HAITI – The country lives in the shadow of the comparatively prosperous U.S. It is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, a land of contrasts and contradictions, a place of inspiration and despair. Eighty percent of its people live below the poverty line, 54% in abject poverty. Out of 1000 live births, 54 babies die. Only half of the population over age 15 can read or write. It has a tragic history of economic instability and corruption, while enduring hurricanes, earthquakes, deforestation and lack of potable water.

THE PEOPLE – Yet, most Haitians have a resiliency about them even in such difficult circumstances. Generally, they have a happy disposition, with a ready smile and easy laugh. They are open and generous, often offering to share what little they have. Infectious joy is evident in their music – just attend a church service! Creole, the language of the street, is related to French (education & commerce). However, in contrast, there are no tenses and no spelling is ever wrong. Someone has described it as “whimsical in sound and warm, loving and childlike in meaning”. Perhaps Creole itself is a commentary on the culture – simple, relational, day-to-day, lack of structure and motivation. Add to all this is what lies in each human heart – selfishness, deception, dependency, and lack of a moral compass.

DOUBLE HARVEST – On the ground for over 30 years, Double Harvest has no illusions about the challenges of serving and ministering in Haiti. We’ve weathered the criticism directed at many organizations and helping agencies: “I’ll be there as soon as the corruption is over.” By the grace of God and the generosity of people like you, Double Harvest is making a dent in the economic and physical lives of the Haitian people within its sphere of influence, while also seeing life-transformation due to spiritual renewal.

ANOTHER WAY TO HELP – We encourage you to “spread the word” about Double Harvest to your relatives, friends and colleagues. A great way to do that is by giving them a copy of our recent full-color report/booklet: Haiti - Rebuilding After “1/10”. Pursuing Our Mission. We’d love to send you as many copies as you can use. Just contact us at our address or at info@doubleharvest.org.

Thank you once again for helping us in “Sowing Seeds of Life” in this needy country!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

Our Mission – The mission of Double Harvest, as its name implies, is twofold. We seek to establish and develop agricultural projects in developing countries by providing capital resources and implementing best practices to increase food production and to build the local economy. Also, being followers of Jesus Christ, we are guided by His example and the principles outlined in the Bible, and therefore support and implement ministries that reflect our deep concern for the physical and spiritual needs of people. We embrace the answer that Jesus gave to Satan at His temptation: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God!”

Our Practice – In poor countries, updated and sustainable farming techniques in the vast rural areas remain underdeveloped or non-existent. To live people must eat. However, produce is usually imported at grossly inflated prices, leaving the majority of the population to rely on what little they can purchase or grow themselves. The result? A repeat of the poverty cycle, a day-to-day existence, malnutrition, hopelessness, all affecting the health, education, morale and economy of the country. Using a Business as Mission model, our projects in Haiti, Ethiopia and South Sudan are committed to reversing these debilitating trends. With close guidance by board members of a trained national staff, major grains and vegetables, and production from accompanying projects such as reforestation trees, a fishery and a chicken-egg project find their way into the local economy at reasonable prices.

Our Ministry – At the same time, sensing our responsibility to the struggling, surrounding community in the countries in which we work, we supply clean drinking water, build homes, and provide food and clothing. In Haiti, our modern Medical-Surgical Clinic offers daily care to over 200 patients, while surgery teams conduct up to 100 life-saving procedures during a week’s visit. Our school provides an excellent Christian education for 500 students, Pre-School – Grade 13, all from local villages. However, this work – business, social, and compassion – would have little ultimate value if it were not infused with spiritual ministry. With so much need, we offer our help in the name of Jesus and trust Him to multiply it. But we also ensure that the gospel – a renewed personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus – is clearly presented as the key to life-transformation. Change a heart, change a person, change a world-view, change a community, change a country! Thus daily devotional times occur with our workers, patients and students. Hard work and integrity are modeled. Prayer is offered to anxious patients. Pastors, churches and their outreach into the community are supported.

In Sowing Seeds of Life, our goal is indeed a “Double Harvest”! Thank you for your trust and support of this ministry.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

“You had to have been there to understand it!” You’ve heard the phrase before. This was the experience of the mission team from our church which my wife and I took to the Double Harvest project in Haiti at the end of February. For a week we engaged in work and compassion ministries, but were also exposed to a spectrum of activities all directed to “Sowing Seeds of Life”. Here is a brief overview.

