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For many Americans, the mention of our neighboring nation Haiti brings to mind thoughts of pity, despair, and poverty. The massive earthquake of last year has only served to intensify those feelings and make us imagine a place full of rubble and hopelessness. So when preparing to go visit earlier this month, I tried to put those automatic responses out of my mind and go with open eyes, ears, and heart for what the Lord wanted me to learn. I traveled with my colleague from The Mission Society, Darrell Whiteman, who I knew would also bring his anthropological observational skills to our trip. We were hosted by a Haitian named Yvan Pierre, who for more than 20 years has operated a ministry called International Christian Development Mission (ICDM). Yvan studied under Darrell at Asbury Theological Seminary. The purpose of our trip was to learn about the situation in Haiti, become familiar with ICDM’s ministry, and discern in what, if any, areas The Mission Society should consider involvement.

We certainly saw the impact of the earthquake in the capital of Port-au-Prince. What I had not realized is that as devastating as it was (more than 230,000 people lost their lives), the damage was pretty much confined to Port-au-Prince. Most of our time was spent in other parts of Haiti where there was not any physical damage. However, many people even in the remote areas had relatives and friends who worked in Port-au-Prince, so the impact of lost lives was felt across the country.

Yvan’s vision has been to invest in the lives of Haitians – training children to be future leaders and empowering church leaders to engage their communities. His goal is no less than “taking Haiti back for the Lord.” In the school ICDM operates in Bayonaisse, children are receiving an education for more than their own sakes; they are being expected to give back. It blessed us to meet various young people who have been educated in the ICDM school, helped to attend higher education, and now are back giving to the community as nurses and teachers. This long-term approach is refreshing in a nation where so often ministry has focused on short-term, quick-fix solutions from the outside.

ICDM provides Bible training and schools of evangelism for church leaders – lay and clergy – from a wide variety of denominations. We met several of their former students in the northern city of Cap-Haitien and were struck by their energy and vision, their ecumenical spirit, and their desire to see the Church engage in the multiple issues that face their nation. We met one woman, Madam Dugar, who is a middle-class professional with a good job in communications. After attending the school of evangelism, she developed a burden for children in the highland areas nearby who could not afford to attend school. To make a long story short, she took some land she had purchased for eventual retirement and half her pension, built a school and is providing education for more than 80 children. She was literally bubbling over with excitement as she shared her vision with Darrell and me.

It became very apparent to us that if transformation is to come to Haiti, it will be through the vision of Haitians like Yvan Pierre and Madam Dugar who have been given God’s vision. There is no doubt that incredible challenges face Haiti, but instead of thinking of despair or poverty when I hear about Haiti, I will think of Yvan, of Madam Dugar, of the children they are investing in, and of the church leaders who are determined to make a difference. When outside help bypasses the vision God has given His people inside Haiti, it often undermines their work. Our role as neighbors and as brothers and sisters is to encourage them, pray for them, stand with them, and when appropriate, provide help as these Haitians fulfill the vision God has given them for their people.