Update October 2024

Email from Daniel late August:

Both Martinez and Emma have been in hospital. Martinez was in hospital for 3 weeks with pneumonia and cardiovascular problems. Martinez's health concerns had an impact on Emma's health. She was in hospital for four days with hypertension. They were both discharged by late August. Martinez now has medical equipment at home -- hospital bed, lift device and wheelchair. Due to his mobility challenges Martinez is now receiving home care service from a trained provider for four hours a day. Insurance covers 20 hours per year so they are working on plans for continuous care.

The situation in Haiti remains complicated.

Reopening the schools is a difficult challenge. But Daniel says that God is sovereign and controls all things and they find comfort in these verses " Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord is my strength. " Habakkuk 3 v 17 -- 19

HAITI UP DATE MAY 2024

Daniel Jovin emailed May 13th with the following news. Dr. Phanel left his home and now lives in the home of Martinez and Emma in Delmas, Port-au - Prince, where things are relatively safe at the moment. Andrice and a few other families are living there too.

Daniel travelled to Miami on Wednesday May 15th to Saturday May 18th. The purpose of the trip was to make a transfer from the account in Miami to Haiti. They have found a Christian Ministry partner in Haiti that will allow them to transfer more significant amounts.

The OEBB ( Bethesda Mission)

1. Church ministries are operating under stressful situations regarding Sunday service attendance due to security.

2. High inflation, logistics and transportation, adequate health care, safety/security and food insecurity remain a high concern.

3. Two mission schools have closed due to the current situation. The schools in Delmas, Lavout and Jacmel are operating at 50% capacity. The schools which are still open face chronic challenges and struggle to remain open due to insecurity, reduced tuition capacity and low enrollment.

4. The girls and boys home are doing well. The greatest challenge is food shortage at the Jacmel boys home

Daniel says that " Our God is faithful and will help us through this difficult time "

They thank us for our prayers and support. Without our faithful prayers and support things would be much more difficult.

APRIL 2024

Daniel wrote to say that his parents, Martinez and Emma, send food and clothes through a Haitian American company that has operated for 36 years and has many distribution sites throughout the island. All money transfers are delivered within 2 hours and food transfers are delivered the next day. 

With her knowledge of the needs and beneficiaries, Emma has been sending and documenting weekly or every other week transfers of $500.

Andrice has been living in the home of Martinez and Emma in Delmas  ( Port- au - Prince) for the past 3 years. It is difficult for Andrice to attend school safely. Education institutions have paused operations for the last few months. 

The political news from last week. 

A transitional council responsible for choosing Haiti's next leadership has been established after weeks of uncertainty. The council has 7 voting members and 2 non voting observers. Their task is to choose and appoint a new prime minister as well as an " impartial " electoral council. It will exercise certain presidential powers until a new president is inaugurated, which must take place no later than February 7th 2026. They will address the security situation too. 

The situation is very difficult in Haiti and as Daniel has mentioned before we need to pray for Divine intervention. 

But as Martinez always says God is good. 

MARCH 2024

Daniel and Shantell spent March break with Martinez and Emma in Miami. 

They reported that the news in March saw the situation in Haiti deteriorating faster than they could imagine. 

The Bethesda Mission personnel were beginning to experience moderate food insecurity due to logistical backlog and shortages. 

There were reports of escalating violence in various communities.

The local police station in Caberet was set on fire by a local gang and a few of the Caberet church members had their homes burgled at the same time. 

Churches are only meeting when there is a rare period of calm. 

AUG 2023

It was good to have Daniel and Shantell Jovin and family with us in Cardiff last week. They have spent this week in the Reading area and will fly home to Toronto on Saturday.

Martinez and Emma Jovin are well considering their health issues. They would love to be able to visit Haiti but it is not possible at this time. Their hearts are with the people in Haiti. Marceau, Daniel's eldest son, is going to study in Miami and he will be living with them. I had a brief conversation with Martinez and Emma. They are in good spirits and are so grateful for the prayers of God's people.

Daniel asks for prayer for Pastor Phanel. He is on the Board of Directors for the Bethesda Mission ( OEBB ) He is also an accountant. He is among 5 families now living in the home of Martinez and Emma in Haiti. People are forced to leave their homes due to gang activity. The gangs then take over the area.

One of the ladies who was brought up in the girls home has got married. Let us pray that she and her husband will faithfully follow and serve the Lord together.

Andrice is doing well studying medicine in Port-au- Prince. Continue to pray for him.

Only 4 of the churches are open due to the political situation. It is too dangerous for the people to travel to church in some areas. The Pastor of the Delmas church decides each week if it is safe to open the church on Sunday. The decision is often made as late as Sunday morning. It is the same with some of the schools. Many people are leaving the cities for the rural areas where they feel safer.

The ransom asked after kidnappings can be as much as $100,000. Haitian communities outside Haiti are asked to help and some family members remortgage homes. This is having an effect on these communities as well as in Haiti.

Pray that the Lord will keep His people in this situation and give them peace. Daniel said that the people are keeping their eyes on Him despite all the turmoil.

The Pastors of the churches are exhausted but they are encouraged that God is still working in their communities. Pray that the Lord would draw near and give them messages week by week for His people. Pray for the faithfulness of the Christians. Daniel said that they need the prayers of God's people.

