Spotlight: Deb Myers

It has been my privilege to serve on the Board of Bethlehem Ministry for the past five years and as a volunteer for seven. As a Board member, I visit Haiti 1 – 2 times a year with a team of U.S. volunteers to tour the projects that Bethlehem Ministry sponsors, provide service to the people of Northeast Haiti, and deepen my relationships with the people working on our projects and living in the communities we serve. The most impactful parts of my visits are building relationships and being in fellowship with Haitians, learning more about Haitian lives and culture, and having time to reflect on my own American life and how I might live out the lessons that I learn from my Haitian friends.

I have developed a deep respect for the people of Terrier Rouge and those living in outlying communities. The genuine care and concern people have for the wellbeing of their neighbors, their promotion of youth development, and their entrepreneurial spirit are enviable! Haitians are also some of the most welcoming and open people I have met. Bethlehem Ministry’s partners are always out and about in the streets of Terrier Rouge listening to and ministering to people, seeking ways to provide assistance in solidarity with the community, and empowering Haitians to improve their own situation.

Over the past 7 years, the changes that I can see in Terrier Rouge are palatable. The school has grown, businesses have been established, housing and sanitation have improved, and access to high quality health care is constantly expanding. People also walk a little taller, children look happier, and there is a buzz in the streets that was not there when I first visited Terrier Rouge. Residents know that Pere Bruno and his projects have made a significant

difference for them and they all readily welcome his American guests.

I am proud to be a part of Bethlehem Ministry and am honored that I can make a small contribution to a large effort that is making great strides for the empowerment of the people in Northeast Haiti. I plan to be a part of “B’Min” for years to come!

Deb Myers

Board of Directors

Deb leads a team of volunteers on a trip to Terrier-Rouge at least once a year.

Marching Uphill

One of the lucky families high in the mountains who got help from some Bethlehem Ministry families to plant trees and crops on their steep land

A year and a half ago some families at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Newnan, Georgia and at First Presbyterian in Athens changed the life trajectory of some Haitian families by giving them the resources to plant their steep land with agro-forests. With that jump start, those families scored. Tree and crop cover are up, erosion is down, and optimism for their kids’ future is growing, all of which has given us the confidence to expand the idea to other communities - four of them in fact. The goals remain the same - help the land produce more, protect it for the future, and build household income using new cropping techniques and equipment to make value-added commodities. Juice from guava fruit, roof rafters from eucalyptus trees, bread from manioc roots, soap from Jatrofa seeds - there are so many plant-based possibilities because Haiti is in the tropics. When farm communities can tap those possibilities, their economy improves. Bethlehem Ministry is helping them do that. Thank you all. JP’s new project called Land and Livelihood Transformation on Steep Land, is a three-year project focused on 500 participants and beneficiaries with economic benefits reaching many more. It is ambitious but on the strength of the St. Paul’s /First Presbyterian trial balloons, we know we can pull it off. One of the lessons I learned watching Pere Bruno build St. Barthélémy from a dream and an empty lot is, stick with it even if you don’t have everything in hand. That has become JP’s marching orders and I invite you to march along. If you do, you can skip the gym and eat a dozen doughnuts, because JP is marching up some mighty steep slopes.

Rob Fisher

Director, Partner for People and Place

"Believe in Me. I told you, Believe."

At Saint Barthélémy School, depending on whether you are a student, a teacher, or staff member, July and August have two different aspects. If you belong to the first two categories (student or teacher), you can enjoy a nice vacation; however if you belong to the other category, you must continue working hard to plan the school year which begins the first week of September.

This is a very special time, and one that challenges our faith. Planning the school year not only involves writing the curriculum but also interviewing and recruiting new teachers or other staff members, as well as preparing the new budget. It is a lot of work that is also an act of faith. It’s the time that we must kneel and pray most intently to ask our Lord, our Provider, to send us the means to meet the budget’s requirements and to put the right people on our path.

Providing a good education to more than a thousand children with limited resources is no easy task. This is only possible with the direct intervention of the Lord. He has always done it in the past, therefore, this year will be no exception. The social and economic situation in Haiti is getting worse these days and everybody is affected, especially the poor members of our community, whose children cannot attend school. Our mission at Saint Barthélémy is to make sure that these children have a quality education as well as the more fortunate ones.

We want to thank you, our great supporters, for the way you keep the work alive by providing scholarships to our students. The good news is, as the school year is about to begin, we have already registered more than seventy new students. The challenge we face is the need to increase the salary of our teachers and other staff, as the cost of living is increasing rapidly in our country. Furthermore, there is repair and maintenance sorely needed in our school facility and classrooms.

We’re encouraging you to be an Ambassador of Saint Barthélémy by spreading the word to your friends, and by motivating a relative to sponsor a child, the hope and future of Haiti. May the Lord continue to bless you.

In His Name,

Father Bruno

Father Bruno with marching band maestro, Richley Pierre. The band won 2nd prize in a music competition. Congrats!

Sponsor a student for less than $1 a day!

Education is the key to Haiti’s future. For just $300 year, you can provide education, health care, and a nutritious lunch each school day to a child in desperate need. Visit our website to set up easy installments of $25/month or a single payment of $300. In the blink of an eye, you can make a difference that will last a lifetime.

The 12th graders' end-of-year party with Rheto News, a magazine they created.