Just a few months ago, you would have found Philippe in nightclubs—chasing pleasure, chasing girls, chasing anything but God. Now, you’ll find him leading games at youth group, singing worship songs, and encouraging others to follow Jesus.

“I used to chase the world,” he says. “Now I chase God.”

Philippe, 19, lives in Village Demier with his mother and four siblings. His mom, once part of a church, walked away from faith years ago and now practices voodoo.

Compared to his childhood home in Terrier Rouge, Philippe describes Demier as isolated. “There’s no school here, no church nearby, and you have to travel far just to buy food,” he says. “People don’t work together. Everyone is just trying to survive.”

But in the middle of that struggle, something beautiful is happening.

When Pastors Derson and Evald began ministering in Village Demier at the end of last year, Philippe was one of the first to notice something different. “They didn’t just preach,” he remembers. “They worked beside us—cleaning the soccer field for a tournament in December.”

Within weeks, the message of Christ took hold in Philippe’s heart. “I’ve been a believer for less than six months,” he says. “But my life has radically changed.”

Now, as a youth leader, Philippe is growing in confidence and joy. “I used to be so shy,” he says. “Now I stand in front of people leading games and worship. That’s only God.”

One of his favorite memories is learning the song: “When the Spirit of the Lord comes, I’ll sing like David!” The room was filled with joy. “The energy was electric,” Philippe recalls with a smile.

But even with this newfound faith, life is not without heartbreak.

Philippe has a young daughter whom he’s not allowed to see. Her grandparents have cut him off from being a father to her. “It breaks me,” he says quietly. “But I’m praying for restoration.”

Philippe’s passion is to go deeper—to grow in prayer, to learn God’s Word, and to keep leading other young people to the truth that changed his own life.

“Before Christ, I was lost,” he says. “Now I’m found—and leading others to Him. That’s worth every sacrifice.”

We praise God for the story He is writing in Philippe’s life. Please keep Philippe and the other 12 young leaders meeting weekly with Pastors Evald and Derson in your prayers as they grow in Christ together.