Perkins in Haiti

Training Leaders and Making Disciples in Haiti

Luke and Becca

Riding a Rollercoaster

Blog, Perkins Update

Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? I remember the first time I stood in line for “The Corkscrew” as a kid – I thought “This is crazy!” But, when I got off, I thought – what a ride!

The academic year just wrapped up here. The exams have mostly been taken and the assignments have been turned in. As sit here and look back on this year, the first word that comes to mind to describe how many of us feel is “whiplash”, to be honest.

But, what a year!

We started the year back at the end of August with high hopes that the security situation in the neighborhood would remain stable. It did, for about a week. 

The STEP Academic Building sits empty of students during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Then suddenly in early September, the floor was ripped out from underneath us as Haiti was catapulted into the worst political stalemate in a generation. Countrywide unrest ensued with flaming barricades blocking roads in literally every corner of the country. As one week turned into one month and one month turned into three, we began to realize that Haiti as we knew it was being forever changed.

Confined to our homes, the STEP team began to ask the question: How do we keep the mission going forward while we can’t “meet”? The next thing we knew, we were well on our way down the path of exploring ways to teach that we’d never explored here before.

Of course, we never thought what we were doing would be permanent. As we found ways to teach classes via WhatsApp and other platforms, we did so thinking it would be temporary, a way for us to ride this out. 

By December, the political situation calmed. In January, we breathed a sigh of relief when we returned to the campus and saw our classrooms full once again. We just didn’t realize how short-lived that relief would be.

A handmade kite for sale on the street says “Down with Corona, Live Health”

Within a month, the security situation in the neighborhood declined and it was no longer safe to use the campus. We were forced to hold classes in a church on the other side of the city. That worked great until three weeks later when the first cases of the Coronavirus were announced in Haiti. Immediately, schools across the country were closed, gatherings of more than 10 were restricted and the border was shut down.

What we thought was a temporary solution this past fall, turned out to be a test run for the model we will be using for the foreseeable future. We are now well on our way to launching new distance learning options at the seminary that will increase its impact for years to come.

The start/stop/start/stop of the past academic year has left us feeling like we need a neck brace. There isn’t much about this ride that’s been fun. At the same time, the innovation these challenges have produced helps us see great value in this wild ride.

While this year has been a roller coaster we would never choose to get on, now that the assignments are in and the exams are taken, we give thanks to God. He has provided for us and protected us just as generously as He always has – and He has shown us anew how He is able to work all things out for good.

Thank you for partnering with us!

COVID-19 Enters Haiti

Perkins Update

Last week in my leadership class, I talked about how adaptation – the ability to adapt to changing circumstances – is one of the marks of a good leader.

I chuckle now as I think about it because this year has been a master class in adaptation for all of us at STEP. Truth be told, the average Haitian has a Ph.D. in adaptation by the time they graduate High School. But adaptation for survival and adaptation in leadership are two different things.

I didn’t realize how much of a learning opportunity this year has been until a student raised his hand in class last week – after we had just temporarily relocated the campus – and asked: “How did you guys do this so quickly?”

It turns out that adaptation gets easier with practice…

Adaption at STEP 101: Peyi Lòk

This isn’t new territory for us, Haiti shut down almost entirely this past fall for several months. Every day flaming barricades blocked roads all over the country and it was impossible for our students to get to the campus.

So we adapted with WhatsApp. These days in Haiti, the internet is a little better than it used to be and most students have some sort of smartphone. Almost all of them communicate using WhatsApp.

Within a week or so we created groups on WhatsApp for each of our courses. Our professors started teaching by sharing images and voice messages to the groups.

It wasn’t perfect, but it provided a way for us to stay connected with the students and keep advancing (although a little more slowly) through the courses.

Andrikson Descollines, our Academic Dean, teaches a class on WhatsApp.

Adaption at STEP 201: Escalating Tensions in Bolosse

Eventually, Peyi Lòk calmed down and we were able to resume classes on campus again.

That changed on Thursday, March 5th. As our students were leaving for the day, a group of armed individuals told us we could no longer access the campus via the Ft. Mercredi road – effectively cutting off our access to the campus.

Recognizing this as a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions in our neighborhood, we knew we were going to need to temporarily hold classes off-campus.

Within 24 hours, we located an alternate site, and within 36 hours, we relocated our 26 dorm students to alternate housing on the other side of the city. By Sunday morning, we were well-positioned to open for classes at the temporary site the next day.

Classes went off without a hitch there for two weeks, and things were moving in the direction of us heading back to the campus soon.

Then COVID-19 entered Haiti.

Wawa takes a moment in between classes at the temporary site to talk with a UEBH leader who is helping us navigate the crisis.

Adaptation at STEP 301: Coronavirus

Late last week, the President of Haiti announced the first two official cases had arrived in the country. In the same address, he closed all schools until further notice, instituted a national curfew and restricted all gatherings to less than 10 people.

We don’t know what Covid-19 will do here yet, so we’re assuming we’ll be closed for at least a month.

Time to adapt again!

