Project James

Next Mission Trip

November 7th – 14th, 2013

Above photo: New orphanage/school after Earthquake

Below photo: Old orphanage/school after earthquake

WHERE WE SERVE

Just 700 miles off the coast from the United States, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and is the 23^rd poorest country in the world. 80% of Haiti’s population lives in poverty.

In the United States, babies born today can expect to live an average of 78.24 years. In Haiti, that number is 29.93 years, with most people not living to see their 35th^th birthdays. Haiti’s infant mortality rate is almost double the world’s average, with 77.26 of 1000 infants dying. In the United States, that number is 6.14 per 1000 births. The average income in Haiti is $1200 a year compared to $46,000 per year in the United States, a difference of 97.4 percent.

The people of Haiti have been born in a country that faces disease (cholera), no public education system, natural disasters including hurricanes and earthquakes, lack of clean water, and very little work to go around. You will rarely see people in Haiti begging, but instead you’ll find them offering homemade goods or food for sale as many Haitians are entrepreneurial, proud and friendly. From our experiences, we have found the Haitian people to be very appreciative of any kind of help.

Some mothers in Haiti are forced to feed clay cookies to their children to keep their bellies “full” at night. They mix clay, butter and sugar to alter the dirt taste and feed it to their hungry children who lay awake crying in the night. The cookies fool the mind about being hungry, but have no nutritional value. You can often tell a child is starving in Haiti by the red marks in their hair.

To help feed malnourished kids, Project James collects peanut butter to mix with donations of infant formula, sugar and butter which are handed out in the tent cities for a source of protein. These peanut butter balls are a miracle for most Haitians, since a 2.5 jar in their country costs $25. This past fall, almost 300 pounds of peanut butter and 70 pounds of infant formula were collected.

bottom left photo: One of the ladies who makes the clay cookies. That is the clay, sugar and butter in the pot she is holding and on the ground behind her you can see the cookies laid out to dry.

MISSION TRIPS: JOIN US IN GOD’S WORK!

Project James sends a team to Port Au Prince, Haiti 2-4 times per year, depending on funds and the availability of host missionaries to accommodate the team. Team members work for a week or longer on the most pressing needs which currently include rebuilding the orphanage, teaching devotions, distributing food and sharing God’s love with the school children and orphans.

Volunteers should be hard-working, positive and have an open-mind. Flexibility is important and the willingness to work as God wants, knowing that plans can quickly change.

Accommodations are at the orphanage, with a team room for women and a team room for men, nicknamed the Hilton and The Ritz (The Ritz on the left)! The facility comfortably fits 12-15 people.

Fees for the trips are approximately $1000 per person, including airfare, room and board. We are happy to assist with fundraising ideas and support letters to friends and relatives. Typically, volunteers fly from Myrtle Beach to Ft. Lauderdale and after an overnight stay, fly directly to Port Au Prince. The actual flying time is less than 5 hours total and of course, you’ll need to bring your passport.

Upon arrival in Haiti, Jeff and the head of the school, Sherrie, meet to decide the best projects for that week, depending on the team’s capacity and what is happening at the school. After that, a group meeting is held with volunteers to coordinate the details and then the work begins!

As a safety precaution, we recommend that volunteers carry hand sanitizer at all times and bring anti-malarial drugs. While not required, a Hepatitis A & B shot is a good idea as well as a tetanus shot. Our experience in Haiti has been a positive one, and while there are some risks in traveling, we have never felt threatened. In fact, our experience has been a very welcoming one where we’ve been appreciated every place we’ve spent time in Haiti.

If you’re interested in joining us, please contact Jeff or Rhonda and we’d be happy to meet you in person or talk via phone about the specifics of our mission trips. We’d love for you to join us as we share God’s love in Haiti!