Weeping with Haiti: an Update

As you know, Haiti has been deeply struggling over the past year with sociopolitical unrest, violence, and hyperinflation. Sadly, the situation has deteriorated even further over the past several weeks. The Varreux Terminal, which is the main entry point for fuel in Haiti has been blocked by gangs for more than 20 days, and the lack of access to fuel has paralyzed daily life and activities. Our Haitian colleagues report that the cost of living is currently four times more than it was a month ago, and many products, including food items, are not available. The fuel shortage has led to other crises, including a critical lack of access to clean drinking water and a potential cholera outbreak.

Important News, Latin America, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationOctober 13, 2022Haiti Outreach Ministries, Haiti

José Carlos Pezini – October 2022 Update

Brothers and sisters, may the grace and power of God be upon each one of you. I praise God for your faithfulness and generosity and pray that God in His grace will bless you abundantly. Despite the effects of the pandemic, our ministry continues to grow because people like you continue to believe that God rules over everything and everyone.

New Church Development in Brazil — September 2022 Update

The Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB), our partner in fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus, has been striving to plant new churches, and The Outreach Foundation has been working to find partners to plant new churches. One of these new churches is located in the city of Valinhos, State of São Paulo. This is a city with enormous potential, but its inhabitants are very resistant to the Gospel message. Despite the resistance, the church has grown, as the organizing pastor discovered that he can best share the Gospel through interpersonal relationships with good results, thank God!

San Pablo Presbyterian Theological Seminary — August 2022 Update

San Pablo Presbyterian Theological Seminary trains theology students from 20 Mexican states, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Chile, and Columbia. Many students are fluent in Mayan which is a predominant language in southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, San Pablo continues training leaders and pastors to fulfill the Great Commission, Rev. Amós Cahuich Yam, rector, recently sent highlights from the August 2021 to June 2022 school year:

Don and Martha Wehmeyer — July 2022 Update

Dear friends,

It is good to write to Outreach Foundation supporters. Martha and I have been blessed by your ministry for over 30 years!

Hopefully, we are near the end of the COVID pandemic. The whole country of Mexico is most anxious that it be so. The burden it has placed on the church and society has been enormous.

Todd Luke — July 2022 Update

Thank you for the prayers, gifts, and hands-on participation that have made 2022 a very good year.

Cisterns Built in 2022
March
Four cisterns in the Village of Felipe Angeles. It was our first time building there. We worked side by side with fantastic families who love the Lord and will not hesitate to break a sweat and get their hands dirty.

May
Four cisterns in the town of Xpujil for four families who live beyond the reach of the town’s water works system that only distributes water about once a week (if that).

José Carlos Pezini - July 2022 Update

May the blessing of God the Almighty Father be upon each one of you. I praise God for the wonderful ways He has used each of you as instruments in His hands for the expansion of His Kingdom.

This year, despite the effects of the pandemic, God has been faithful to us, and everything seems to be returning to normal. Of course, we also realize that a great number of pastors still fear being exposed to the virus.

SARA ministry retreats are once more taking place. From April to June, we had 12 mentoring retreats with an average of 13 pastors per retreat for a total of 156 pastors.

Children's Bible Ministry - May 2022 Update

For 121 years, the Presbyterian Church in this working-class suburb of Havana has given faithful witness to the Good News. Like many churches in Cuba, it developed ministries unique to its context, such as one that served those diagnosed with AIDS who were often shunned by their families and communities.

When its current pastor, Rev. Yoelkis Sierra, began to explore the surrounding neighborhood, he quickly discerned that there were many young children whose families had no connection to the church. He and his leaders began to pray about how this might present the congregation with new opportunities to make Christ known.

José Carlos Pezini - May 2022 Update

May the grace and blessing of the good and mighty God be upon each one of you. I am thankful always for your faithfulness, generosity, and love towards us and our ministry.

Our lives have almost returned to normal from the pandemic. April was one of our busiest months. Mentoring retreats, church revitalization talks, and lay leadership training have resumed. This brings us great joy because we can be with the pastors again and help them in their ministerial journeys.

Sureste Presbyterian Theological Seminary - March 2022 Update

Deep in the lush tropical landscape of the Mexican Gulf state of Tabasco is the campus of Sureste Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Sureste, founded in 1985 and a long-time Outreach partner, is committed to equipping the next generation of pastors and servant leaders for the Presbyterian church in the southern states of Tabasco and Chiapas where the church is growing rapidly. Most students are studying to complete a bachelor’s degree in theology. Outreach partners provide partial scholarships for many of the students studying for this degree.

Venezuela Appeal - January 2022 Update

Venezuela, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, is a case study in the perils of becoming a petrostate. Since it was discovered in the country in the 1920s, oil has taken Venezuela on an exhilarating but dangerous boom-and-bust ride that offers lessons for other resource-rich states. Decades of poor governance have driven what was once one of Latin America’s most prosperous countries to economic and political ruin… So begins a recent article from the Council of Foreign Affairs and it is that kind of news which tends to stick in our heads when we think about “Venezuela.”

