One of the most rewarding things we get to witness through our ministry here in Haiti is how so many lives are completely changed because of God’s hand moving through But God Ministries. We watch children grow up being better educated because so many are sponsored in school. We watch ideas turn into businesses that create income for families that once struggled to find one meal a day. We see patients with life-threatening illnesses get the health care they need because once identified, we are able to get them to the hospital or specialist that knows how to help them. We’ve seen thousands in our clinic and almost 200 babies have been brought into the world here. Mothers want to come here to have their babies because they seek the kind of care that Jesus would give, and they know that they will be loved and cared for through His love at Hope Center. We see hundreds of people weekly who finally have hope for their future as God leads us to seek ways to change people’s lives. People tell me all the time that the reason they support But God Ministries is because when they give to BGM, they know that we are using their donation in the way that we say we will use it and they see proof of the lives changed through the pictures we post of what’s going on here. Tony and I love that too. That’s why we are here as missionaries for BGM. We don’t ever want to be a part of an organization that doesn’t do exactly what they say they will do. God is using this organization to sustain a community not just today, but in the future, as we watch His hand move in amazing ways. And he doesn’t just use us, but COUNTLESS others who have come here, built relationships here, sent contributions to help people here, and even contributed to various drives in the states and then sent those goods over knowing that those goods will make it to the hands of the people who need them. It’s a HUGE, amazing miracle, and It’s fantastic to watch it unfold!
This is Jores in one of his classrooms.
One person in our village who’s life changed dramatically two years ago was Jores Merilus. I have written about him before. He started out as a translator at Hope Center with his good friend Moliere. Moliere is now the principal of our But God Ministries Secondary School here in the village and is doing a tremendous job. Jores is now in medical school in Port au Prince studying to become a physician with hopes of returning to his home village to help the people he has known and loved all his life. If you want to read my previous post about his story, click here – Jores’s Story
Jores in front of one of the buildings in the middle of the campus
In a nutshell, two years ago a team recognized Jores’s potential in medicine and told him that if he wanted to go to medical school, they would help him. They not only paid for his first year of school, but they helped him get an apartment near the school so he could be close and have a good place to study. Before then he was sleeping in a closet in a warehouse so he could have light at night to study. He had to spend a year taking preparatory classes because it had been so long since he had gone to school, but this past school year, he completed his first year of medical school. He has worked very hard in school and has done a tremendous job! We are so proud of him. He told me a few weeks ago that he has applied for an opportunity to go to Canada next summer to study for a few weeks and he is very hopeful that he will be selected. They only select two from each class to go. I’m praying that God will bless him with that opportunity.
Jores has a gentle spirit and a heart for the mission God has for him. He does not want to be a doctor just to have a job. He wants to be a doctor because that is his mission. He sees it as a ministry, and he looks forward to ministering to his village.
Recently, Jores invited me to go see his school and apartment so I could show people what it all looks like. He toured me around the school and then took me to his apartment to see it. The school is very nice!
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- This is the sign at the entrance of the University
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- Entrance to the university
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- Walkway from the parking lot to the part of campus where buildings are.
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- University parking lot. Once we parked, Jores went and got us some visitor’s passes.
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- This is the building that houses a museum and many of the classrooms for the Fine Arts Department of the University.
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- One of the many big classrooms at the university.
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- This is the outside of a new building being built at the school. It will have classrooms as well as apartments for teachers to stay in who are teaching at the university.
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- Another view of the new building. It’s really impressive!
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- Wooden floors and hand made wooden doors are all through this building. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s exciting to know it is now buzzing with students now!
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- The woodwork inside this new building is so impressive! There is an atrium in the middle that goes up about six floors.
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- This is the walkway going from one building to the next. The walkway is suspended in the air. Really cool!
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- There is even a university book store. It wasn’t open so I took a picture from the window.
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- Walking along the top floor of the new building.
