Celebrate Jesus of Haiti Home Page

2010 Earthquake Information - (newest info at top of page)

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Dental Mission Postponed

Dr. Paz will be postponing the January 29th Dental Mission trip to Haiti due to the tragic circumstances in this country. He will be going again when the State Department permits this type of mission outreach to return. Dr. Paz requests that followers of Celebrate Jesus donate to the current efforts to feed and send relief to Haiti.

Update on Conditions in Haiti 1/23/10

There have been over 111,000 confirmed deaths so far as of January 23rd. The earthquake in Haiti is still causing death and disease due to a lack of water, food and medical supplies. The Celebrate Jesus of Haiti buildings were built under the supervision of Jerry Dickherber, who is a retired contractor.  Although things were shaken a lot, the only damage to our buildings was a paint chip near the ceiling of the church.

Thousands of people are fleeing Port Au Prince and seeking refuge in our mission campus. We have run out of resources to help these refugees. This plea is urgent. We are partnering with a sister church in Tulsa Oklahoma to fill a cargo ship with shipping containers to bring food, water, medical supplies, and building materials to the island that we serve. Our island is close to Port-au-Prince, but too far away to be getting the relief supplies that are headed there. See the CNN video below for details.

Overview of Celebrate Jesus of Haiti

We, pastor Sonja and Jerry Dickherber, incorporated our organization in 2002 after living in the village of Anse-A-Galet ("on-SOG-ah-LAY") on the island of LaGonave, Haiti for a year and after travelling to the island on short-term mission trips since 1991.

We have a heart for the Haitian people and are determined, along with the help of two churches and many friends and family, to help the Haitian people to meet their needs - spirit, soul and body.

Spirit, Soul and Body

Spirit: The local church

The Church

A Haitian pastor was ordained in 2002 after receiving intensive training for approximately one year. Property was purchased and a church was built. The church was also used as a clinic when dentists and doctors from the United States went to LaGonave to provide care for the Haitian people there.

The local church is thriving under the leadership of Pastor Joaquim Guerrier, a Hatian who has lived on the island of LaGonave his entire life. The church is reaching out to the neighboring villages with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Many Haitians are finding new hope in the Gospel of Christ, which stands in stark contrast to the practices of the predominant Haitian religion of voodoo.

 

Soul: Education

The School

The school was built in 2002 and was completed and opened in time for the fall 2003 classes. Under the leadership of the Haitian principal (whose last name is translated "Assurance") grades one through six are currently taught with an enrollment of over 100 students.

Unlike other Haitian schools, the children pay no part of the expense of the school. Everything - their uniforms, books, tuition and food - is donated. The only expense for the students is the purchase of their shoes.

All expenses are taken care of by Celebrate Jesus of Haiti. Haitian teachers are employed, and the children and teachers are fed each day.

The school's expenses have recently gone up due to an increased number of students. Would you prayerfully consider a generous donation to help in this important project?

 

Body: Food, water, Health Care

The Feeding Program

The feeding program was established in 2001. Under the leadership of local Haitian Dede ("DayDay") Charles, 350 children ages 2-5 are being fed one meal of beans and rice per day, six days a week.

The Health Clinic

A health clinic was built to provide dental and physical care facilitated by volunteer dentists and physicians from the United States who donate their vacations to help the people of LaGonave.

Clean Water

Celebrate Jesus of Haiti has completed two potable water wells in the Anse-A-Galet area and is now in the process of digging additional wells on the island of LaGonave. An additional well is also being dug which is intended to provide irrigation for garden plots so that the people can begin to become self-sufficient.