Creekside’s ministry team has been partnering with Gerald Bataille Ministries in Haiti for over 20 years. Involved in orphanages, construction projects, agricultural improvement efforts, and deaf ministry, Creekside has been able to greatly help the people of Haiti and support Gerald’s vision for growing the church in Haiti. Read below to learn more about our ongoing efforts in Haiti.
Deaf Ministry
Oberde and J.D. In June 2010, in Haiti, we first met these two special girls. Oberde and J.D. They are ages 16 and 18 and both of them are Deaf. As we interpreted the preaching in Pastor Gerald’s home church of approximately 6000 people, Oberde noticed our interpreter and made her way to the front where she could see the preaching in ASL.
Oberde and J.D. quickly connected to our Deaf/Hearing signing team and now we begin this mission! The Deaf in Haiti probably use a variation of several sign languages meshed together depending on where they have been educated or sadly to say uneducated. These two ladies attend a school where they learn to read French. Their signing seems to be a mixture of French, ASL, and Kreyol (Haiti’s French Creole, the national language).
So, we began interpreting using ASL with more gestures, pictures, and plenty of classifiers. We have been successful in our last two mission trips communicating God’s word in a way that the girls understand and enjoy. It has brought us immense joy to see their eyes light up when they hear the Good News of hope that comes from God’s powerful Word!
Our next mission coming up in June, our Deaf/Hearing team who are ASL users, will have two new missions: 1) Teach Oberde and J.D. one on one more about God and His purpose in all of our lives. 2) Begin teaching ASL to at least two of the church members who are Hearing who hope to one day provide interpreting in the services. Imagine that all of their life up to now Oberde and J.D. have never had a regular interpreter and yet are faithful in attending God’s house and always have a smile on their face. They are extremely bright and can make a difference in the lives of other Deaf young people in Haiti.
It’s a mission and it takes time and investment. We are ready and willing! What joy it brings!
The Girl’s Center
Gerald Bataille Ministries is receiving 40-50 girls in their children’s center! These girls have been abused/not taken care in their current location. We are excited that they get to come to a “home” of love, education, and health! Pray with us as their ministry is getting ready for this new group! We just finished raising money for 60 mattresses for the boys, I guess it’s on to 60 more for the girls! (Any other needs for the girls are still being communicated and we will let you know if there is any other donations we will be receiving, i.e. clothes, shoes, etc.) Contact us at creeksidehaitimission@yahoo.com if you would like more information on how you could purchase a mattress today!
The Boy’s Center
The boy’s center is a wonderful little safe haven for so many young boys. Everyday these boys are driven to school and back. Their kitchen is currently outside (while the other is being built inside) and are served rice and beans regularly. They cannot afford to purchase meat, so; this summer, our group will be going to Haiti, purchasing supplies there to build them a chicken coop and chickens. They will be raising these chicken as a source of food for the MANY mouths they have to feed. The boys will not be in school this summer and they have a large amount of boys, so they need all the food supply they can get. Would you like to help us build this chicken coop and purchase the chicken to put in it? Please contact us at creeksidehaitimission@yahoo.com to see how you can help!
Many of us Americans call homes for children that have no parents, “orphanages”. But through Gerald Bataille Ministries, we have learned the importance of these children to Haiti. They are not orphans any longer at the GBM children’s center; they are loved, clothed, educated, fed, and kept healthy. These children are the future of Haiti, and any positive and huge changes made for Haiti are going to come as each new generation steps into place. “Investing in the Youth: …the true reconstruction of HAITI ‘Reconstructing Haiti’ That is a phrase that has been used, recycled, and used again. Well, it is a nice thought, but what does it really mean? We are not sure about the rest of the world but Gerald Bataille Ministries believes that a better Haiti starts with proper and adequate education for our young people. We believe that the way to truly change Haiti is to change the way Haitians see themselves and their country. Using education to change the mentality of our young people can truly spark that internal fire that each individual Haitian needs to have to make the difference.
“Investing in OUR YOUTH is the only sure way to transform and reconstruct a better Haiti.” – Gerald Bataille
