A Decade of Hope

Last week our friends at Hope Village celebrated Fr. Marc’s ten year anniversary in Haiti. This anniversary has caused me to reflect on a decade of triumphs and hardships. Marc’s devotion to bringing comfort to thousands of children living in poverty has been an inspiration to all of us. His witness of courage inspires many to do Theo’s Work, which means God’s work.

That first year was extremely difficult. There were many nights when Marc and the children would go to bed hungry, praying to God for food. He depended on the infrequent visitors from the U.S., bringing supplies. Shortly after Marc moved to Haiti, he made a trip to the states to raise money. My wife, Monique, and I got a call from him while he was here in the states. He was coming to visit. We were excited as we had not seen Marc in such a long time.

When we got together, Marc told us how desperate things were. Living in an impoverished third world country, he had seen many disturbing things. The needs there were enormous. He was providing basic care and education for 35 children, and there were tens of thousands more in need. The lack of funds to operate this mission posed a major challenge. Marc needed an advocate in the states –someone who could develop a community of supporters. He looked to me. I agreed to make a trip to Haiti and take the first step toward what would ultimately be a passionate mission of my own; helping Marc help the Haitians.

Memories from that first trip are vivid. We arrived in Port Au Prince and upon leaving the terminal, we spotted Marc waving beyond a security fence. We made our way through the crowd to reach him where he was waiting to greet us. Since there was barely enough room in the vehicle for all of the passengers and bags I offered to rent a car to which Marc gave me a look which said, “You have no clue.” I sat up front as he drove. I quickly realized I would not have been able to follow in a rental car. Words cannot describe the chaos – dodging animals, people, vendors, other cars and trucks. Not one traffic light for thousands of vehicles. It took 7 hours to travel 120 miles. When we reached Les Cayes, we settled in at an abandoned clinic. It was run-down. The mosquitoes were huge and numerous. Despite the heat, I slept under the sheets, head and all, to protect myself. Marc had already had malaria once and I didn’t want to risk it.

My trip was a life changing experience. It’s incredulous that in modern times, people have to live this way. The everyday things that we take for granted, clean water; clothing; electricity – so many of those things just don’t exist in the rural parts of Haiti. The thing that impressed me the most about the Haitian children was their ability to be joyful in the midst of overwhelming poverty. These innocent children had enormous courage.

Market in the city of Les Cayes

When I returned home, I got right to work. With the help of some friends, we began the non-profit organization, Theo’s Work, Inc. We have grown to become a network of grassroots fundraising communities across the U.S. With your help, we have raised the funds necessary to support Fr. Marc’s mission in Haiti thus far. And for that, words cannot express our gratitude.

Without you, these kids would have no chance. Marc’s mission has grown tremendously. He currently houses over 600 children, providing care and education for all. Hundreds of neighborhood children in nearby communities benefit from his programs too. We continue to develop the vocational training programs so that as adults, our children will be able to earn a living. Our mission is to wipe out poverty in Haiti, by nurturing Haiti’s most precious resource…its children. The children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.

With God’s grace, and your continued help, we will continue to make a major difference. Please remember us when you can, with a donation. A monthly donation helps us a lot. It gives us some income that we can count on. Thank you for all of your prayers and continued support.

Here’s wishing you a blessed 2008.

Jack H. Reynolds

President, Board of Directors

Theo’s Work, Inc.

d.b.a. www.FreeTheKids.org