About Louisiana Reach Haiti

“In September of 2010 I took my first trip to Haiti. Like others that went I was overwhelmed by the great humanitarian need. I quickly fell in love with the people and the country. On that trip I felt God’s calling to serve the people of Haiti and to work side by side with Haitians to help make a difference in their country. After several years of serving, Dr. Wayne Sheppard, Ray Swift, James Gardner & I founded Louisiana Reach Haiti (LRH) in 2017. We saw first-hand, orphanages that took good care of children and those that exploited them. We didn’t want to be another orphanage in Haiti. We wanted to reunify children with their families and break the orphan cycle in Haiti. We exist to defend the oppressed and restore the family where we can. We believe the best way to do that is by empowering Haitians to love and serve other Haitians. We partner closely with Haitian churches to do a variety of other service projects. We have no US employees, only volunteers like myself. We have an incredible Haitian staff that love, serve and fight for the children in our care. I’m proud to say to those who give to our organization, “that every dollar given goes to Haiti, one-hundred percent”.”

“My first trip to Haiti was 2014. Haiti wasn’t even on my radar, I was a last minute addition to an already planned trip. I am so glad I said yes and went on that trip. I fell in love with the people and the country of Haiti. It hurts my heart that we are not able to go at the moment, but I look forward to once again being able to serve and minister in person to the Haitian people.”

“Prior to arriving in Haiti in December 2020, Paula and I had been praying for a people group God would give us. Then I met this girl and thousands more vulnerable people like her. Overlooking Port-Au-Prince from Boutilliers on the mountain, God have me Matthew 23:37-39, and I fell in love with Haiti. That love continues to grow larger everyday.”

“I prayerfully went where I felt the Lord was leading me… on my first mission trip to Haiti. I fell in love with Haiti and the Haitian people, realizing how much we all have in common. I treasured the strong sense of community that quickly developed among our team. Haitians and Americans ranging in ages from the late teen years to senior citizens; working side by side to minister to the people of Haiti. That was in 2015, and many of us are still in contact today. Little did I know that I would go on to participate in several more mission trips and eventually serve on the Louisiana Reach Haiti Board.”

“My first trip to Haiti in 2015 made a lasting impression on me. Having worked with the urban poor in Brazil for many years, I thought I had seen and understood poverty. But it was this trip to Haiti where the real meaning of poverty was revealed to me. It wasn’t located in one or two areas, it was every where I looked. My eyes saw things that I had never seen before. But I think that the thing that broke my heart the most was seeing the countless number of small children carrying water from the public water wells. This was their life all day long carrying water on their heads or in both hands, to their homes. In many cases they were carrying water to the homes of others who had taken them in as servants or slaves. In turn they were provided with inadequate food and shelter which their own parents were unable to provide. During this trip I saw the property of the future Transitional Children’s Village which was a wonderful project being undertaken by “Louisiana Reach Haiti” . Today this has become a reality! I knew right then that I wanted to be a part of it in one way or another. During that same trip I saw many Haitians being provided medical services, medicines, eye glasses, water filters, Bible stories for children, personal evangelism in various communities, opportunities to preach through translators, and construction needs being met for mission points under the supervision of the local mother church. I saw God at work in all of this, and I have since returned to Haiti several times.”

“My first involvement with Louisiana Reach Haiti was in February of 2020 when our church sponsored a missions trip to Haiti. My family has a heart for missions, so when we learned of the opportunity to serve in Haiti, we were glad to join the team.  Our trip was a wonderful experience as we got to meet and work alongside many of our Haitian brothers and sisters as we did VBS and ministered at the Children’s Village. It has been a joy working with the LRH team and serving.”