Mission: Haiti 2023

From jaws of death to hands and feet of Christ

Introduction: In August 2007, Gilbert Lindor was rescued from the jaws of death by Climbing For Christ in his mountain village of Gentilhomme, Haiti‎. Gilbert had fallen in a ravine while playing and severely broke his leg. With no medical care available, his father wrapped his leg and laid him in the family’s small house. Twenty-seven days later a C4C worker found him – by following his nose. Gangrene had set in. We evacuated Gilbert to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where his leg was amputated. Gilbert’s life and soul were saved. Today, he is the leader of Climbing For Christ’s New Generation (C4CNG) in Haiti and studying medicine in Santo Domingo.

Today: Climbing For Christ has brought Gilbert to the United States each of the last four years (as well as 2009). During visits to Colorado, he goes to Quorum Prosthetics, where his prosthetic leg was made and donated by Quorum CEO and former Paralympic skier Joe Johnson.

In addition to Quorum visits, there are trips to Canon City, CO, where Board member and Mission: Haiti veteran Dr. Steve Quakenbush lives. Steve and his family and several others in the area have long supported the work in Haiti. Now Steve’s church, Christian Family Fellowship, is also a regular contributor to Climbing For Christ.

We also use Gilbert’s visits to plan the year ahead. C4C’s New Generation began the year overseeing three schools with 15 teachers and more than 500 students in villages (Kalimet, Majon, and Morne des Commissaires) where children would otherwise not get an education. Teacher workshops are conducted every other month to improve the quality of education.

School supplies – blackboards, chairs, benches, notebooks, and pencils – as well as classroom expansion are among the annual requests. Gilbert is hoping to add more grades, too. Kalimet had grades 1-to-6, while the other two schools were 1-to-4.

Two medical clinics were planned for C4CNG this year – one in May and the other in late August or early September. Gilbert recruits doctors and nurses to accompany New Generation members.

These plans – along with all of the other needs for Mission: Haiti – add up to an annual budget of more than $55,000. These funding provisions include paying for Gilbert’s medical school education. More than $58,000 was distributed to Haiti last year and more than $62,000 in 2021 and $57,000 in 2020 (including $14,850 in COVID pandemic relief).

Haiti is a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” zone due to kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest, according to the U.S. Department of State. Gangs control the streets.

“Please pray for Haiti because life is getting more difficult every day there,” Gilbert requested. “More evil is increasing. It is always very dangerous to work there.”

But the work must go on.

These are the goals for 2023 (in the words of Gilbert Lindor):

1. Preach the Gospel in mountainous communities where there is a lack of the Gospel or people capable of teaching the Gospel of Christ. We seek to bring souls to Christ.

2. Bring relief to the health of people in the mountains of Haiti by delivering medicines against high blood pressure and tropical diseases that affect both children and adults. We seek to share with them the love of Jesus Christ. Many people do not see a doctor in their communities where we work if they are not taken by C4CNG and much less go to a medical center.

3. Make it easier for children to come to class and not present difficulties to get notebooks as excuses. Also, avoid complaints from teachers that children do not pass due to lack of school supplies.

4. Train our teachers to give our children a better education. Discover the weaknesses of each one to turn them into skills while we seek to provide a quality and effective education satisfying each parent.

MISSION: HAITI 2023 is not a short-term mission. Climbing For Christ’s New Generation, a group of about 35 young Haitians, have continued the ministry started by Climbing For Christ from 2005 to 2013. This includes overseeing schools for children who otherwise would receive no education, conducting medical clinics in places where medicine and health care are unavailable, and preaching the Gospel in a country where vodou is ingrained in the culture.

Support for this mission is sorely needed. We need prayer warriors and financial contributors. Email info@ClimbingForChrist.org if you are willing to help.