In 2011, our Executive Director, Mark Thornton took a friend up on an offer to travel to Haiti for a week to work with local Pastors and spend time with the children and staff at a couple of orphanages north of Port Au Prince. That trip and the people of Haiti had a profound impact on Mark's life. After nearly two years of prayer and a second trip, Jacob's Well Haiti became a reality. One of the pillars of our Ministry is simply listening. After speaking and listening to some of the local Pastors, we realized that the needs in their communities weren't all that different from the needs in Lincoln. They want their kids to have an education. They want people in their neighborhoods to have food to eat and safe water to drink. They want to work. We're going to do our best to help and we hope you'll join us in that effort!
OUR VISION
The vision of Jacob's Well Haiti is led by God and put in motion by indigenous leadership. We are sensitive to His guidance in all we do. Regarding our neighborhood in Montrouis and how we interact, we believe in the principle of community development.
OUR MISSION
The mission of Jacob's Well Haiti is to love, educate, and encourage the people of Montroius through community development. While partnering and working with local churches and local leaders, we hope to create a positive impact with a holistic approach.
WHAT WE DO
Jacob’s Well is devoted to serving the specific needs in the community of Montrouis near Pistos Church. So far, we have established the following programs in response to the needs communicated with us. We know that God will continue to reveal new ways to serve this community as we listen to Him, local Pastors, friends and family there.
MICROLOANS
We are happy to report that our pilot year of microloans has been a success! Out of the original loans, 3 of 5 have been repaid, and 2 of the 5 have been provided with a second round of funding in an increased dollar amount. The goal of Jacob’s Well is to continue relationships with the microloan recipients in order to learn how to best support their businesses in the future.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
In March 2014, we began working intentionally with the children in the area surrounding Pistos Church. This has been one way to develop trust with families living near Pistos and potentially future students. As Pastor Gesner says, “There are two key ways to help people to grow. First is education and second is teaching about God.” Through VBS, we are able to reach children that may not have a relationship with God. We also have the opportunity to show them the love of Jesus by meeting their emotional and physical needs.
BLOCK PARTIES
Each time that we bring a group to Montrouis, we have a block party for the neighborhood. We pay members of Pistos Church to cook delicious meals for hundreds of people. The meals consist of chicken, rice, and beans bought locally. In addition to providing meals, we show a movie inside Pistos Church. Through block parties, we are able to provide another way to bring the community together.