Mission Team – Working with a Haitian crew, a concrete, property-long walkway poured; a gate fabricated and installed in the wall around our school; repairs done at the school; correctly sized shoes delivered to the 43 teachers of our 500 students; soccer balls given to school classes; bags of clothes and food organized for 100 families in the community; interior walls repaired and painted in our Clinic (much needed after 8 years); sobering visits to a mass grave site from the 2010 earthquake and to the very poor Fishermen’s Village; sharing in Farm devotions and in worship with the church meeting on our property; rewarding team meals and devotional times. As is always the case with mission teams, more was gained by the team members than was given!

Farm – A bee-hive of activity, beans and tomatoes were being harvested; the greenhouses were filled with starter plants and reforestation trees; 3500 eggs were gathered each day for sale; plumbing on additional fish and hatchery tanks was planned; constant repairs on vehicles were done; 1000 meals were prepared each day for the students, teachers, farm workers, and medical staff.

Clinic Addition – The structure is up; initial electrical, plumbing and A/C are completed; interior walls are ready to be mudded; doors are hung; a “mission painting team” is being organized. Soon more consultation and eye exam rooms, an X-ray room, a lab and more storage areas will enhance the medical care the Haitian people now receive.

Eye Care – Partner ministry, Living in Faith, conducted one of many regular eye exam clinics with a trained Haitian team. Eye care is the least addressed health care issue in the country. Exact prescriptions are filled in Florida and life-changing sight is delivered to waiting patients at greatly subsidized prices. “I can see!” is the repeated, joyful response.

Thank you…for your continued financial and prayer support as we minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

During the month of January you may have watched a program or read about the progress of rebuilding the country of Haiti. Two years ago, on January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged a wide area surrounding Port-au-Prince, the capital city. Since then, recovery and rebuilding has been generally painfully slow in this nation that was struggling beforehand in practically every sector. Hundreds of thousands still remain in squalid tent-cities, while accusations of misappropriated and undelivered relief funds highlighted the media reports. While much of this is true, and the challenges on a broad scale are great, the comments of one Letters to the Editor to the Miami Herald spoke to a glaring gap in the reports: “I missed reading about the role of the many visiting church volunteers.” The writer was correct. Together with numerous smaller faith-based organizations located in Haiti, church and community volunteers have helped affect change in many organizations’ circle of influence. Progress is evident and donations have reached their intended purpose.

This has been the experience of Double Harvest. While we essentially pursue a “Business as Mission” model, especially in the agricultural realm, we also address compassion and spiritual ministries. And, it has been the hundreds of volunteers on mission teams – medical, trades, handymen, outreach, education – that have helped us in our mission. Surgeries are conducted, infrastructure and construction projects are addressed, clothing, shoes and food are distributed, spiritual outreaches occur, English is taught in our school, drinkable water is piped to nearby villages, well-built concrete block homes are constructed for the needy and those affected by the earthquake. We thank these compassionate and hardworking people for their service.

One of the social and spiritual issues that remain under the radar is the abuse occurring in many Haitian families. Between Christmas and New Years Day, this issue was addressed at the annual Pastors Conference sponsored by and meeting at Double Harvest. A video-based seminar, Ancient Paths, was presented that spoke to the damaging results of blessing or cursing family members, whether children or a spouse. The Haitian pastor of the local church who translated the program reported that, even among these spiritual leaders, stories of deep hurt were shared at the break-out sessions. By the grace of God, many were put on a course of forgiveness and healing as the roots of problems that had plagued their lives were identified. These community leaders will now take the lessons learned to their people in hopes of reversing a destructive family issue so prevalent in the Haitian culture.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

Welcome to 2012! A New Year always brings new challenges. However, it is good to take a brief look back in order to give thanks for what has been accomplished and, from that perspective, resolve to pursue one’s mission. In that regard, you should be receiving a major Report in the mail during the month of January on the ministry of Double Harvest in Haiti. The Report points to the fact that two years have passed since the devastating earthquake in January, 2010. It highlights the developments that have occurred at the Double Harvest project over the past year or so, as well as how we are involved in helping and impacting the surrounding community. If you don’t receive the report, please contact us at info@doubleharvest.org, and we’ll gladly send you one. Although we have been in Haiti for over 30 years, we have no illusions that long-standing economic, cultural and spiritual issues are easily solved. We thank you, our supporting constituency, for your partnership in the advances that have been made. Here are just a few recent highlights.

