By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
CAP HAITIEN, Haiti (LBM) – Easter weekend was extra special for four residents of Louisiana Reach Haiti (an orphan care ministry), who celebrated their new lives in Christ during a special baptism service.
In front of other LRH residents and staff members, the teens were baptized in a joint event with the congregation of the Baptist Church of the Disciples, who baptized eight adults. The April 4 celebration marked the first time LRH has baptized four people in one service.
LRH President Darrin Badon, who was among 30 people present at the service, said the baptisms were the culmination of many years of pouring into the four youngsters by LRH staff, mission team members and himself.
“They approached me when I visited with them in January about their decisions to finally accept Jesus,” Badon told the Baptist Message. “The baptisms were a great way to symbolize they died to their old selves and were made new to the Lord. I’m so grateful for all those who supported us, as you had a part in this.”
Because they are all 18 years old, the four new believers have “aged out” of the Children’s Village that LRH operates and have moved into a nearby house that will be home to New Life Academy. This vocational school that opened in January will train up the next generation of godly Haitian young adults and teach them valuable skills needed in Haiti to become self-sufficient.
“Our heart is to reunify kids to their families, but we always knew we wouldn’t reunify every child,” Badon said. “We must continue to develop these young adults into mature adults.”
RESCUED
Not only did was the weekend cause for celebration of baptisms, but the ministry also was jubilant because, the month prior, they rescued a second Haitian girl from slavery. The 14-year-old girl, whose
name is withheld for security concerns, spent five years working in hard labor before she was freed.
Badon is hopeful she will make the same progress as the 12-year-old they freed from slavery in January 2025.
“It’s been a God-thing to see her transformed from a girl held captive, abused and neglected to one who now experiences the love and compassion of Christ,” he said. “We were honored the Lord allowed us to have played some part in that. Daily, we are seeing her rebirth, post-slavery.”
BACKGROUND
In 2015, a Louisiana Baptist team felt led to create a permanent presence in Haiti and partnered with Pastor Odvald Louis and members with New Evangelical Baptist Church in Croix-Des-Bouquets. The Haitian congregation and Louisiana Baptist mission teams combined to complete a Children’s Village in Croix-des-Bouquets. They also teamed up to dig a well and construct a church building and school in neighboring Canaan.
However, the facilities in both cities were overtaken and vandalized by gangs in early 2022, Badon said.
LRH then refocused its ministry on multiple fronts.
In February 2022, the Children’s Village relocated to the Florida House, a Florida Baptist Convention-owned home for missionaries in Port-au-Prince. The facility housed 21 children and six staff members. After more than a year in the Florida House, the gangs started infiltrating this area as well.
Meanwhile, God opened doors in New Orleans, allowing LRH leaders to help relocate Pastor Odvald Louis and his family from Haiti, which he fled after surviving an attempt on his life.
Additionally, LRH began partnering with Connect International Church, a congregation in New Orleans that in April 2022 formed and hosted an international church (led by Haitian American Pastor Dawest Louis, a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) that reaches out to Haitians and other nationalities.
Then, on the evening of July 4, 2023, Badon met the children and staff as they arrived in Cap Haitien after traveling all day to get out of Port-au-Prince, the capital city that had become too dangerous because of gang activity.
To donate to LRH or participate in the ministry, visit louisianareachhaiti.org.
