A smiling Pastor Vincent
Sun City’s Beacon of Light
The pastor that is bringing hope and healing to the disabled
Dear Friends,
Did you know that an estimated 800,000 people are currently living with disabilities in Haiti? A community within Port Au Prince, the capital of Haiti, Cite Soleil (meaning city of the sun) is home to many disabled Haitians. The earthquake of 2010 may have long since been forgotten by the media and the rest of the world, but 7 years later Haiti is still picking up the pieces. There continues to be no running water in many areas and sanitation is practically nonexistent as sewage runs freely through the streets. Thousands of homes need to be rebuilt and only 28% of all individuals who were injured during the earthquake received medical treatment.
In the midst of the darkness, however, there stands a beacon of light to the brokenhearted. The Disabilities Ministry has recently partnered with Pastor Vincent, a caring and compassionate individual who has devoted his life to assisting the ostracized and unwanted of Haiti’s largest slum. We are working together to bring hope and healing to teens and young adults who suffer from debilitating injuries inflicted from the earthquake, as well as those who struggle with psychological damage from the numerous aftershocks. For those whose disabilities prohibit them from working traditional labor jobs, Pastor Vincent’s ministry has begun providing vocational training in trades such as sandal construction and shoe repair, and projects are underway to provide funding for mobility aids for amputees. Plans are also being drawn up to construct a classroom that will open doors for business opportunities to those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
At left, a little girl helps “grandma and mum” make mud pies—a combination of mud, oil and spice that has no nutritional value but helps to quench hunger. At right, typical housing found in Cite Soleil as a result of the 2010 earthquake.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the Disabilities Ministry! Your generous donations and faithful prayers are doing so much in the lives of those who have so little. And please remember, anytime you desire to experience life up close and personal with the “least of these,” Haiti is just a short flight from Southern Florida. Cite Soleil may appear dangerous, but it is a wonderful place to meet incredible brothers and sisters in Christ who are putting God’s word to good use by being diligent with the little they have so that the Lord may bless them with much.
Together in Christ,
Carmen Parise
Director, Disabilities Ministry
