Practically sharing God's love thru education, sustainable economic development, widow & medical care. Greetings to you from the Tucker family! We write to you on a great journey….a journey we never could have planned, dreamt, or possibly imagined ourselves. We present to you “Community of Hope Haiti, Inc”; restoration (self-sustaining, life-giving) of the community of Grand Vide, Haiti, on the is
land of La Gonave. How Did “Community of Hope Haiti” happen? August 2013, Brian went to Haiti with “Haitians Helping Haitians”. On that trip, plans (Jeremiah 29:11) for the Tucker family and the beautiful people of Grand Vide, Haiti were made. The Lord asked Brian 3 questions: “Do you trust me? Do you really believe that I will provide for your family, regardless what I ask you to do?” I had no answers. The Lord showed me He WILL fulfill His will; and that He cares for us. The ultimate question, however, was: “Will you say yes, regardless how unqualified or overwhelmed you may feel? I know you cannot see the whole plan, but will you follow me and lean not on your own understanding?” I felt helpless as I considered the cost; BUT I had peace. I couldn’t explain it, I couldn’t avoid it. All I could say is “I surrender. Your will be done, Lord”. Upon return from Haiti, I reluctantly told Heather what happened. Heather responded, “I knew the Lord was going to ask us to do something uncomfortable”. Uncomfortable?!?!? I thought uncomfortable meant giving to others until it hurts. But moving to the poorest part of one of poorest countries in the world, to an island with no electricity, no plumbing, bad water, and we don’t speak the language?!?! That’s not uncomfortable….that's crazy! The Lord, however, continued to confirm. “Yes, this is ME! My strength will be made perfect in your weakness. With man this is impossible. But with me, this is possible!” Three weeks later, Heather visited Grand Vide to confirm. She was greeted with love from the people. Her trip was a true “Haitian experience”….no frills. Conclusion: Yes, this is what we are being asked to do. Your will be done, Lord. After Heather’s return from Grand Vide, we were put into action. We sold our “stuff”. Not easy, but so amazing. We rented the top part of our house & moved to the basement”. We got out of debt, got visas, asked state-side friends for shipping/travel/funding, non-profit incorporation, website/social media details, Board of Directors, language training, immunizations, Homeschooling, and most importantly….prayer. Constant prayer. WHAT does “Community of Hope Haiti” DO? Here is our mission statement:
"We are living conduits of hope to the poorest of the poor in Haiti. Sharing God's love through sustainable, practical ways in education, agriculture, fishing, business development, widow & orphan, & medical care; bring hope & opportunity for generations to come."
“Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime”. Grand Vide is a fishing village. The men fish from dawn to dusk in man-made wooden canoes with gill nets & empty bleach plastic bottles, with twine & rusty hooks. They catch small fish, not enough to provide for the village. The local reefs are barren due to erosion & pollution, leaving little shelter for “feeder fish”. Because of this, big fish don't come in close. The Lord wants to establish leaders. I believe the fisherman will lead once they have experienced the hope He is bringing through fishing, and by catching their hearts. There are four (4) wells in Grand Vide. Only one of them has potable water…not so drinkable. Most people have attached a piece of scrap metal to their roofs to collect rain water for their water source. This doesn’t work well. We are building a village cistern & filtration system currently. WIDOWS & ORPHANS: There are several widows that need care. We care for the daily needs of widows & orphans; and empower the local community to serve and care for those that need it. “I am turning the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers”. – Malachi 4:6. Most men have multiple children, and marriage is almost non-existent. Children feel and are essentially “Fatherless”. We are “Fisherman that is a Fisher of Men”….to establish hope, purpose, and salvation to our village. We are examples of how to be reconciled to their loving Father, receive forgiveness for pain they feel when absent in their kids' lives, and help them restore those relationships. LIGHT/ELECTRICITY: There is no power in any of the villages, with exception of 3 scarcely placed street lights. All power needed to cook, clean, etc. is “dirty” (wood), which leads to the deforestation of the most deforested country in the world….which leads to erosion, soil challenges, and so many others. COHH: Solar power will enable the community to prepare food in ways that do not deplete natural resources, as well as refrigerate perishable items that go bad. Fishing surplus can also be prepared frozen to take to market to create a microeconomy that is not present. Water pumps become a reality for agriculture. Lights for kids and illiterate adults will enable them to read & study in the evenings for self-development and education. Musical instruments and projectors can be powered in the Community Center & House of Prayer that we believe the Lord is establishing. (Isaiah 60:19-20)