Last Friday, our students scattered back across the country to return to their homes. This week, our professors have been returning to their WhatsApp groups while we work on getting course content uploaded to an online learning management system called Edmodo.

The current challenge we face is not getting our courses online, but getting those online courses delivered to our students. Many of them are now in the countryside with little if any access to the internet.

We haven’t solved this challenge yet (please pray for us!), but we’re going to keep working at it until we figure it out.

The Mission Matters

Last week as I stood in front of my students (for what would be the last time for a while), we said one of the best motivators for adaptation in leadership is a compelling mission. When you really believe that your mission matters, you don’t let obstacles stop you. Instead, leaders are those who find ways to push through, allowing the mission to advance no matter what.

STEP’s mission is to prepare maturing Haitian leaders to make disciples of Christ that transform their communities to the Glory of God. We believe in this mission with all of our hearts. We believe that if this mission succeeds, one day we’ll see a new Haiti emerge.

These students of ours are going to face more than their fair share of obstacles after they leave STEP. Hopefully, the experience gained in this academic year will help make those obstacles just a little bit easier to hurdle.

This is almost certainly not the last time we’ll need to adapt our methods to advance our mission at STEP, but whatever the next challenge is, we’ll adapt to that too, with God’s help, and your faithful support.

As we say here in Haiti: An Ale! (Let’s go!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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As we gather around our table this year, our hearts are thankful for the Lord, and for the way he is using you.

Indeed we have much to be thankful for. This year brought more unrest in Haiti than we ever would have predicted – yet God in his kindness has given us the privilege to serve him in the midst of it. He has generously protected us. He has provided for us. He has shown us that even in the midst of chaotic backgrounds, he is advancing his gospel.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, know that we thank the Lord for you and we’re praying for the Lord’s blessings on you and your family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Luke, Becca, Grace, Lydia, Josh and Alex

Left to Right: Luke, Josh, Lydia, Alex, Becca and Grace

Haiti is in Crisis

Perkins Update

I’m not sure if this has made the news back home, but Haiti is in the midst of the most significant political crisis in a generation.

We’ve been experiencing unrest on and off throughout the last year and a half, but severe unrest broke out in earnest at the beginning of September and it hasn’t let up yet.

People are frustrated with widespread corruption and angry over a lingering fuel crisis that has left gas stations closed and fuel unavailable. Protesters have been demanding the President’s resignation and setting up flaming barricades daily to block roads all over the country – often throwing rocks at vehicles that attempt to pass.

AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery

Most schools across the country have not been able to open. Public transportation has been shut down. Most private and public institutions have been closed. The term used to describe the crisis here is: “Peyi Lòk” or Country Locked.

As the crisis moved into its second month, some hotels and restaurants began to close their doors and businesses began laying off employees. Thousands of employees have already been affected, and while we’re not out of this crisis yet, there is a growing sense that there will be another crisis that follows as the detrimental effect on the economy becomes more apparent.

At STEP Seminary, we have not been able to hold classes for two months.

Two weeks ago we should have held mid-semester exams, but some classes haven’t been able to meet at all yet. Our professors have been working with students as much as possible via WhatsApp and over the phone, but with electricity scarce, that has been a challenge, too.

Wawa, Descollines, myself and a few other staffers have been able to get to the seminary many days, but travel across the city has been very complicated and often involves re-routing to avoid barricades.

Although this has been a discouraging couple of months, the effects of corruption we have seen on full display have shown us again just how critical our mission is at the seminary. Haiti needs maturing leaders that make disciples of Christ to transform their communities to the glory of God – perhaps now more than ever.

The Gospel Continues to Advance

Although we haven’t been able to hold classes, our ministry in the community around the campus has continued to bear fruit. Several times throughout this crisis, our staffer leading this ministry has come back with a report of someone new coming to Christ through the ministry of the small group Bible studies. Just over a week ago, he reported an eight-year-old girl who had been attending the study for over a year, decided to invite Christ into her life. Praise God!

Good News for Quisqueya Chapel!

After four years of searching, the Lord has provided a new Senior Pastor for Quisqueya Chapel! In mid-September, our new Pastor arrived and began his ministry at the Chapel. He’s been off to a wonderful start! His arrival brings much-needed relief to myself and the other Elders as we’ve been carrying the leadership load at the church for four years. Although I will continue in my role as Chairman of the Board, I’m glad to have some time freed up for other projects I’ve had waiting at the Seminary.

How Are We Doing?

As we’ve been posting updates to our facebook group, several have asked how we’re doing personally. The truth is, it’s been tough. With the volatile state of the country, it’s been nearly impossible to plan anything with any confidence. Each day we wake up not knowing if we’ll be able to go out on the streets or not. For the better part of 8 weeks, the kids have been cooped up at home – and as you can imagine, that gets old after awhile.

But we have remained safe. There has been almost no risk to our home and we have continued to be able to get provisions of food, water and fuel as needed. We praise God for that!

