Photo by TopSphere Media / Unsplash
Even amidst the unrest, CEF Haiti staff and volunteers were able to plan 45 Easter parties that 1,500 children attended, with 58 making professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
“We believe the ultimate hope for Haiti is if the next generation is transformed by the Gospel,” CEF Vice President of Global Partnership John Luck told MinistryWatch.
CEF’s mission is “to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living.”
This week, CEF Haiti will provide training to parents and ministry to children of the estimated 100,000 Haitians in displacement camps to help them cope with the crisis.
The people of Haiti are dealing with unrest, fear, and violence and need help understanding how God can provide hope in the midst of their suffering, Luck said.
CEF will offer a resource called “Do You Wonder Why” and a copy of the Gospel of John, along with a package that includes a few small personal hygiene items, snacks, and games for children.
While not all Evangelical ministry interventions in Haiti have been a net positive for the society, CEF believes its model guards against causing more problems.
It holds a long-term view with three essential steps: it trains nationals, equips them with ministry tools, and provides resources.
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CEF has been training Haitian nationals to minister to children for 40 years. Nationals are best positioned to carry out ministry because they already know the language and culture and will not flee the country when times get hard, Luck explained.
Even now with schools closed and instability, CEF Haitian staff are looking for opportunities to meet with and minister to the nation’s children.
Getting extra resources into the country has proved challenging, but Luck hopes they can fly some into a more secure area. They are also able to transfer additional stipend funds to the CEF Haiti staff members to help them cope with rising inflation.
Luck has been able to maintain communications with CEF Haiti National Director Jacky Gilles, who keeps CEF headquarters informed about the Haiti situation and prayer needs.
“Four of our workers had to leave their houses because of gang violence. It’s a serious situation that, sadly, has impacted our ministry. We had to cancel at least three training courses,” Gilles reported.
“Children in Haiti are facing many challenges. In many areas in Port au Prince, children have not been able to attend school for almost one month. A lot of children need physical and spiritual food. We strongly believe we must stand with them to bring the good news of Jesus Christ, the only hope for this generation,” he added.
Christians can pray for peace, stable leadership, and the influence of gangs to be diminished, Luck said. They can also pray CEF resources are able to reach their destination without being vandalized and pray for the safety of CEF workers who are putting themselves in harm’s way to minister to children.
In the MinistryWatch database, CEF earns a 2-star financial efficiency rating, an “A” transparency grade, and a donor confidence score of 75, meaning donors can give with confidence.
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