Johnny, the youngest of the kids who grew up at the Lighthouse Children’s Home, will turn 19 in April.

With just a few months remaining of his senior year, Johnny’s time is mostly spent attending class and doing homework as he prepares for his final exams this summer. Though he has had to change schools twice since evacuating from Bon Repos, he has been quick to make new friends and continues to excel academically.

Away from home

For most of his life, Johnny lived in Bon Repos, a city on the northern edge of Port-au-Prince. But when gang violence engulfed the neighborhood in August 2023, JiHM was forced to abandon the Lighthouse and relocate the teens and young adults who still lived there. Johnny, and his older brother Peterson, moved several hours north to finish high school in a safer area.

While Johnny has since adjusted to the move, he still misses Bon Repos. “I was much more comfortable there,” he said. Not necessarily comfort from the physical environment, but the comfort of being around the people and places that defined most of his life.

Johnny’s earliest memories, simple times of running around with Gervens and Peterson, took place in Bon Repos. It was also in that community where Johnny and Peterson reconnected with their mom, who lives in Haiti’s Southwest region, after several years of separation brought about by the desperation of poverty and the empty promises of a corrupt orphanage.

They keep in touch through regular phone calls, but that separation remains, and they miss being able to spend time with her. Last year, when she became sick, Johnny felt overwhelmed by the distance between them, distraught knowing someone so important to him was suffering, but so far away. She has since recovered, and they look forward to the day they are reunited again.

Dreams and determination

Johnny has experienced much throughout his life, yet still holds on to big dreams for his future. He hopes to study civil engineering, driven by a desire to create and build structures and systems that make life easier for people, especially for the people of Haiti.

In the meantime, Johnny has already begun to diversify his skills. He finished a tile laying course this fall and is currently looking to purchase a heat press with his brother to create branded materials like T-shirts and hats to sell. In his free time, Johnny finds solace in the world of video games and books.

Life lessons

Outside of the classroom, Johnny said he’s learned two more important things this past year, lessons that will serve him well no matter what career path he pursues: to control his temper and to be more loving.

“God has been teaching me how to love people more,” he said, “especially those who are around me.”

When asked who his hero was, Johnny didn’t have to think twice.

“God. He has saved my life many times,” he said.

Through every trial, God has surrounded him with people to love and care for him, including those who have supported him through JiHM, people who Johnny calls “more than a family.”

“I don’t have words to explain how grateful I am for this ministry,” he said. “Without it, my life would be so different.”

Pray for Johnny’s next steps

Johnny asks for prayer for the final exams he will take this summer, the next step on his way to becoming a civil engineer. He also asks for prayer for his mom.

What a gift this young man has been to all who know him. It is a joy to celebrate his accomplishments and to dream alongside him, and we praise God for the incredible individual he has become.