Being a student of mission history, I went in search of the background of our (newer) partner there, Iglesia Presbiteriana de Venezuela (IVP) – the Presbyterian Church of Venezuela.

Latin America, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationJanuary 20, 2022Venezuela, Venezuela Appeal

Cuba Partnership - January 2022 Update

A December to Remember

Even as Cuba continues to struggle mightily with the effects of the pandemic and an economy in shambles, our partners there continue to inspire us with their resiliency, perseverance, and flat-out joy. This update is intended to give you some glimpses of that Spirit by highlighting several events…

Latin AmericaThe Outreach FoundationJanuary 13, 2022Cuba Partnership, Cuba

Todd Luke - December 2021 Update

“Lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great”

Many water projects build or deliver the infrastructure and then give it to the poor. Our cistern ministry takes a different approach. In Mexico, projects that give away materials and infrastructure tend to have an overall negative impact. In search of better outcomes, we trust skin-in-the-game partnerships between families, neighbors, and communities to solve the clean water problem in our region.

Haiti Outreach Ministries' Student Sponsorship Program

We recently received the following information from Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM) concerning their Student Sponsorship program. Please follow the link provided for additional instructions on how to sponsor a student through Haiti Outreach Ministries:

Education is essential for any child’s development, but in Haiti, education is much more than that – it is the necessary foundation to escape pervasive national poverty and a pathway to a better future. In Haiti, there is no free, public education. HOM and its Haitian partner MICECC (Mission Communautaire de l'Eglise Chrétienne des Cités) operate three primary schools and a secondary school, providing a robust, quality education steeped in Christian principles.

Latin America, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenThe Outreach FoundationNovember 15, 2021Haiti Outreach Ministries, Haiti

José Carlos Pezini - October 2021 Update

Dear brothers and sisters, servants of Christ Jesus and collaborators with him in the expansion of the Kingdom,

Grace and peace be with you all.

We've all experienced the difficulties of these past couple of years. But despite the struggles we have faced, battles were won, thus fulfilling the promise that in Christ Jesus we are more than conquerors.

Through your partnership, the gospel has been preached in many places here in Brazil. It has brought salvation to dozens of families in eight different cities, from the southern part of Brazil to the northeast. Here are reports from some of the new churches:

Cuba Appeal - October 2021 Update

This reflection upon the current crisis in Cuba – and of the Church’s response to it – comes from the Rev. Dora Arce Valentin. Rev. Dora is not only the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cuba (the IPRC—the Independent Presbyterian Reformed Church of Cuba) but a pastor in one of its congregations, a bit west of Havana in San Antonio de los Baños.

Dear family in Christ:

When the gospels tell us the stories of Jesus' miracles, sometimes our rational minds fail to understand the true message of those experiences. And, indeed, even the disciples, who walked with the Master every day of his ministry, never fully understood him until after the resurrection. However, there are times when we can see those daily miracles relived in the solidarity between sisters and brothers of faith, in small or large acts of generosity, of those who speak to us of love and demonstrate it by sharing what they have, as you have done.

Latin America, Partnership, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationOctober 21, 2021Cuba Appeal, Cuba Partnership, Cuba

Haiti Outreach Ministries Update - Pursued, Yet Not Forsaken

October 19, 2021

Dear friends,

You likely have heard in the news about the recent kidnapping in Haiti of a group of American and Canadian missionaries. This is a tragic event, and we are praying for the swift and safe release of these individuals.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident as kidnappings have become routine in Haiti in recent months. Haitians face the threat of kidnapping on a daily basis, as people have become desperate for money by any means possible. Our Haitian friends report great disruption to their daily lives, as doing even the simplest of things - going to work, buying food, etc - is fraught with complication and fear of being attacked or kidnapped. Pastor Leon reports that what is normally a 15 minute car ride from his home to the Terre Noire campus now takes two hours.

Haiti Outreach Ministries - September 2021 Update

First day of school in Haiti

September 21, 2021

Dear friends,

Today marks the first day of school in Haiti for the 2021-2022 academic year. After a tumultuous summer, our teachers and students are thrilled to be back in the classroom! You can feel the energy and excitement in the air in these photos taken just this morning.

Adding to the excitement today, we are welcoming the very first class of 13th graders at the Baryé Fè secondary school! Since the school opened in 2015, additional grades have been added each year, and it is a milestone for Baryé Fè to now host the full complement of grades required by the Haitian school system. From pre-kindergarten to grade 13, the four HOM-supported schools are serving over 1,900 students this school year.

Latin America, Partnership, Projects, Vulnerable ChildrenElizabeth CarterSeptember 27, 2021Haiti Outreach Ministries, Haiti

Partner Updates

A December to Remember

First day of school in Haiti