Reflections by the "Team Mom"

What is HAFF? - by Annie Ferguson

Haitian American Friendship Foundation

Annie and Abbie Ferguson - from Redeemer OPC in Dayton, OH

Eric and the team have all done such a great job capturing our time in Haiti for you on the blog.  We have all learned and grown so much on this trip, and that is all a testimony to God and His lovingkindness to us.  In addition to all the things the others have posted, I also enjoyed learning more about the HAFF mission organization we partnered with while in Haiti.  While we were there, I came to appreciate the broad scope of ministries HAFF offers and their unique approach to “going into all the world to preach the Gospel.”

When we reached the HAFF campus, the first thing that struck me was our accommodations.  I could tell that a lot of effort had gone into preparing for our arrival.  The table was set, the floors were swept, our beds were made nice and neat (complete with mosquito netting, of course).  Even though HAFF doesn’t have much, I could see right away that they take care of what they do have and they put their best effort into making us feel at home.  I genuinely felt like a welcomed guest.   I also felt very safe on the campus.  There are guards at the gate around the clock, and I can tell you that getting on and off HAFF takes longer than it does to get on any US military base I have ever lived on!

The next thing that struck me was the variety of ministries at HAFF.  I had no idea that the scope of their ministry was so broad. HAFF has an extensive list of formal and non-formal education ministries.  There is a school at HAFF called the Institut Practique de Bohoc (IPB).  It is a Christian secondary school with many students from the immediate community attending.  HAFF also provides teacher training for area schools beyond the immediate village of Bohoc.  There are also two other classes they offer which each meet regularly and run for nine months at a time.  One is the Young Leaders’ class and the other is a Godly Woman’s class.  We were able to visit the Godly Woman’s class, which was special to me since many of those women were my peers.  In addition to studying the Bible, the women spend time learning how to cook, sew, make crafts, build relationships and care for their families.

HAFF also uses its 40 acres of land for agricultural and business training and has educational ministries that extend past their campus and out into the community.  Project Healthy Family has been a very successful program in the surrounding villages, particularly focusing on clean water and hygiene education. Something as simple as filling a clear plastic bottle with water and placing it on a tin roof in the sun for several hours will provide a family with clean, safe drinking water.

In addition to their educational ministries, HAFF has a variety of mercy ministries: Medical, dental and veterinarian clinics; ambulance services; a benevolent committee (to help in time of illness, loss of a house or a death in the family); and occasionally food relief.

The final and most significant thing that struck me about HAFF was how they implement all these ministries.  Each program is run by Haitians in the community, either exclusively or alongside one of the HAFF missionaries.  It is the Haitians that are teaching the classes, cooking our food, cleaning our rooms, working the farm, guarding the gates, and working in the clinics.  

The Haitians we met are ready and willing to work hard and they love their families and communities. HAFF is fundamentally a partnership between the local Haitians, American missionaries and stateside supporters,  first in spreading the gospel and then in community growth.  In addition to HAFF’s stateside Board of Directors, they also have an Executive Team in the village of Bohoc made up of Haitian men who are servant leaders in their community.  We had the opportunity to meet and pray with these men, and they reminded me so much of our church leaders back here in the states.  I saw the familiar look of wisdom, compassion, love, conviction and strength.  What an incredible opportunity to see how God is working in this Haitian American Friendship Foundation!

Annie in front of "Annie" in NYC on our way home.
(P.S. Trivia note!  Annie went on a mission trip to France to work with an MTW
church planting team in Marseilles with Eric and Donna Hausler
back in 1989 when she was a middle school student
living in San Diego, California.)