Double Harvest School – This school year 504 students are in attendance! We thank the existing Sponsors for their compassion and financial help in giving these precious children and youth an excellent education, along with Bible instruction and some extra activities. Their families are extremely grateful as education is a major hope for the future of the country. If you are interested in sponsoring one or more of our students, now at $45/month, please contact us at the email address above or write to us. We’ll send you a brochure which explains the program. You can also read more on our website under Where We Work/Haiti/Sponsor a Child.

Rebuilding Homes – We have passed the 110 mark! And, more houses are under construction. Families left without a safe home after the earthquake and those living in “shacks” are receiving a well-built, concrete block home that will protect them from hurricanes and earthquakes for many years to come. At the same time, Haitian masons and workers are employed and supervised. We are able to address these poverty issues on two fronts because of many donors’ generosity!

Pastors Conference – Between Christmas and New Year’s Day, over 150 pastors and leaders of churches descended on our school campus. They slept in the classrooms and were fed in the school cafeteria. But most important, they were instructed and encouraged in Bible teaching methods and a newly translated family life program. These community leaders, in turn, will take the lessons learned to their people to flesh out these desperately needed skills in the Haitian culture. This is another way we are Sowing Seeds of Life!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

At this Christmas season it is often difficult not to reflect on the destitute conditions in the majority of the world and compare them to the affluence we enjoy in the western world. We have clean water, guaranteed food, a hospital or trauma center nearby, relative safety, political stability (some may not agree, I suppose), and an infrastructure that facilitates ease of movement and commerce – everything that is non-existent or in very short supply for the rest of the people of this planet. Yes, we are experiencing a financial crises and an unprecedented jobless rate but, compared to those living in developing countries, we live in abundance. A trip to Haiti, Ethiopia, or South Sudan, where Double Harvest works, immediately confirms this stark reality. This past month we were reminded of God’s protection in a near tragic event. Please see our website’s home page for brief details.

The world into which Jesus was born was not unlike today’s third-world conditions. Israel was a backwater province of the ruthless Roman Empire, where political and religious leaders lived in affluence while the people languished, frequently without adequate food and water. Travel was by foot, donkey or ox-cart and often dangerous. Medical services were rare – Jesus was born in a stable; sickness, early death, and demon possession were common. Corruption existed even in the Temple courts. Refugee status characterized Jesus’ first months when his parents fled with him to Egypt to escape King Herod’s murderous intentions. He experienced the physical and spiritual hopelessness that poverty breeds.

It would be easy to feel guilty about our comparative prosperity, or to simply reason that good luck landed us in the west. No, somewhere in God’s sovereign plan for history there are answers to these puzzling questions. But, we do know that He had unmatched compassion and love for His creation, so corrupted, that He sent His Son to heal not only broken lives, but also to heal broken and rebellious hearts. Jesus’ miracles, His clear teaching of God’s message, and His sacrificial death and resurrection are wonderful testimony to God’s solution to this hopelessness – Good News indeed! Now, He calls us to both compassion and gospel ministry. This is the dual mission Double Harvest adopted from its inception. At this time of year, we thank you for your trust and partnership in Sowing Seed of Life in impoverished situations. And, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N.A. Coordinator

Do you remember the first time you saw a plant sprout from the ground? Perhaps, like me, your parents filled a shoebox with dirt and put a few seeds in it. You were to keep the dirt moist and warm, and to wait patiently. No digging it up to see what was happening underneath!! Weeks seemed like an eternity. One morning you checked the box and a little green shoot had emerged. A tiny miracle had occurred! Tender care and watering continued until a healthy flower bloomed.

Good soil is critical to the growth of a healthy plant. In the Bible, Jesus told a parable about the importance of this truth. As a farmer was sowing seed, some fell on a hard path and birds quickly ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky soil, but withered because the soil couldn’t hold water. Some fell among thorns and weeds which choked the new plant. Other seed fell on good soil and yielded a crop 100 times more than what was sown. As an organization, key to our mission in establishing large sustainable agricultural projects in poor developing countries is implementing best practices for the highest possible production of healthy crops. Great care and environmentally sound technologies are used in the preparation and care of the soil. The result – nutritious food items find their way into the local economy, feeding thousands, and people are employed and trained in agriculture and honest labor. This has been occurring in Haiti and Ethiopia for 30 years, and is now in its beginning stages in the war-ravaged, newly independent nation of South Sudan.

