We sent a bulldozer to Haiti...why not some goats?

(Our latest Senior High Youth Group Project)

by the Senior High Youth Group & Missions Committee

An article entitled "Kids Raising Kids" (in a COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL newsletter) caught the attention of the Missions Committee in the fall of 2000, inspiring us to share it with the Senior High Youth Group as a way of getting them involved in Missions. The project gained our young people's enthusiasm quickly. What started out as an auction to raise funds expanded into a series of 3 silent auctions, netting $1,358! And we are quick to point out that we had a LOT OF FUN doing this project!

Background: Mendon Church has supported a missionary in northwest Haiti for over 7 years. In 1999 we sent a second-hand bulldozer that has been used for numerous projects in that area, improving roads and fields, and helping in construction. Haiti has the dubious distinction of being the poorest country in the world. Our missionary, Bruce Robinson, spoke highly of COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL, an international child sponsorship agency that also sends livestock to needy children in many countries. Raising animals--in this case, goats--becomes a tool of empowerment for them, allowing them to produce more of their own food and break the dependency cycle. Goats are valuable in Haiti as they can tolerate hot, dry conditions; they also produce milk, and the families can choose to sell some of the babies. Furthermore, the Haitians eat goat meat and use the hides for leather.

Our Holiday Auctions: We planned to make some ornaments, wreaths, and tabletop trees. In addition to the youth groups helping with those in December, we received a number of generous donations from local businesses that the young people solicited. Church members also came forward with dozens of donations--we never knew we had such talented people in the congregation! We ended up with a total of 75 items--WOW!!!

Profits: A total of $990 was sent to Compassion International's offices in Colorado for 33 baby goats (at $30 apiece). All of the money will go to Poste Metier in northwest Haiti, the town where our missionary and his wife attend church. Goats will be procured locally beginning in February or March 2001. The balance of the money, $548, was sent to Bruce Robinson's missionary organization, UFM (Unevangelized Fields Missions). The pastor of the church, the Reverend Chrisbon Frais, is using those funds to buy goats. In addition, some of the children in Poste Metier will receive French or Creole Bibles, thanks to our church's high schoolers!

Pastor's Comments: Pastor David L. Smith of MPC commented that he has been excited about this project not only because it's a "hand up, not a handout," but also because we're encouraging our young people to help kids in Haiti, getting them involved in Missions in a hands-on way. This has been very meaningful to them, to all the adults who helped, and to the whole church. I have always believed that a church with Christ in its heart must have mission on its mind. Mendon Presbyterian keeps increasing its mission involvement both here and abroad in very creative ways!" After a bulldozer and a few dozen goats, who knows what will come next?

Conclusions: The bond between Mendon Presbyterian and Haiti has been strengthened even more by our "kids" sending "kids" (that is, baby goats) to "kids" in northwest Haiti! We praise God for our young people's enthusiasm and hard work on this worthwhile -- and FUN! -- mission project. We are thankful, too, for the local businesses and all the members of the congregation who helped us reach out to children in need in our Lord's name. One of the best parts of this project is that because of our connection with the missionary we support in Haiti, we will receive periodic first-hand reports as to how the children's lives are being changed because of our youth group's project!

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1-16-01