OM did not have a presence in Haiti when the 7.0 earthquake struck the country in January 2010. But OM USA staff members knew of a church in Atlanta that was already there. New Hope Baptist Church had been working with Haitian orphanages for five years. So after the quake, teams began to go out in partnership with New Hope, OM USA, the orphanages, and churches in Haiti. The relief teams met people like Liliane Maitre, a 20-year-old who grew up in an orphanage and now has a living faith in the Lord. She was a great help to the team, along with Natacha Gaston, who also grew up there and served the team as a translator. Recently both girls traveled to the States to take part in New Hope’s mission conference. They also visited during prayer time at OM USA and met many who had been partnering with them since the quake.

The next phase of OM's work in Haiti will be to promote sustainable business as missions models that can provide income for families and communities. Three church-based community groups in Haiti will be leading this phase, as they take over direct care of the orphanages and begin microenterprise projects. Each will create a business plan which OM will then help fund and support. One group of women is already meeting regularly to learn how to run a business. Each week, the sixteen ladies contribute a small amount of money to the group. Soon they will begin loaning money to each other to start businesses.

Your gifts and prayers are making recovery from the Haiti earthquake possible. Meet those you are partnering with in the video below. Thanks for giving to OM Haiti relief.