Our involvement with Haiti Cabaret Mission started many years ago. When the property was first being sought out we had the blessing of being part of the team that set foot on site and prayed over the land being purchased.  Over the years we’ve seen the dream of being a small orphanage develop into a thriving church and a school serving over 250 kids. 

Through the years we’ve had multiple mission teams serving in many ways. Either being on the ground working with kids, staff, helping with facility improvements, giving financially, or with the blessing of giving food, clothes, materials, and other resources. 

This mission has been on our prayers over the years as well. We have seen God meet these prayers giving us all constant encouragement. What is unique about this mission is that it has allowed many of our members to be involved in many different ways utilizing their spiritual gifts, a blessing all the way around. 

I have loved seeing the kids grow up over the years. The frequent pictures, status reports and knowledge of their spiritual development has been a favorite blessing to all of us here at HDBC. 

Cabaret Haiti Mission is an oasis of hope in a sea of desperation. God has used this ministry and mission to shape my family and to deeply impact our faith family at Mandarin Baptist. At every stage of engagement with CHM, we recognize that God’s heart moves toward the vulnerable and the orphan and as we step in to serve, we gain traction in the economy of God’s goodness and grace. Our lives are greatly favored through His presence and His work in and through CHM. 

Susan and I have traveled with our family to CHM multiple times.  Our oldest daughter spent a little over a year of her life living and serving with CHM and that experience shaped her life and all of ours as well. God has used CHM to birth within each of our 5 children an intention and beauty to come alongside the vulnerable, both locally and globally,  for the sake of Christ. Perhaps, the most beautiful reality for us has been what we have gained, learned and experienced on every trip. We have spent time with families and kids in Bercy, where our schools, churches and orphanage is housed.  We have gone to ‘serve’ and we have come home favored by the presence of God and the gift of faith expressed through our friends who live in that region. Mike and Bonnie have left a deep imprint on hearts and lives through the love and kindness in this mission.  Perhaps, the best expression of the impact of this work was shared on a walk down the mountain with a new Haitian friend one evening.  As we made our way down after a beautiful sunset, he began to point to the CHM property and to speak of its impact in greater Bercy and Cabaret.  He told me that this mission and ministry has deeply influenced everyone in the area through the hope that is expressed in tangible ways and the beauty of the gospel of Christ made known.  It was a rich walk off the mountain.

Our Mandarin Family (Church) has experienced such wonder as we have served and built portions of the schools, churches and orphanage alongside CHM.  Mandarin has been sending teams for 16 years and our people have watched as the story has unfolded and the mission has grown to providing two churches; two schools and an orphanage. Because so many of our people support children in Cabaret, each trip supplies the miracle of connecting a face to their financial support. When that happens, these are no longer unknown names, but faces, people and stories that God has written on our hearts.  Our Mandarin family is deeply grateful to be a small part in a vast story that our God is writing in Cabaret, Haiti. We know that we cannot impact every person on that island… but, we can do for one what we wish that we could do for all.  In doing so, lives are changed and hope is given. We thank our God for our gospel partnership with Cabaret Haiti Mission. 

For many years our church has supported the work of Cabaret Haiti Mission (CHM.) As we look
back over the years, we are amazed at how God has blessed us as we sought to bless others by
partnering in mission. In fact, at one point in the history of our church and CHM, we sent a
pastoral staff member to live and serve at the mission. He and his family served faithfully there
for years. Yet, the work continues. Our church’s mission mobilizer actually serves on the staff of
CHM still.
The work of CHM has made a difference in the lives of children and adults in Haiti, as well as in
our church. As is often the case, our partnership began with the focus of helping and serving
others. That is a key portion of partnership, but the return on investment of any time spent and
monies donated comes back multiplied.
My wife Tracy and I have had the privilege of traveling to CHM and serving on short-term
mission teams. We have sponsored children in the mission and have been blessed immensely.
The great joy is that when we think of CHM, we don’t think of an organization so much, but we
think of Yonelson, Woodjerry, Ella, and more.
As the challenges of living in Haiti increase, causing disruption to lives, danger in some cases,
and inability for teams to travel and stay as in the past, I encourage all to continue praying and
giving in support of CHM so the work begun well may continue.