Positive in the Midst of Crisis 2

I mentioned about a week ago that there has been “relative calm” in Haiti for the past few weeks. While there are some politically important dates coming up and some potential for things to change, we are praying that the peace remains and that Haiti can get back to “normal.” At the same time, it is really difficult to know what is going to happen next. There is a lot of uncertainty in a lot of areas of our ministry there because of the uncertainty in the country in general. We are so appreciative of all of you who remain behind us, praying for us, encouraging us, and supporting us. It really means a lot.

We also want to share with you some of the good things that have happened and will continue to happen even in the midst of the uncertainty. Today I want to share with you about our job creation initiatives. We believe that helping our older kids find jobs that can help them take care of themselves and their future families are vital for the ministry of ATN. As our kids get older, they cannot keep living at ATN and we cannot ask our supporters to continue to give to support grown men and women.

With that said, we have been working towards a “What’s Next” while things have been chaotic in Haiti. We have been working with an organization who is going to tutor our kids in english, we have spoken with a big waste disposal firm about what we might do in Haiti, and we are still working on our solar charging initiative.

As far as our computer coding goes, we have computers in the hands of 6 people in Haiti who are willing and ready to start training in front end web development. We have been working through a few ideas to make finding jobs a potential reality and have even spoken to a couple of churches who would put our coders to work once they are ready. Our major problem, however, is that I cannot get down there to spend a couple of weeks with these guys to help get them started and moving in the right direction.

The truth is that the situation in Haiti has put us about a year behind in some of the job creation ideas. At the same time, it has allowed us to be patient, talk through ideas with people who know more than we do, and make a few connections here that will be vital when it is time for our kids and our coders to start looking for work.

With the end of one year and the beginning of another coming soon, we plan on reviewing the past year and doing some vision casting for our future. Spoiler alert: Our future will always include our kids. We do not plan on them aging out, sending them out into the world, and thinking our job is finished. We want to set them up for a bright future and do whatever we can to make sure they set goals and dream dreams knowing that we will do whatever we can to help them get there. Job creation is a huge part of this process and even in the midst of everything that is going on, we are pushing forward with this part of our ministry.