Jesus’ purpose for telling the parable was much deeper than teaching good farming techniques. The seed represents the Word of God which is heard by various types of people as it is sown/spoken. The responses to the truths of the Word are also varied – some believe and some do not, depending on the “soil” of a person’s heart. For some, the seed is quickly taken away. For others, their belief is short-lived because no roots were developed. For another group, their fragile faith is choked by life’s anxieties, riches and pleasures. But for those with hearts of “good soil”, the Word is retained and strengthened to yield a fruitful life. As an organization, we are also committed to not only spread the seed of the Word, but to also make every effort to prepare the soil of people’s hearts. How? By scheduling daily group devotional times for our workers; by establishing and supporting Christian schools and medical clinics; by building homes and delivering clean water to those in need; by supporting church outreaches to local villages. In the physical and spiritual realms, “Sowing Seeds of Life” are at the core of our mission. Thank you for partnering with us in helping to make a difference in people’s lives.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

Our children’s future! In this country we have our concerns for what the future holds for our children and grandchildren. Haitian parents and grandparents are no different. As one of our grandsons plays at my feet, the experience of a recent trip with my wife to Haiti brought this into clear focus. Travelling with husband and wife photographers (also grandparents), the trip had two main purposes: Taking the annual pictures of the over 500 students at our school and participating in a ministry board meeting. The residual impact of the trip however was far greater than the tasks we performed. We are changed each time we visit.

• The Double Harvest School is blest with a committed Haitian principal and faculty. They recognize the critical role both a general and religious education plays in the future hope of this poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. As each student’s photo was taken, we envisioned their potential. Thank you, sponsors, for the strategic financial role you play in these students’ lives!
• This year the Haitian authorities delayed the start of the school year by one month due to unrest developing over the delay in the formation of a government. During our time there, we witnessed opening day ceremonies along with the presentation of a bicycle for each of the top students of last year’s classes. We thank a N.E. Ohio Christian school for making these special awards possible!
• Our student photo experience took us also to an orphanage and a remote village, where a school and a church have been developed as an outreach of our Double Harvest project. With almost impassable roads after successive rains, we were thankful for 4-wheel drive. Meeting under tents, for the first time these 400 students received a paper-framed picture of themselves. The parents are overjoyed at this opportunity for their children! This is just one way we are impacting the surrounding community.
• As the end of the trip approached, board members arrived for the annual board meeting. On-site meetings give opportunity for on-site evaluation. Haiti is a nation in great need, but we were thankful for the progress made in many areas and prayed for wisdom in meeting the challenges that remain. Your continuing, generous support assists us in accomplishing our mission there.
• Haiti’s unrest – After nearly a year since elections, unease over the delay in forming a functional government has escalated. The President’s two nominations for Prime Minister had been turned down by lawmakers. While still in-country, we received the news that his third nomination had been approved. Pray with us that these two men can inspire confidence in a common agenda to tackle the desperate needs of tent cities (600,000), health care, education, agriculture and reforestation, all part of Double Harvest’s mission!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

This last month, August, was a busy month! While many of us in North America were enjoying vacations or gearing up for our children’s schooling and programs, our project in Haiti hosted a number of volunteer mission teams. Here is a brief overview of what was accomplished.

