Ministry Opportunity

We Are On A Mission For God
And We Invite You To Join Us.

Purpose of Request:

OFCB Ministries is requesting funding to complete a church sanctuary that will also be used as classrooms for Senior High students. A mission trip is also planned to assist with the building.

The existing church structure is 7 by 13 meters or roughly 750 square feet. The sanctuary holds 300 people on Sundays and also serves as 4 classrooms during the week. The sanctuary doubles as classrooms because there are 912 children enrolled in school. The present school building has only 5 classrooms; thus, it is necessary for classes to be conducted in other locations. Classes are held at the school, the church, and the multi‑purpose building. And 5 are even held outdoors under the mango trees.

Benefits:

Church: A new church sanctuary was started last year, however, due to lack of funding, construction has stopped. (Please see the pictures at the bottom of this article.) The new sanctuary is 13 by 30 meters or approximately 3500 square feet. This new church building would be a tremendous blessing to the people of Bayonnais. Serving as both church and school building, it would make it no longer necessary for students to sit in the dirt or mud. They will be protected from pounding rain, strong winds and the intense sunshine. The congregation will no longer have to worship from outside the church. Annual crusades would be able to accommodate more people. Actionnel has organized two crusades over the past three years and he estimates that over 5,000 people attended every evening for a period of eight nights. Over 120 persons have been converted from voodoo and brought to know Jesus Christ as a result of these crusades. Therefore, a new church building would ensure a larger attendance, thus allowing more people to be saved.

(The church is now sharing a large auditorium with the school. We appreciate so much those who have sacrificed to make it possible for the building of a new sanctuary [completed in 2003]. In addition to the sanctuary, a new school building has been completed as well. Both stories of the new school building [completed 2009]has been completed and is now in use.)

School:

The College Classique de Bayonnais School has 912 students enrolled in grades Kindergarten through 13th. This year will be the first year the School has a 13th grade In the 2001‑2002 school year, all Haitian 12th graders were tested by the Educational Department of the country of Haiti. There were 10 students at College Classique de Bayonnais School who took the national exams. 80% of the 12th grade students from College Classique de Bayonnais passed the exams. 2 students placed in the top ten of the entire country.

This is worth repeating. Kenold Decimus and Anilus Decius finished 5th and 9th place respectively out of approximately 25,000 students. The education program at College Classique de Bayonnais is very successful. Imagine what the students can accomplish if their classroom were actually inside a building. (Please note the picture of Kenold Decimus working a trigonometry problem on a chalkboard under a mango tree.) Even more amazing is the fact that the picture was taken on a Saturday afternoon. This shows how hungry they are for knowledge. Perhaps they realize an education could be their ticket out of poverty.

Building Cost:

The total cost to finish the church is approximately $30,000. This can be divided into two phases. The first phase is to complete the blocks that make up the walls. That is estimated to cost about $12,000. The second phase is the roof and that will cost approximately $15,000. This would leave $3,000 for possible cost overruns and inflation.

Mission Trip:

We have plans for a mission trip to Haiti from Friday, February 28, 2003 to Friday, March 7, 2003. (Note: Due to war fears, this date has been pushed up until November 2003.) These plans are firm. We will depart from Charlotte on American Airlines at 7:15 am and arrive in Port Au Prince at approximately 1:00 pm. We will arrive in Bayonnais the evening of February 28. On Saturday, we will join the Bayonnais community to work on the blocks. The Haitians are able to do this work on their own. We are simply providing supplementary labor and encouragement. On Sunday we will worship together and resume our work on Monday. On Thursday or Friday we will return to Port‑Au‑Prince for our flight on Friday.

We have reserved group rate seats through American Airlines. Due to logistical limitations, the mission trip will be limited to ten persons. We ask that you make a commitment as soon as possible, but no later than December 31, 2002. If you are planning to join this mission trip, please note you will need a passport and shots, which is why we need the extra notice.

The cost of the mission trip will be approximately $1,000. This is estimated on the high side. The airfare is approximately $650 but we also need to pay for food, car rental, fuel and auto insurance. One night's lodging may also be necessary in Port‑Au‑Prince on the return trip.

If you are unable to go on this mission trip, please consider helping in other ways. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, makes a difference in someone's life. There is no greater joy than that which comes from giving. God bless you and please pray for the people of Bayonnais and this mission trip.

Something to think about:

•  If you have food in your kitchen right now, clothes on your back and a roof over your head... then you are 99% richer than the people of Haiti.

•  If you woke up this morning with more health then illness... then you are more blessed than the hundreds in Haiti who will not survive this year.

•  If you live without fear of harassment, danger, torture, death or the pangs of starvation... then you are ahead of the millions in Haiti who live with this daily.

•  If you can attend church freely and call yourself a Christian without worrying about retaliation from your own government ... then you are more blessed than the Christians in Haiti.

•  If you have the equivalent of a high school education ... then you are probably more educated than 4/5 of the population of Haiti.

Please join us spiritually, financially, or physically.

The invitation is for you.

Exodus 3:7 The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering."

Please join us and make a difference in many lives, including yours.

New Church & Class Under the Trees