nuance

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We have joined our friends Kirsten and Bryn Gillette in supporting the Divine Ministries in Hope for Children orphanage near Port Au Prince, Haiti.
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The orphanage is a Christ-centered ministry founded and run by Pastor Daniel Jean and his wife Marjorie. Haiti is the poorest nation in the hemisphere and the third poorest in the world with over 1.2 million orphans and vulnerable children. The nation is deeply affected by the AIDS pandemic. And given recent political and social upheaval, along with a food crisis that has made world news and aroused action from the UN, this ministry could not be more timely. (Watch this video for a good summary of the food situation.)

It is in the middle of this seemingly impossible situation that the Jeans’ orphanage shines as an oasis for 61 of Haiti’s needy kids. The Jean’s house provides constant shelter, food, care, love, and hope to these children; it allows them to attend school and have a chance at a sustainable future; and it is a haven wherein the gospel of Christ is both taught and lived. Each day begins and ends with prayer, and all of the children participate, from the youngest to the oldest. And there is another important part of daily orphanage life - copious amounts of fun and play.

In addition to the orphanage, Daniel pastors a small congregation every Sunday on the same premises. He desires to expand this church operation to a larger gathering place as his congregation continues to grow. In this sense, Divine Ministries is a holistic soul-and-body operation working towards the renewal of the community.

And Daniel has a vision to expand his ministry to the orphans even further: he desires to purchase his current facility, buy more space in the same region, and expand into other areas. He has already begun fulfilling this latter goal, taking in some 20 kids and securing a facility in which to house them during a recent trip to the city of Cayes.

We feel privileged to be a part of this ministry, and we hope that you might want to join us, the Gillettes, and the Jeans in doing the work of Jesus in Haiti - bringing good news to the poor.

If you’d like to donate to the orphanage, you may email Zach Hoag or Bryn Gillette.

You may also make out checks to West Lawn U.M.C. with the memo “Haiti” and send them to:
Mark Gillette
#50 East Washington Street
Wernersville, PA 19565-2124