We had the privilege to visit a couple different places while in Haiti. One was a day away from Wings of Hope (where we were staying the week) to visit Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM). They are set up in 4 different communities around Port Au Prince and are doing so many wonderful things. We met Pastor Leon at the main, and largest, location. He gave us a very throough tour and overview of everything the organization does. At this main location, they have a church, primary school, vocational school, medical clinic, and a clean water system, where anyone from the community can come to get clean water at no charge. Talk about a one-stop shop!! Not all of the locations are able to offer all these things, but they are working towards that goal.
Their month-long VBS was taking place at the time, so the grounds were filled with energetic children and beautiful singing voices. It was a treat to just stand and listen to hundreds of children singing together. They also started an orphanage after the earthquake for a group of their own students who lost their parents. We got to visit for just a few minutes and visit with the small group of girls already living on the property as they finish construction.
Pastor Leon is an energetic and passionate man who is obviously committed to the people in his community. He led us to visit one of the other locations where the church had been destroyed in the earthquake. The same thing happened at the other location but we did not have time to visit them all. His number one priority is to get the buildings rebuilt, as they have been meeting under a tent since the earthquake in January 2010. It was amazing to listen to the stories of some of the people who had benefited from the teachings and care from the HOM family. And it was obvious that the communities were affected by the love and opportunities offered by this organization.