It has been almost 3 months since JiHM kicked off ministry in a tiny village in northern Haiti, a move brought about by insecurity, but more importantly by the hand of God. Pastor Derson and Pastor Evald have hit the ground running in Village Demier and are now seeing the first fruits of their labor. 

Bringing the gospel door-to-door

Two days each week, the men go door-to-door in the village, leveraging their walks to spread the message of Christ, encourage believers, and address spiritual challenges being faced by the residents.

“We have been intentional about meeting the villagers and learning about their life situations,” said Derson. “Most are not Christians, but they will still share prayer requests. As we walk and pass their houses, we lift them in prayer. It has been a blessing to us to develop many new relationships just by being intentional about speaking to people.”

As they build relationships, the men share the gospel of freedom found in Jesus Christ. Voodoo has a stronghold in the village, and many people express resistance to Christ because of their involvement in voodoo activities. 

Others resist Christ because of past trauma—often closely linked to voodoo. One young mom shared her grief over losing both a 2-year-old and 3-year-old child to mystical causes. She now has a young son and fears similar harm will befall him. Derson and Evald are praying for her healing from past trauma and for her to trust in God’s protection for her family as they walk with her through her pain.

“Pray and ask God to guide, bless, and intervene in the process of evangelization,” he said. “Ask Him to remove barriers that may prevent people from coming to Him.”

The sweetest moments for the men over the past few weeks have been seeing three young people come to faith in Christ as well as another woman restored to faith.

Wideline, 17, was the first to respond to the gospel, becoming a believer on January 28. She lives in the village with her 1-year-old child.

Later that same day, Frandely, 18, and Tchelo, 17, also prayed to receive Christ. 

All three young adults carry major burdens, no longer attending school because it became too expensive.

Jeanette, 56, shared with the pastors how she felt neglected and discouraged because members of her church hadn’t visited or supported her family during a crisis with her daughter a few years ago. This led to her disconnecting from the church community and her spiritual journey. 

“We listened to her story, acknowledged her pain, and shared the unconditional love of Christ with her,” said Derson. “We emphasized that God and the church community care deeply for her and her family.” 

After several conversations and prayers, Jeanette expressed a desire to return to her faith and the church. She has recommitted her life to Christ and started attending church services again. She expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement she received, which helped her heal and rediscover her spiritual path.

Building community through soccer

In addition to door-to-door evangelism, JiHM’s team is also coordinating outreach events.

The first of these was a soccer tournament, which kicked off on December 25 and ended on January 4 after six matches. 

Four teams from the village took part in the fun, which was well attended by the entire community. Derson and Evald took turns sharing the gospel with the players before each game, and Ralph, JiHM’s logistics coordinator, was on hand to referee and bring his fun-loving exuberance to the event.

First youth event draws a crowd

At the beginning of February, the team held its first youth outreach event in the village, very reminiscent of the way JiHM began ministry in Source Matelas over 20 years ago. 

A total of 65 youth, kids, and adults took part in the event, which was held in an open air community center located at the edge of the village.

The team began the event with introductions, a song and a prayer. They led the crowd in icebreakers and multiple games, all of which were met with lots of laughter. 

Pastor Derson shared the gospel near the end of the afternoon.

“Many attendees heard the message of salvation for the first time,” shared Derson, “and we trust that God will continue to work in their hearts. Despite some logistical challenges, the event was successful in planting seeds of faith and fostering community connections.” 

Derson asks for prayer that the Holy Spirit would nurture the seeds of the gospel planted during the event, as well as for resources (chairs, sound equipment, and microphones) to improve future outreach events. 

“We are grateful for the opportunity to share the Gospel and build relationships within the community,” said Derson, “and we trust that God will continue to work in the lives of those who attended and provide the resources needed for future ministry efforts.”

Next steps

“Our efforts in Demier reveal both challenges and opportunities,” said Derson. “While some individuals are open to the Gospel, others face significant spiritual and personal barriers. Continued prayer, follow-up, and discipleship are essential to see lasting transformation in the village.”

Pastor Derson and Pastor Evald plan to continue their village visits, building relationships, sharing burdens, and teaching the Word of God. They are praying for financial resources to be able to meet physical needs in the village, simple necessities like shoes and school supplies. 

They plan to host community prayer meetings to address spiritual strongholds like voodoo, collaborating with churches in nearby villages in order to strengthen believers and reach their neighbors in Village Demier together.

Please pray for God to continue to move in Village Demier and bless the efforts of Derson and Evald to share His incredible love. 

To help the team respond to material needs and support the evangelism efforts taking place in Village Demier, make a gift to Jesus in Haiti Ministries today and write “Village Demier” in the comments box.

Kristi Bucher has served as Communications Manager for Jesus in Haiti Ministries since 2014. She currently lives in Minnesota with her husband, Nathan, and two kids. Kristi and Nathan lived in Haiti from 2012–2014.