2025
A Year We Didn’t Know How to Write About
Let’s be honest—it has been a roller coaster this past year, and it has been difficult to write about.
More than once, just when there seemed to be something good to share, we would receive word that gangs had attacked another village and were moving closer. "I struggled with how honest to be. I didn’t want to paint such a grim picture and risk discouraging support."
I kept hearing the questions: Is the money really getting there? Is it actually doing any good?
For a long time, I stayed quiet.
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But now it’s time.
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​The truth is simple: these beautiful people are still poor. They still need help.
That has not changed. And the call to help the poor has not changed either.
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So here is what has taken place over the last 12 months in the little world of Hands for Haiti.
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January–March: Hope and Momentum
In January, construction on the new clinic was moving forward very well. Our farm program was thriving, and our children were being fed consistently. I was scheduled to travel to Haiti, but all U.S. flights were canceled after an airplane was shot at in November 2024.
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After some effort, I found a non-U.S. airline and made the trip in February. I arrived on Thursday, February 13, and despite travel difficulties, I made it safely to our village and up the mountain. During that visit, I met with all of the farmers and clinic staff, captured drone footage of the clinic construction, installed satellite internet, and held our first all-employee meeting. Seeing everyone together was incredibly encouraging. So much was accomplished.
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Although gangs were active throughout the country, February and March felt manageable.
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Then spring came—and everything changed.
April–June: The Gangs Move Closer
On April 1, gangs took control of Mirbalais, a town directly on the route to our village. With the roads blocked, travel for me in May was no longer possible. Despite this setback, Hands for Haiti officially became a registered association in Haiti, and we received our legal papers—a major milestone.
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In early May, gangs attacked another nearby village. People attempted to swim across the river to reach safety in our area. Between 400 and 500 people from four different villages fled to our community seeking refuge. We emptied our office of stored supplies—dresses, underwear, baby blankets that had been saved for the clinic—and distributed everything we had.
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By the end of June, the gangs had burned La Chapelle, another nearby village. There was real fear they would enter our village that very night. Prayers went up, and by God’s grace, they did not come. Instead, the gangs moved toward Desarmes, just on the outskirts of our area.
July–September: Preparing for the Worst
In July, gangs took full control of Liancourt, the first village our family served in when we were drawn to Haiti in 2001, and fighting continued in Petit Rivière. We assisted the police by giving them our Starlink satellite unit—originally intended for the new clinic—to help with communication.
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In August, we made the difficult decision to move all important documents into the mountains and hide them in case our office was compromised.
October: Loss and Fear Become Personal
In October, the violence became deeply personal. The first person I personally knew was killed by gang violence. Our cook’s sister was traveling between villages when she was attacked and killed. I had just been with her in February. This loss shook me to my core.
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On October 21, we received word that people in Desarmes were fleeing toward Verrettes. Our staff immediately gathered gasoline, secured vehicles, and prepared to transport families to safety in our mountain clinic if needed. For days, we waited—anxious and praying. Again, God kept them at bay.
“Despite violence and uncertainty,
Hands for Haiti has not stopped.”
November–Now: We Keep Going
This year has been exhausting—starting construction, stopping it, restarting, and stopping again as the security situation changed. Throughout it all, we continued meeting with engineers, reviewing plans, and confirming that the clinic design was sound.
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In October, we began quietly moving equipment into the mountains. By November, brickwork and construction resumed. The engineer and workers made something very clear: they refuse to let gangs control their lives. They are continuing the work.
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Despite everything, I continue to meet monthly—and sometimes twice a month—via Zoom with our Haitian staff. Their spirits remain strong. They are hopeful.
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Our farm program is producing food for our feeding program. Farmers are contributing toward supplies and mentoring one another. Our current health clinic continues to treat countless patients. And construction on the new clinic is moving forward again, providing jobs for so many.
Why This Matters
This year has tested us in ways we never expected. But it has also shown us something powerful: your support is working.
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Because of you, food is being grown.
Because of you, children are being fed.
Because of you, people are receiving medical care.
Because of you, hope is still alive on that mountain.
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Thank you for standing with Haiti.
Thank you for standing with Hands for Haiti.
And thank you for not looking away.
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“Let us not grow weary of doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up.”
—Galatians 6:9
