Conducting Vacation Bible Schools and building an orphanage in Haiti have been ongoing projects for volunteers from northern Illinois. In March, they will conduct their first eyeglass clinic.

Rick Peterson, a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Orland Park, Illinois, has 13 years of experience heading up high school ministry trips. He knows a few things about trips. But when fellow member Sue Gross approached Peterson about a mission trip to Haiti for himself, he was apprehensive.

“I had never done anything like that before,” Peterson says. “Sue says to me ‘you manage all these high school ministry trips and you're worried about going to Haiti?' She had a point there; if I could handle those trips, I could handle pretty much anything.”

So he gave it a try, bringing his adult son along for the ride. On a trip to Haiti organized by Christ, Orland Park, they helped with construction of a new school and orphanage.

“My mission team had two other dads with their sons. It was great to do that together, an amazing experience,” Peterson says with satisfaction.

Although Leslie and Ron Schuette, members of Fellowship of Faith Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois, had already traveled to Thailand with members of a Lutheran congregation in Spring Grove, Leslie also was apprehensive about going to Haiti.

Today, the two congregations are ongoing partners in supporting Lutherans in Haiti and welcome other congregations to get involved as well.

So inspired in fact that today Sue heads up the Haiti Mission Project at Christ, Orland Park, which sponsors Pastor Isaac Jacquet in the Jeremie district in western Haiti. Her goal is to get as many people and churches involved in helping the Lutheran Church in Haiti as possible.

“We like to take people from a variety of congregations [on mission trips] so that they can go back to their congregations and encourage involvement with Haiti,” she says. “We also network with other interested congregations helping Haiti from the U.S. so that we do not duplicate our projects.”

Sharing the Gospel is the first priority

The Republic of Haiti, with a population of about 8.7 million, is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and among the least developed in the world. Some 80% of the people live in poverty and the country is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

The Jeremie district is the second largest district of the ELCH. Pastor Isaac is responsible for 58 congregations and 62 lay pastors. Some of the churches are extremely isolated, accessible only on foot.

Fellowship of Faith adds their support

It was only a matter of time before the Schuettes traveled to Haiti from McHenry.

“Our church [Fellowship of Faith] gives 10% of its offerings to different mission groups, and Pastor Isaac in Haiti is one of those groups,” Ron Schuette says. “We wanted to go there and experience what our church has been part of. And we needed to bring some of that back to Fellowship of Faith for others to experience. Our trip made it come to life for us.”

“Fellowship of Faith has been with Christ, Orland Park, in this since 2003,” Sue Gross explains. “Our two churches have really grown together doing things for Haiti.”

A year ago, two teams with members from Christ Lutheran, Fellowship of Faith, Living Christ in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and Risen Christ in New York traveled to Haiti. Team One did construction work on the school/orphanage; Team Two hosted a Vacation Bible School for more than 500 children.

The Schuettes were members of Team Two, which gave them the opportunity to get to know the 22 orphaned children living with Pastor Isaac and his family.

“Being with those kids, seeing their faces, seeing how they live and worship… it was amazing,” Leslie Schuette says, echoing the sentiment of Christ Lutheran's Rick Peterson: “Once you go, you want to experience it again.”

Peterson is glad interest in Haiti is growing. “It's great to see our churches joining together to go on these mission trips,” he says. “The more churches that get involved, and the more resources and people we have, the more we can do for the children.”

“We want the Haitian mission project to be a team effort so that each only needs to do a little bit,” Gross reflects. “Then it won't be such a strain on an individual congregation.”

Although at times she has felt overwhelmed by the need, Gross feels that this project is her calling. ”I always wanted to do something like this but I never knew where to get started,” she says. “I guess I thought of missionaries as people who go away for a long time and I never thought it was possible for me.”

“A one-time mission trip is nice, but I love that we've built relationships over time,” Gross concludes. “The people of Haiti are like family to us now.”

Pastors from Haiti (Rev. Marky Kessa, left, and Rev. Isaac Jacquet, right) accept a check from Tim Hetzner of Lutheran Church Charities and the Haiti Mission Project of Christ, Orland Park, Illinois, during a visit to LCMS congregations this spring. Sue Gross is on right, in front.

Sue Gross is lining up individuals and congregations for a March 2010 Mission Trip to Haiti, which will include an eyeglass clinic as well as a Vacation Bible School. Pastor Isaac requested this clinic years ago because many people in Jeremie need corrective lenses and cannot afford them. They plan also to bring the clinic to at least three of the mountain villages in the pastor's district.

Can your congregation collect used eyeglasses for the clinic? Gross hopes to collect at least 500 pairs of glasses as well as “readers,” sunglasses, and glasses cases. They want to have everything in hand by December, so start collecting now.

Would your congregation like to help spread the Gospel in Haiti? If your congregation has ever thought of engaging in “direct mission support” please consider the Jeremie district of Haiti. Pastor Isaac would like to link each of his congregations with a “sister congregation” in the U.S. The cost of keeping a "sister congregation" alive in Haiti is about $2,500 a year.

Are you interested in traveling to Haiti? There are still some openings on the March 2010 mission trip. Cost is approximately $2,500. Be sure to call Sue Gross. She can answer your questions about international travel, conditions, required immunizations, etc.

Your help with any of these efforts is appreciated.