Haiti, Camps, The Dream Team Rodger Obley Haiti, Camps, The Dream Team Rodger Obley

Surf City Haiti 2020

Every June, for the last nine years, we have taken a team to Haiti to co-run a one-week camp called Surf City Haiti. Surf City Haiti provides fantastic opportunities for American students just like you to serve with older Haitian students and run a fun summer camp.

Every June now, for the last nine years, we have taken a team to Haiti to co-run a one-week camp called Surf City Haiti. Surf City Haiti provides fantastic opportunities for American students to serve with older Haitian students and run a fun summer camp. For the past three years, we've worked with a core group of student-leaders from EBAC to plan camp. We hoped to empower these student-leaders to plan camp all on their own one day. While we were heartbroken when we canceled our plans for Surf City Haiti this summer, these young leaders stepped up and planned a fantastic experience for their peers and the younger kids!

Because of your prayerful support and faithful giving, we could send a little extra money to ensure that Surf City Haiti still happened, even in our absence. Watching the highlight video on the last night of camp is a tradition, and we were grinning ear to ear when our friends in Haiti sent us the official 2020 Surf City Haiti camp highlight video. Take a look at what you made possible!

Fun facts

  • Surf City Haiti was planned and led by older Haitian students this year.

  • Each day of camp, the students got a delicious hot meal of rice, beans, chicken, beet salad, and fried plantains cooked by the women at IDADEE and EBAC.

  • All of the activities were held outside and rotated daily between the IDADEE and EBAC campuses to promote healthy social distancing.

  • Michaelson, a student at EBAC, hand-made all of the Surf City shirts this year. Talk about limited edition!

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Haiti, Camps, The Dream Team Rodger Obley Haiti, Camps, The Dream Team Rodger Obley

Surf City Haiti

Surf City Haiti is a week-long, high energy summer camp that focuses on fun, discipleship, and equipping kids at the three children’s homes to be leaders in their communities.

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.

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