Decades of Service Yield Fruitful Harvest in Haiti

A Story of Dedication & Sacrifice

William Bertrand (Field Director fo Friends Ministries with Haitians) was born and raised in Haiti, the stepson of a voodoo witch doctor. Voodoo is an issue in the mountain churches. It is used as a form of intimidation to keep control over peoples lives. Although there are real spiritual battles, many are controlled through intimidation and superstition.

When his stepfather became a Christian, he forced William to convert as well. Later, William fell in love with the Lord. Although he wanted to be a doctor, God led him into full-time ministry and he was trained in an OMS Bible school in Haiti. For many years, he served as an OMS pastor and District Superintendent.

Friends have eight churches, a hospital, a nutrition center, and six schools actively helping the people of Haiti. Over 1600 children attend Friends Schools in Haiti.

Haiti is a small island country southeast of Florida and Cuba with 7 million people. It is an extremely poor country where the average yearly income is $300 in U.S. Dollars. Political unrest and uprisings add to the poverty.

Friends have eight churches, a hospital, a nutrition center, and six schools actively helping the people of Haiti. Over 1600 children attend Friends Schools in Haiti. Haiti is a small island country southeast of Florida and Cuba with 7 million people. It is an extremely poor country where the average yearly income is $300 in U.S. Dollars. Political unrest and uprisings add to the poverty.

During the mid 70's he had the opportunity to go to Asbury College in Kentucky for additional training. During his time at the college while working in the kitchen, the Lord gave him a vision of a Nutrition Center in Haiti. He shared his vision with fellow students and professors. Many agreed to support him.

When he returned to Haiti, he began an independent mission and quickly had the Nutrition Center realized. What began as a simple Nutrition Center quickly grew into new churches with safe water wells drilled on the church property and schools.

During the uprising of the early '90's, William and Marie moved to America for the safety of their family. They began attending Morningside Friends Church in Port St. Lucie, Florida. With the support and help of Morningside, the Bertrands quickly started a Haitian church in Pt. St. Lucie while maintaining oversight of ministry in Haiti. By 1998, he began partnering with Eastern Region Friends Missions.

The decades of loving devotion and sacrifice have blossomed into partnerships with 6 existing Haitian churches who have joined the Evangelical Friends Church of Haiti, two church plants, several schools, a nutrition center and a hospital.

William has recently taken on the additional responsibility of overseeing Haitian Friends churches in New York and Florida. In just three years, Haitian Friends partnered with Haitian speaking churches in America with 600-800 attendees and 2400 attending Friends churches in Haiti.

The Bertrands have four adult children and two grandchildren, all living in Florida.

A Glimpse at our Haitian Churches and Their Pastors

A Haitian Church

Most of our churches in Haiti have joined Eastern Region as established churches. The St. Michel Friends Church (pictured right) has an average attendance of 1200 worshippers each Sunday. The size of the churches vary greatly with each striving to minister to the needs in their areas. God has multiplied their efforts.

Community needs are very basic: a good safe water supply (several of our churches have water wells drilled on their property to provide water to those around them), education, caring medical aid, and the opportunity to learn new skills.

Our churches in Haiti thrive as they help to meet those needs. Friends have provided educational centers for their villages includ

Villagers in Haiti

ing: classes for preschool - adults. The infants and pre-schoolers attend day care, children attend school, and the women are taught job-training skills in sewing while men are taught work-related skills in agriculture and farming.

Emphasis is also put upon family-oriented training because many Haitians need to see examples of the family unit working together. Classes in nutrition and child-rearing have helped families within the churches to thrive as their living conditions are improved. Our church plants in the mountainous areas are very poor and have welcomed support from construction work teams, medical work teams, and dental work teams.

Hospital Expands Outreach

The small hospital at St. Michel recently reopened after being closed for 8 years. Their goal is "to provide a Christian environment where people are treated with dignity." Other medical care facilities are available, but are not run by charitable organizations and are often too expensive and impersonal for the average person. The hospital currently has one doctor, two to four nurses, an administrator, and a caretaker. Please pray that God will bless them and that the hospital will bless the community.

Short Term Missions Trips

The Frame of a house that is being built on a missions trip

Friends have brought practical aid to Haiti for many years. Eastern Region, through the Bertrands, have dramatically increased their formal support of work in Haiti through a variety of Mission Trips including: Medical, Construction, Dental, and Pastoral Training.

Most recently, Area Superintendent Wayne Evans led a pastoral training team including Thayne Thompson of Battle Creek Friends (MI) and Chris Jackson of Orange Road Friends (Columbus, OH).