We have been fortunate over the years to know many around the globe working in service to others; in Haiti are two of God’s finest who have labored here for over 20 years. We have known Gregg and Gail Ennis for some 15 years with my having made my first Haitian mission trip in 1992 to assist in laying the foundations for a small church in Le Beule, a small mountain village above Port au Prince. It’s 15 years later now, Jane has joined me some 10 years ago, and we are hardly into our current trip as we start the planning for the next year.
The Ennis’ started here in 1982 and remained until 1986 before returning to the United States. In 1992 Gregg returned to start another span of service to the Haitian people via short trips for construction purposes and returned full time with Gail in 1994 with an official title of “evangelism and construction” – allow me to share a bit on those terms of description.
Gregg and Gail together oversee the operations of 121 “stations” (church buildings, palm groves, tin sheds, etc) including 65 physical church buildings; 9 ministry structures including a hospital, a Bible school, 2 transit housing (used for visiting mission construction teams) facilities, 4 mission staff lodging facilities and a guest house in two separate towns separated by some 100+ miles. Add to that a vehicle fleet of 8 counting construction trucks and everyday transportation and you start to get the picture of incredible dedication and perseverance.
Gregg oversees all construction projects including new church buildings and additions to existing structures (the Haitian church continues to grow at 9-12% yearly); maintenance of the hospital and all remaining facilities. In addition, he manages the upkeep of over 50 water wells across the country drilled over the period of 20 years that provide in some instances the only fresh water for an entire village. Actively involved at the community level, Gregg also has also assisted in the ongoing reforestation program set up to restore trees to the mountains overlooking Dessalines.
Gail oversees the ongoing ministry of providing food, clothing and education for some 9800 sponsored children; feeding of some 22,000 daily (you can’t feed only those sponsored by someone in the States) in over 75 different school locations throughout the country. During the last “occupation” of Haiti and the ousting of President Aristide she and Gregg were forced to leave the country and turn the administration of the International Child Care Ministries over to her staff that she has personally trained over the last years. This staff has carried on remarkably well and continues to manage the operation today.
Their newest task involves the work of building an administrative system of processes and procedures for the hospital in Dessalines to assist it in returning to a self supporting status. Since arriving in October the patient load at the Dessalines Rural Health Program has risen from 30 to over 100 daily with the assistance of part time work from a variety of doctors and nurses supplied by the government as well as personal contacts in the United States devoting weeks/months of time.
Pray with us for these whom God has chosen who, with their incredulous determination, have impacted the lives of literally thousands over the years. Please pray for their health and safety; for the funding that is required annually to keep these operations functioning and additional funds required to expand the current health programs. Pray for the lives of so many here dependent on this facility and its outreach. DRHP is the only medical care for over 200,000 people (private medical practices are for the elite of Haiti and do not serve the general population) in this region. Pray for the doctors, nurses and equipment that keep this facility functioning. Together, as we petition God for assistance, we can make a difference.
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