• The addition to our Medical-Surgical Clinic is progressing. A team from Tennessee installed the roof this past month. New exam rooms, both medical and eye care, an X-ray room, an expanded lab, dental rooms, plus new second-floor accommodations for teams are taking shape. This will allow us to further serve the Haitian people in many ways.
• Surgery teams continue to conduct operations putting hundreds of Haitians on a new health pathway. A frequent visiting team from Miami Baptist Hospital did more surgeries than usual during this recent visit using the new anesthesia equipment.
• Our farm benefited in areas of crop growth and efficiency from the review and direction of one of our board members. A fish nursery is taking shape for the Tilapia Fish Project. The Chicken-Egg Project is expanding and is recognized as a premier supplier of fresh eggs. The Rebuilding Housing Project has passed the 100 mark, providing these needy families with a safe and reliable home.
• A partner ministry in our Eye Care Clinic program, Living In Faith, fielded an American team to conduct eye exams and install Water Purification Systems in surrounding villages. The same ministry began a new training program for Haitians in learning basic eye exam techniques. Twelve people attended the inaugural class. Advanced techniques will be taught in ongoing classes with the hope that students will begin an Eye Care ministry in their home area.
• Another partner ministry, Ashley’s Orphans, used our project for their team as a base from which to continue construction of new school and accommodations buildings for an orphanage in the area.
• While the U.S. east coast recovers from Hurricane Irene’s devastating winds and rain, we are thankful the storm bypassed Haiti earlier. God’s sovereignty over nature’s power is unexplainable, but He is always present in the disaster to comfort and to heal. During this hurricane season, Haiti is so vulnerable with its lack of infrastructure, resources and forestation, and thousands of people still living in tent cities. A direct hit could incapacitate this struggling nation still trying to recover from the January, 2010 earthquake.

Thank you for your prayers and support of Double Harvest’s ministry. You ARE “helping us help” those in desperate circumstances.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N.A. Coordinator

For us, this “Business as Mission” model includes another critical element. Being followers of Jesus Christ, we also recognize our responsibility regarding the desperate needs of the poor in these countries. And so, we help to support schools, medical clinics, housing projects and water projects. However, at the core of these humanitarian efforts is a foundational belief that people’s spiritual lives are in need of transformation. This can only be accomplished through a restored relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. A vital ministry, then, of Double Harvest is to see that this message – the gospel – is clearly presented in every project we undertake and support. We believe we are Sowing Seeds of (Eternal) Life in individuals’ hearts to transform their fears, guilt, morals and ethics, and to give them purpose, hope, peace and joy for this life and the next.

In Haiti, with its dismal statistics on every level and its struggle to recover from the 2010 earthquake, this dual ministry is desperately needed. On our 200 acres, the farm continues to produce corn, sorghum, beans, vegetables and reforestation trees while employing hundreds of workers. The Tilapia Fish and Chicken-Egg Projects continue to provide these nutritious food items to local vendors. At our Medical-Surgical Clinic, in addition to daily care of the local population, the last two months have seen three surgery teams from the U.S. conduct numerous procedures. Every morning, however, a devotional time is scheduled for the farm workers and, later, for the waiting patients. Our school, now in summer recess, also offers a Bible curriculum to our 500 students. Recently a church youth team from California joined the church meeting on our property to conduct Vacation Bible School for 400 children, 100 of whom expressed their faith in Christ. The 40 students studying at the Bible Seminary meeting in our facilities have just completed this semester’s exams and will be active in their churches. For us, this is Sowing Seeds of Life with a potential of a Double Harvest.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N.A. Coordinator

The “power of one” has been at work at our project in Haiti. Our school now has 500 students, Pre-School – Grade 13, each receiving an excellent education, including a Bible curriculum, from dedicated Haitian teachers, a nutritious meal each day, and free medical care. However, 16 years ago it began with only one class. Sponsors for these students (now at $30/mo) have increased over time – one at a time. At our Medical-Surgical Clinic, 200 people with a variety of third-world health concerns are seen every day – one at a time. When surgery teams visit once a month, 60 – 80 procedures are conducted – one at a time – correcting longstanding medical issues. The addition presently being constructed is taking shape one block, one tied rebar, one wall, one truss at a time. Soon, a new eye care center, a dental suite, more exam rooms, a radiology and lab area, and additional accommodations will be operational.

At the heart of our 200-acre project is the farm and fish and chicken projects. The major grains - corn, sorghum, soybeans, as well as vegetables are planted – one seed at a time. Drip irrigation lines are painstakingly laid out – one line at a time. With capacity to grow 2 million tree seedlings, we hope to be a front-runner in meeting Haiti’s desperate reforestation needs – one tree at a time. A recent “tree-a-thon” with sponsored motorcycle riders in Haiti raised money to plant 8,600 trees in 2 weeks! Our Chicken Project will soon produce 3,800 Grade A eggs per day, providing numerous vendors the opportunity to make a living – one egg at a time. Our Tilapia Fish Project is poised to double production, introducing this nutritious food item into the Haitian market – one fish at a time. As the rainy and hurricane season begins, our Rebuilding Housing Project has provided over 100 families with a new, well-built, concrete block home – one home at a time. One can see the anxiety created by the earthquake melt away from their faces as the keys are handed over!