How you can pray

  • Pray for us to know how to best be an encouragement to our Haitian team.
  • Pray for us to have the wisdom to know when to reopen the seminary, and how to arrange schedules and courses in order to recover the time lost.
  • Pray for peace and justice to reign in Haiti – and for a swift end to this crisis.

Difficult Days here in Haiti

Perkins Update

These have been difficult days for our brothers and sisters here in Haiti. You are providing some vital encouragement to them right now!

People line up their propane tanks, hoping to find some gas to cook with.

The situation here has changed quite a bit in the last 6 months.

Instability has substantially increased. Unrest has become more frequent and widespread. Gangs and related gang violence have spread to areas not known for these things. 

The value of the Gourde has dropped considerably resulting in decreased purchasing power, even as prices for goods and services have risen. 

Electricity now only comes for a few hours at a time every other day or so.

For the past couple of weeks, gasoline has been nearly impossible to find.

We can feel the despair in the air as we move around the city. Haitians are losing hope.

The other day I pulled into a gas station. It was no surprise to learn they were out of gas. As I was preparing to leave, I saw a man just hanging out so I rolled down my window and said in solidarity: “The country can’t keep going like this for too long, man. I hope they figure something out.” He looked up from where he was sitting, slouched next to a non-functioning pump and said “Peyi a deja mouri” (The country is already dead).

Discouragement is everywhere here right now.

Last week at our STEP Seminary leadership team meeting we looked at these couple of verses as we considered the despair we see around us:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 

God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

While despair permeates the streets, we know that God is still on his throne. He is keeping us, and he will never let us go.

What a great reminder this weekend, that Jesus has risen from the grave, that he is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, and that he will come back and make everything right.

Here is how you can pray

  • Pray for the leadership team at STEP Seminary, that that we would remain encouraged in the Lord, so that we can continue to be an encouragement to those around us. Pray specifically for Wawa, Andrikson, Stanis, Marie-Paule, Joel and myself.
  • Pray for our STEP alumni, leading churches across the country, that they would know how best to encourage their people.

Looking for something to read?

We’ve just added a page to our website so we can share with you some of the good resources we’ve come across so far this year. If you’re looking for something to read, click over here and take a look!

We’ll work to update this page throughout the year, so be sure to check back as we add more books and resources.

www.perkinsinhaiti.com/reading

What we’re celebrating!

We’re so excited to see what the Lord is doing here through your partnership so far this year. Here are a few things we’re celebrating as we see him work.

Class is in session

Luke is back in the classroom teaching “Leadership Chrétien” to about 60 third-year students at the seminary. This is such a blast!

At the same time, students from last year have been swinging by his office telling him how they’re applying what they learned last year in their ministries. These stories are encouraging!

Almost two months with no “protest day” closures!

Despite continued unrest in the neighborhood around the campus of the seminary, we have been able to continue holding class without interruption since mid-February.

This allows us to finish the academic year on time and hold graduation on schedule.

Growth and Unity at Quisqueya Chapel

We’re excited about a new season of growth and unity at Quisqueya Chapel.

Last month the church brought a new candidate for the position of Senior Pastor to Haiti and he was very warmly received by the church.

Serving our Neighbors

Although insecurity has forced us to stop house construction in one community near the seminary, we rejoice that it looks like a door is re-opening in another community on the other side of our campus.

So, while the public face of Haiti portrayed in the media and other places has been largely negative lately, God is using you to make a difference here right now. Thank you for your partnership!

An Update on the Protests in Haiti

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We wanted to send you a brief note to update you on the situation here in Haiti and to let you know how you can pray.

Just over a week ago on February 7, widespread protests engulfed the country, bringing all activity nationwide to a halt. Protesters erected barricades of rocks and flaming tires, blocking roads here in Port-au-Prince and across the country making travel impossible for over a week.

While the situation is complex, protestors have been calling for the resignation of the President, Jovenel Moise, because of the rising cost of food, the devaluation of the Haitian currency, corruption in the government and a fuel crisis that has left gas and diesel mostly unavailable for a few weeks.

We want you to know that we remain safe here in our home in Port-au-Prince and have adequate supplies to keep us functioning until this crisis is resolved. We’re grateful that we have been in a position to help provide for others who are not as well supplied. Over the past few days, parts of Port-au-Prince have slowly begun resuming activity and our hope is that normalcy will be restored soon.

Here is how you can pray:

  • Pray for cool heads and constructive dialogue among the various parties that are in control so that peace can return.
  • Pray for provision for those who have been holed up in their homes the past week and are running low on supplies.
  • Pray for our team at STEP as we work to prepare the kind of leaders for the country and the Haitian church that will lead with character and integrity and can help bring the kind of true and lasting change Haiti needs.

It doesn’t look like this crisis has received much coverage in the American media yet, but you may start to see some things soon. Some of the images you will see will be disturbing so we want to reiterate that we remain safe. Our home is in a place that has been largely removed from what you will see in the media. Here are a couple links that can give you more information about what has been going on:

Miami Herald: U.S. looks to send food aid to Haiti as violence brews humanitarian crisis

The Newsmakers: Video discussion of the current crisis

Thank you so much for your partnership and your prayers!