Riley and Sarah

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  ~ Proverbs 19:21

To our dear family and friends,

Sometimes our plans don’t exactly match up with God’s and it can take some time to figure that out. Life doesn’t always go the way we might have envisioned, but it always goes the way He has.

We are at a point in life where we can’t really see past the near future. So we’re taking it one step at a time, and we’re fine with that. We don’t need to know what next year holds, we just need to follow God’s leading for today.

Many of you are aware that we have been traveling in Europe and after our travels had hoped to serve in Haiti on a long-term basis. It doesn’t seem to be working out that way right now. We still feel a calling to long-term overseas work and are exploring options for this; it just might not be in Haiti. However, we continue to feel a connection with the small country.

We will be returning to Winnipeg for the month of December and part of January. In January, we will then be going to Les Cayes in the south west of Haiti for about 8 weeks to join in the work of Centre International de Recherche et d’Action pour le Developpement Durable (CINRADD) (International Centre of Research and Action for Sustainable Development). CINRADD is a “think tank” organization working in the areas of education, health, agriculture, environment, and church development. Through research and action, the organization strives to bring lasting solutions to the socioeconomic issues in Haiti at both the micro and macro levels. The organization also partners with the Methodist Church.

We will be mainly working in two areas. CINRADD would like to start selling Haitian hand-made arts and crafts items to tourists and in North America. They want to create a sustainable and fair livelihood for local women. We will be helping with the beginning stages of such a program. We will also be helping with English classes for professionals at the American University of the Caribbean in partnership with CINRADD. We will be assisting students with pronunciation, fluency, accent, and meaning. Of course, we will also have to be flexible – that’s a requirement for being in Haiti. We are open to helping in any way our hosts may need.

Although the devastation of the January earthquake did not have as much direct impact on the south western regions of Haiti as it did on the central area, many citizens of the capital, Port-au-Prince, have migrated in droves since then – including to Les Cayes. This leaves northern and southern communities scrabbling to provide for sometimes dramatic population increases and individuals who have suffered trauma.

Haiti has long felt the impact of extreme poverty. The people have had to put up with unclean water supplies, insufficient nutrition, violent political and civil disputes, international oppression, and natural disasters. They are a strong, resilient people and we believe Haiti will overcome this tragedy as it has the ones of the past. Yet, the January earthquake left Haiti in shambles and it will take the global village to make this happen. 

We want to help the people of Haiti in ways that they themselves have indicated are needed, and in ways that will be tangible and sustainable. As with any trip like this, we will need the support of our communities back home. If you feel this is something you would like to support we would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we travel. Of course, there is also a financial need. We will be doing this as a couple and anticipate a cost of around $6,000. With the holiday season approaching, we understand that this time of year can be expensive, but any amount of financial support would be greatly appreciated.

We have had nothing but positive feedback from friends and family as we travel and as we seek direction for the future. For that we are grateful.

Thank you for your support - of us and of the people of Haiti.

Riley and Sarah Enns

*** To support us financially, please email Riley at rileyenns@hotmail.com.