๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด “๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐’๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐?”
When LSM was founded, ministries helping vulnerable kids were less common. How do we stand out today? One good answer is our unparalleled commitment to “what’s next?” We started in Adoption Resources, but what was next? We established Homes of Hope to provide in-country care for kids who weren’t adopted. We helped them heal from abuse and trauma, but what was next? Discipleship, internships, and vocational training to help those children become adult leaders. Donors provided generous support, but what was next in terms of our stewardship? We established businesses to supplement giving and help even more kids. Today, LSM is still set apart by relentless innovation, plus the long view we take on our kids and the Kingdom. You make it possible!
This is what it looks like when God takes a piece from each of twelve broken family situations and glues them together to make a new family, a Home of Hope. How does it work? First, local churches in Haiti help LSM locate an upstanding Christian couple that feels a strong call from God to care for vulnerable kids. Next, our staff works with churches to locate twelve boys or girls who are orphaned, child slaves, or at high risk of becoming slaves. We search for kids who have the greatest needs and highest potential, then match them with our carefully chosen couple to create a permanent family, a Home of Hope. Through your support, we offer trauma recovery, mentorship, and other tools to help equip our kids to achieve their full potential and reach their culture for Christ!
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
LSM employs more than 150 Haitians across our businesses, our child development staff, and our construction crews. But did you know that not one of our permanent, on-site Haitian employees is an American? Our Haitian operations employ Haitians. Likewise, our Ethiopian ministries employ Ethiopians. We rarely send short-term teams, and those we do are mainly focused on teaching, not doing. This avoids cultural erosion and unintentionally taking employment from the local workforce. The work we’re doing to build productivity and resilience in our individual children is crucial. But someday, our kids will move out into society, where they will have their best shot at success in a community and local economy which LSM is helping to ensure is also productive and healthy.
๐๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐’ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ: ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
We’re often asked how LSM identifies vulnerable Haitian kids who are most in need. The answer is that we work with local leaders, especially churches, which are often deeply aware of concerns in their communities. Churches also help us identify candidates to be Home of Hope parents. Typically, LSM looks for couples who don’t yet have children of their own, but who show leadership in their church and neighborhood. Once we identify twelve boys or girls and a couple to serve as parents, we build them a home โ at which point the Haitian church provides our newly formed family with emotional and spiritual support, including tools for trauma recovery, discipleship, and leadership that complement LSM’s own programs. In Haitian culture, anyone – regardless of age – who has a gift for singing or preaching in church is treated as a community leader. From helping us identify vulnerable children to empowering them with leadership opportunities, Haitian churches offer a crucial source of stability and spiritual growth for our kids!
๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ฑ:
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