MEDICAL CLINIC: There is no healthcare available in Grand Vide. One out of every 5 children die before the age of 5; many from low-grade fever that Tylenol could cure. There are several adults with open wounds that have led to gangrene; cured by simple methods. Children are malnourished in need of nutrients. COHH: We facilitate an as-needed medical clinic, help train local volunteers, run community education programs, facilitate physicians & health care professional visits to the village, and establish sustainable supply chain management of daily supplies. PLANTING TREES: Haiti is the most deforested country in the world; 2% forestation remains from what once was. The island of La Gonave is a “charcoal factory” for the Haitian mainland, as charcoal is essentially one of the only exportable revenue sources available. The demand, however, has caused rapid decline of trees on the island. Mangrove trees protect the coastal lands from damage from hurricane season, prevent erosion (which kills the reefs and makes farming difficult), and nest spawning feeder fish species so they can repopulate & flourish, thereby restoring successful fishing measures. Other trees provide food and nitrogen to the soil. A friend of mine recommended I watch “The Man who Planted Trees” on YouTube. (http://youtu.be/v_7yEPNUXsU ) I wept while watching it, as it perfectly conveys what I see will happen. COHH is planting 1000's of trees. Seedling development, soil conservation, and foresty best practices are happening . (Isaiah 60:19)
HOUSE OF PRAYER: Jesus said “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you”, and to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” as the first and greatest thing we can ever, ever do; the First Commandment. It is what we are MADE to do. There is a God-shaped hole in every one of us. It cannot be filled with great humanitarian efforts or anything else. Fishing, water, trees, orphans & widows, medical clinic, & renewable energy will not happen apart from the Lord leading us completely. “One thing I desire, one thing I ask; that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, and to gaze upon His beautiful face”. The blood of the Lamb alone can truly satisfy us and set us free from sin & death. By His blood, Jesus gave us free access to encounter the very presence of Almighty God, and to “acquire of Him in His sanctuary.” There is no hope for Haiti or any of us other than the blood of Jesus. The House of Prayer will exist as the Foundation of all that we do. This journey that we are all on begins & ends here. We have established ongoing adoration, prayer, & worship in this place. (Acts 15:16-18)
Those are the specific areas we invest in. Wow. We, however, are not overwhelmed by this. Yes, it is miraculous. The Lord is the “Prince of Peace”. When HE asks, He does it faithfully. WHERE is Grand Vide, Haiti? Where will Community of Hope operate? Grand Vide (which means “The Great Emptiness”) is a village of about 1400 people. It is one mile from Boden, population of about 3000. The island of La Gonave has a population of about 180,000; the majority of those people living in Anse-A-Galets, which is at the furthest possible distance from Grand Vide. There is a hospital and shipping port in Anse-A-Galets, but it is very difficult to get to. Most people take a 4 hour wooden sailboat ride across the Canal Du Sud to the port town of Miragoane in mainland Haiti for supplies, food, emergency medical care, etc. There is one private car in the village, and two privately owned motorcycles. All other travel is managed on-foot & by donkey. HOW Can I partner with COHH and be a part of what the Lord is doing here? I want to help, participate, give, etc.! You can support COHH in many ways: Volunteer, Financial Giving, Supplies, Pray. A. Volunteer: Construction, medical, House of Prayer, administration. B. Give Financially: https://communityofhopehaiti.com. Your financial contributions are tax-deductible. You can give via credit/debit card, ACH checking. If you’d like to write a check, send to:
Community of Hope Haiti
828 Lane Allen Rd. Suite 224 Lexington, KY 40504
C. Website: www.communityofhopehaiti.org
Will you join us on this journey? In Him,
The Tucker Family (Brian, Heather, Elijah, Lily, & Luke)
