Surf City Haiti

It has been a difficult few months for our friends in Haiti. In February, details came to light that lead to allegations of embezzlement against the Haitian government, namely president Jovenel Moise. Frustrated, many Haitian citizens protested. Unfortunately, when opposition and gang leaders got involved some of the protests became violent, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince. In response, the U.S. Department of State issued a level four (the highest) travel advisory: do not travel.

Although most of the civil unrest was focused in Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien experienced protest and unrest as well. By God’s grace, all of our friends and families in Haiti remained safe. It is truly a testament to the leadership and the environment of love and safety that they have built.

Since February we have been in very close contact with our friends in Haiti who have consistently advised us on whether or not it is safe for us to travel. By March, Cap had cooled down enough for us to travel. Cap remained calm as we neared June and Surf City Haiti.

Our goal for Surf City Haiti has always been that it would be a Haitian-lead camp and that as the girls and boys in the children’s homes grow up, they would step into leadership positions in camp. Due to the unrest, our team was a lot smaller, and we owe the success of Surf City Haiti to the older Haitian girls and boys in those leadership roles. From worship to programming camp, everyone stepped up in a big way and made this year of camp one of the best yet.