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- This is a memorial museum built to honor the lives of the staff and students who lost their lives when the earthquake destroyed the campus.
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- The university even has tennis courts!
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- University basketball court
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- The university emblem in the middle of the basketball court
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- One of the science labs. We couldn’t see much of the science building because most of it was closed for construction and rennovation.
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- More buildings with classrooms on campus
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- This is one of the administrative buildings, The Ralph Auguste building.
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- The Ralph Auguste building houses many of the administrative offices as well as a few classrooms.
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- These spiraling staircases take students from one level to the next in one of the buildings on campus. Very fresh and clean!
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- Large classroom on campus
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- Outdoor hallway of classrooms.
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- More classrooms.
The apartment is….humble but functional. He is so grateful that someone was thoughtful enough to be concerned about his living situation and helped him find this apartment. He feels so blessed to be able to go to school and have a place to stay not far from the school. He can actually walk to the school from this apartment. It may not be much, but it sure beats a closet in a warehouse!
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- Jores’s apartment living room area. It doesn’t have much, but it has what he needs.
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- Another view of Jores’s apartment living room area.
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- Jores’s bedroom has a twin bed and a sack of charcoal that he uses to cook with
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- There is a small refrigerator in the living area of Jores’s apartment. He can keep things in there sometimes, but the electricity isn’t constant so food spoils in there if it stays more than a few hours.
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- This is the hallway that leads to Jores’s apartment.
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- This is Jores’s kitchen. He has a small “stove” that cooks with charcoal and one pot. He cooks beans and rice in it regularly.
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- This is the door way that goes into the shower that is outside his apartment. He shares the shower and bathroom with other tenants.
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- This is the doorway going into the outdoor bathroom at his apartment. He and other tenants share an outdoor bathroom and shower.
I decided to write about Jores today because circumstances with his original sponsors have changed somewhat and they are not able to help him as they did the first year. Because of this, Jores had to ask his mother if she could get a loan to help him pay for last semester of school. She did get a loan from a friend, but it has put a huge strain on her and her family to try to pay it back. She makes and sells charcoal for a living and she barely sells enough to pay for food. She often goes without eating so that she can make a payment on the loan. Jores spent the summer helping her, but now it is time for him to go back to school.
Jores in front of one of the buildings in the middle of the campus
Jores came by the house today and spent several hours just talking and visiting. We talked about faith and how the plan for him to go to med school was not his plan, not our plan, not the past donors’ plan; it was (and IS) God’s plan. He smiled when I told him that when God put him in his mom’s belly, He did so knowing about such a time as this. Now he must have faith that when God starts a good work, He will carry it through. Like Jores, Tony and I have walked the road of faith so many times before, and we know that when God has a plan, He provides. We are walking that road even now – just like Jores! So we prayed together and asked God not only to continue to provide a way by moving people to help, but to also increase our faith in His plan and give us peace. It was a good afternoon that ended with a cooling rain, which we decided was God’s blessing on our time together. We are so blessed to know Jores as we do.
I am telling Jores’s story today because I know that there are people who know and love him and want to help him. There have already been a few people to express interest in helping him, so I know he will be fine. I just wanted to tell his story so that others would know as well in case they want to help him too. If you feel led to help this bright, young man realize his dream of becoming a doctor to help his village, please email me at tnmwest@gmail.com or send me a Facebook inbox message. I can tell you how you can do that.
I always hesitate to post requests for help like this, but then people are ALWAYS asking me how they can help. They can’t know if I don’t put it out there. I do realize that there are MANY needs and it seems someone always needs help, but I also don’t believe that everyone is called to give to every situation. Some may feel led to give to one call and then others feel led to give to another. God wants to use us all to help in some way though. I pray that if God wants to use you to help Jores, you will hear His call and be blessed in doing so. Thank you for your prayers and support. We are humbled and blessed to be a part of this amazing ministry that helps so many people. God bless!!
haitiwest 