💙 SMPC has a heart for Haiti 💙

South Meck Presbyterian Church shares a rich history with Bayonnais. During a recent sponsorship drive, our Missions and Outreach Committee worked with both Ewo & Friends Empowering Haiti to put together a document that highlighted this partnership! As one of the Board Members for Ewo, I am excited to see Bayonnais featured in the life of our church!

1984 – Helen Hunter, of Charlotte, travels to Haiti to visit her daughter who was volunteering at EbenEzer near Gonaives, Haiti.
1985 – Helen Hunter, volunteers to sponsor a young man named Actionnel Fleurisma, first for his last two high school years, a year of accounting in Gonaives and for two years living with Helen and her husband, Ernest, while attending two years (1990-1992) at CPCC (Central Piedmont Community College) in Charlotte.
1991 – Helen and Ernest Hunter, Actionnel Fleurisma, Judy and David Nichols become some of the founding members of South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church.
1993 – Actionnel Fleurisma and four friends found the OFCB school (Organisation de la Force Chretienne du Bayonnais = Organization of the Christian Force of Bayonnais).

David and Judy Nichols have led numerous mission trips to Haiti for SMPC members. Judy Jones has led the student sponsorship program for 15 years. Pastor Matt Brown and wife Donna visited in 2017. SMPC Youth visited most recently in 2018.

TODAY – OFCB Ministries’ main goal is to build a self-sustaining Bayonnais community while offering hope and opportunity for all. Many of the school’s graduates return to support the community.

FAITH
1995: Actionnel Fleurisma attended seminary and was ordained. The non-denominational church at OFCB: l’Eglise Evangelique de Bayonnais was founded.

EDUCATION

2,500 students in grades Pk – 13 on four campuses: Cathor, Nicolas, Zoranger and Bois-Neuf. Actionnel dreams of sponsorship for 1,000 students. Currently, there are 619 EWO student sponsorships.

AGRICULTURE

The agronomy program offers workshops on soil conservation, erosion control, composting, insecticides and farming techniques.

MEDICAL CARE

Bethesda Health Center of Bayonnais includes an in-house pharmacy and laboratory that serves approximately 80,000 people, or 200 patients a month.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Friends Empowering Haiti, churches, civic groups and other international aid organizations have supported bridge building, hunger relief, road repair, transportation, fresh water, generators and solar power.

Remembers weekly in prayer:
Our mission partners in Bayonnais, Haiti.

South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church supports the OFCB schools and community projects in Bayonnais through prayer and through funding from the Missions Outreach funds as well as special drives. Many SMPC members are student sponsors ($40 month) through Ewo and/or donate to special projects through Friends Empowering Haiti. The SMPC Alternative Gift Market provides opportunities for families and children to support schooling and other community needs in Bayonnais. The Missions Outreach and Capital Project provide additional funding for OFCB Ministries in Bayonnais.