Above all, people’s hearts are being changed by the love of Christ and the hope of the gospel. It seems the Lord uses hardship, amplified here over the past 18 months, to soften people’s hearts – one person at a time! The “Power of One”!

What do Haiti and Southern Sudan have in common? While both are impoverished countries, Double Harvest also has projects in each of the countries. In Haiti, however, the farm, fish and chicken projects, school and medical clinic (An Eye Care Team and ENT Surgical Team visited last month) are mature and established, while the agricultural project in Southern Sudan is just beginning. If you’ve visited our website (see below), you’ll realize that we are represented in other countries as well. Most of our N.A. office activities focus on our Haiti project, but encouraging developments are occurring in East Africa too, specifically the war-torn country of Sudan.

Shortly after the start of the Haiti project, in 1987 Aart Van Wingerden, our founder, began an agricultural effort in Ethiopia in cooperation with two mission organizations and a local church denomination. Together with the support of friends in Holland, Genesis Farms has since grown to be a large, self-supporting agricultural project and dairy and chicken operation. In turn, the spiritual and compassion ministries of the partnering church have greatly benefitted from their support.

Over the past number of years, visits to Africa by board members have included Ethiopia’s neighbor to the west - Sudan. “Southern Sudan - Dreary, desolate and destitute, the last stop before arriving at the abyss!” Despite this reality, it was agreed, this was Double Harvest’s next mission destination. After decades of civil war between the north and the south, a 2005 precarious, peace agreement culminated in a January, 2011 referendum on independence for Southern Sudan. In this tentative political climate, a disappointing beginning with our project has recently resulted in Double Harvest identifying a trusted national General Manager (God’s orchestration), negotiating a 250 acre land lease three miles from Juba, the capital (not an easy feat), and registering Genesis South Sudan Farms, LLC! With a container of supplies and equipment shipped via the Nile River from Ethiopia, the challenging work of establishing a productive agricultural project has begun. Presently, most produce is imported from Kenya and Uganda at grossly inflated prices for the local population. We hope to infuse affordable, quality produce into the economy, provide training in best practices, and offer employment in this distressed part of the world. Already connections are being made with local Christian organizations and churches, ensuring that our mission of a “double harvest” occurs. The pathway to “Sowing Seeds of Life” in Southern Sudan has begun!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N.A. Coordinator

Volunteer Mission Teams. Over the past 25 years the world has shrunk. That is, the possibilities and opportunities that global travel offers have opened up multiple avenues of cross-cultural service unavailable a few decades ago. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people of all ages – youth to seniors – and with varied skills, offer their time and money to assist mission efforts around the world. The most effective teams are those who pre-plan and consult with the host mission or national partner how best to serve them. Care must be taken that we in the developed world don’t foist our agenda on foreign mission efforts and in the process damage the positive developments in their work.

At the Double Harvest project in Haiti, with its agricultural project, fish and chicken projects, clinic, school, and an independent church that meets on the property, there are numerous opportunities for mission teams. My wife and I recently accompanied a work team of 14 individuals from our church. Because of the rainy seasons and, at times, hurricanes, the ground becomes a muddy clay mess! It was decided that a 6’ 6” sidewalk spanning the length of the project – well over 1500 ft. – would serve two purposes: 1) reduce the mud factor and, 2) create a safe route to cart the noon meal from the newly renovated Chloe’s Kitchen/Cafeteria to the 500 students at the school. The cafeteria also serves a nutritious noon meal to 200 of our employees. During the week, our team was able to finish 270 ft. of sidewalk, plus pour half of an 1800 sq. ft. pad for organizing and shipping the grains grown on the farm. Meanwhile, three on our team completed renovating new accommodations for volunteer teams, and an Audiologist (who signed on as a handyman) tested the hearing of 100 students and adults. Added to the experience were visits to villages, distribution of clothing and food, worshipping with local Christians, and participating in daily morning devotions with our Haitian workers. The mission of Double Harvest was served and team members’ lives were changed!