Daniel reminded us of the salvation of a voodoo doctor some time ago. Let us pray for such as these that their chains would fall off and they would know forgiveness of sin and freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Continue to pray that peace would come to Haiti and ask for good men to be in government. Our God is able.

As Martinez always says God is good.

God bless, Janet

Aug 23

News from Daniel Jovin  -- January 2023

1. One of the Pastors who studied in the UK, Pastor Agneau, ordained in the Cabarete Church ( now leading a church in South Florida) planned a "" 55 Years of Ministry " recognition service for Martinez and Emma on January 6th.
 
2. Thank you for continuing prayers. The persistent unrest creates hardship for families in communities served by the mission. The instability significantly stresses medical, educational and business services. The resurging cholera outbreak is creating new community health challenges. They covet our prayers but God is able. 
 
3. Mission 
Education:  Marbial school has 620 students and Delmas 275 students.
 The looming collapse of the schools due to extended closures has created an environment where teachers are attempting to seek other positions to support their families. 
Daniel met ( virtually) with the school administrators during October/ November and they prayerfully decided to remunerate teachers 65% of their salaries to avoid a collapse of the mission's two K -- 12 schools in Jacmel and Delmas.
 
Daniel  Shantell and Brianna visited Martinez and Emma over their March break 13th -- 21st.
 
News from Martinez in March 
He writes that the political situation is very bad in Haiti but " our gracious Lord is helping us " 
Andrice ( studying medicine in Port - au - Prince is doing fine under God's guidance. 
They have spoken to the leaders in Haiti and they are doing fine also.
They ask for prayer as they are not too well and Martinez is due to have some treatment. 
 
They are grateful for our prayers and as always Martinez says God is good .
 
God bless 

Rev Martinez and Immacula Jovin

Martinez and Immacula serve in Haiti with the Bethesda Fellowship of churches.

OEBB’s vision is a Christian ministry that exists to bring life transformation to every man, woman, and child in Haiti in the key area served by the mission.

Our mission is to advance the Gospel in Haiti through the church, education, medical care, and development.

The mission provides a Christ-centered education equipping schools with a Gospel-focused curriculum for six primary schools and two high schools.

Working through eight churches in Haiti, our aim is to build churches that are faithful to the Gospel message and share the hope of Jesus Christ through;

• Healthcare – 1 clinic,
• Orphanage/boarding homes (1girl / 1 boy),
• Reforestation program,
• Sanitation program,
• Small business loan program,
• Wedding Ministry

Pastoral Training

It is our goal that more biblical resources would be available to pastors and local leaders. Our aim is to help lay leaders gain a better understanding of God.

Church Development

We strongly believe that the local church is the primary tool for glorifying our triune God and spreading the Gospel efficiently. We seek to strengthen the local Body of Christ in Haiti. We seek to equip and encourage Christian leaders to serve their local communities.

Education

Due to limited access to education in Haiti, this creates a national negative ripple effect on the country’s health, economic production, and the inability to compete in the global economy. At the family level, education often brings both stability and opportunity. The ability to read also means the opportunity to study and understand God’s Word.

Health Services

The work of the clinic in Marbial was established in order to minister to more remote communities.

Please pray that;

• God would grant us wisdom to serve our communities.
• Our churches would faithfully - preach the Gospel message
• Our Christian schools, clinic and ongoing training of leaders – would bring glory to God

For a power point presentation click here

Daniel Jovin

What else can we do? In the meantime, read Psalm 46 and Nahum 1: 2-7, and pray! And watch television news and see the city and the country where they serve, and the plight of the people they would like to reach, and the roads they have to travel on – and pray!

Heath Church Missionary Committee, October 2019

From Operation World (7th edition, 2010)

Haiti: Answers to prayer
The spiritual response to the tragedy of the 2010 earthquake was an almost universal outpouring of prayer, repentance and calling upon God for mercy and deliverance. Out of the disaster, God appears to be doing something radical and new among the people of Haiti. Reports abound that the three days of prayer and fasting called for by the President – replacing the February 2010 Mardi Gras – were attended by over one million people.

Challenges for prayer
The earthquake of 2010 was a disaster on many levels. But it also offers hope out of tragedy. It is believed that 230,000 lost their lives, 300,000 were injured and over one million were rendered homeless. Hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings were also destroyed, including some major government buildings. Aid arrived from around the world, but co-ordination was difficult in the aftermath of the earthquake, and assistance will be needed for along time to come. For a host of reasons, Haiti struggled as a nation from its very inception. This shattering disaster could be an opportunity to reshape not just the physical infrastructure of the nation, but the cultural, economic, political and societal infrastructures as well. Some points to cover in prayer include:

a) The rebuilding efforts will take years. Haiti’s infrastructure was never good, and Port-au-Prince’s was especially weak due to rapid urbanization from poorer rural areas. Countless homes will need to be rebuilt or restored; the sheer scale of money and manpower needed is staggering for the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. Pray for the best long-term development for the city and nation, rather than quick fixes. Pray for generous assistance from wealthier neighbours and nations and agencies from further abroad.

b) The human suffering was immense in the immediate aftermath and will continue for years. The shared emotional trauma of the events, the massive loss of life and the long-term injuries will all leave major scars on the Haitian population. Healing from such hurts needs time, care and the love of God.

c) Haiti was a financial and social mess even before the earthquake. Repairing all the damage, however, will not create a healthy economy. Haiti must build beyond its previous state and develop long-term plans and policies that are shaped with wisdom and justice.