Other opportunities also exist. Surgical teams conduct operations at our Clinic in which our Haitian medical staff are not trained. Work teams with construction skills assist with additions, renovations, repairs and, at times, water projects. At our school, occasional vocational skills modules are taught such as carpentry, electricity, plumbing and welding. English teams teach conversational English classes. Youth and adult teams participate in outreaches and in the annual Vacation Bible School and Youth Camp hosted by the local church. All these coordinated efforts combine with your generous gifts to help us in “Sowing Seeds of Life”!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N.A. Coordinator

Did you ever try to drink from a fire hose? You can’t take it all in! That picture is somewhat like the blessing of God which Double Harvest has experienced in the last months. However, instead of a “fire hose”, here are a few “glasses of water” to refresh your soul.

• Chloe’s Kitchen-Cafeteria is up and running in the renovated former storage barn. Funded by Tom Van Wingerden’s Memorial Fund, the well appointed kitchen and ceramic-tiled cafeteria now prepares 1000 meals every day to our employees, teachers and students.
• The addition to the Medical-Surgical Clinic is progressing. Additional consultation rooms, Eye Care exam rooms, an X-ray room, a larger Lab and storage areas will further enhance the medical care the Haitian people now receive. Surgery teams continue to visit, often conducting in a one week period 80 – 100 procedures, correcting long-standing health problems.
• The Rebuilding Project in the surrounding villages continues. Almost 100 families have received a new, well-constructed home. We are well on our way to our 220 goal. In the process, masons and workers are employed and trained to improve their skills.
• Additional tanks are being poured to double the size of the Tilapia Fish Project, including hatchery tanks; and a Sales Center is being constructed at the main highway. Together with the farm and reforestation project, this Business as Mission model is helping provide for the economic, physical and spiritual needs of the Haitian people.
• There is also great interest in spiritual issues. The church meeting on our property has doubled in size. A “mini Bible school” now meets in our school offering classes in Bible and theology. People have responded to outreaches to the community.
• Finally, drinkable water from our wells continues to be pumped to five villages – 420,000gal/week – almost 22 million gal/year! Now that’s what I’d call a “fire hose of blessing”! Thank you for drinking this all in with us. You also help make it possible.

One more thing: Please pray for a safe and fair Presidential run-off election on March 20th. Haiti needs strong but moral leadership.

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator

QUESTIONS. One year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, questions are still swirling around about its recovery. What does Haiti look like now? Where did all the aid money go? What has the Haiti government done? Is there any progress at all?

For those organizations and people who have lived and served in the country for a period of time, the ANSWERS are sadly not surprising. Less than one-tenth of the rubble from collapsed homes, churches, schools and other buildings has been cleared. One million displaced people still live in tattered and filthy makeshift camps. Amid the squalor, stories of robbery and rape are surfacing. One headline attempts to capture the situation in the wide area surrounding Port-au-Prince: “Haiti Still Mired In Misery!”

Regarding aid, much of the initial private charitable donations assisted organizations tending to the health of the injured and reclaiming the bodies of some 230,000 dead. A portion of the international government aid has gone to debt relief, while the greater percentage has not yet been delivered partly because there is no assurance it will be used properly. A government structure that was weak and corrupt before the quake has not been able to help coordinate a viable relief and rebuilding response. Only recently have new construction codes been released delaying rebuilding efforts. Enforcement of the codes will be another story.

As we’ve noted before, added to this “misery” was a brush with a hurricane and a crippling cholera epidemic. Now, a disorganized and fraudulent election to replace the exiting president, Rene Preval, has escalated public frustration. A disputed run-off election between two top candidates of the original 39 has been delayed until next month. Confusing this political turmoil has been the unexpected return of exiled “Baby Doc” Duvalier, the former brutal dictator. He is being held in the country for legal questioning.

Has there been progress? It is generally spotty. Some buildings have been repaired; some people have been able to start new businesses; some companies are building factories to provide jobs. These are areas Double Harvest has been addressing all along, while at the same time presenting spiritual answers that will provide hope for this life and the next. For details on what has been accomplished, please go to our website and click on “Newsletters” for past updates. With your financial partnership, we have been able to continue to accomplish our mission: “Sowing Seeds of Life”. We thank you for your compassion and generosity!

Vernon Giesbrecht
N. A. Coordinator