Mount Pleasant nonprofit developing sustainable orphanage in Haiti

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Eleven orphans sat down to eat earlier this month at a table recently built by volunteers and covered their eyes to thank God for their food.

But it wasn’t in Mount Pleasant. In fact, this happened about 1,900 miles away in Haiti.

For eight days, nine Isabella County residents talked to, educated and brightened the faces of those 11 orphans. It was apart of a mission trip for Heart Cry International, a Mount Pleasant-based nonprofit. Volunteers worked at My Heart’s Home, an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, and returned Aug. 19.

For Ron and Carla Ives, founders of HCI and pastors of Potter’s House Family Worship Center, the Haitian orphanage in Port-au-Prince is an ongoing project started in May.

“It was hard to find a house that was stable, without cracks, in a good location that would be safe for the children,” Carla said.

After acquiring the house in May, Ron and Carla pieced together a team of Haitians to construct and run the orphanage. Three months later, the first mission group from Mount Pleasant made a trip to My Heart’s Home to meet and help the Port-au-Prince orphans firsthand.

Coleman resident Lonna Allen brought her daughter, Ciera, along with her on the trip.

The whole team felt their experience with the children was addictive, including Allen. She described her relationship with Leicka Sidney, 2, as a “God thing.”

“I need to go back,” said Allen, who spent much of her time at the orphanage working on painting projects and fixing wiring in doors. “There’s so much down there to do. I was back (in Mount Pleasant) two days and then I was ready to go back.”

Ciera Allen agreed with her mother.

“In my heart, (Leicka) is my baby sister,” the 11-year-old said firmly. “I love her to death and I’m going back to see her.”

Gaining understanding

The experience was very much the same for the other volunteers, most of whom wish to return soon to Port-au-Prince and the children.

As this was her first international mission trip, Farwell resident Nichole Osborn tried to learn as much about Hatian culture as she could before arriving.

“I had kind of immersed myself in the culture a little bit before I left,” she said, “so I wasn’t extremely shocked or anything.”

Osborn’s main purpose on the trip was to assess the education level of the children in the orphanage so they could begin schooling.

Part of the idea behind the orphanage, explained Carla Ives, is to build an all-inclusive home for the children.

As a large multi-purpose building, the future vision of My Heart’s Home will provide a self-sustainable family-model facility for Haitian children to learn and grow.

The finished orphanage will have a full garden, living quarters and complete classrooms, eventually with Internet connections, so the children can learn and stay in contact with the volunteers who visit My Heart’s Home.

HCI volunteers Lonny and Peggy Phillips of Shepherd joined in on the mission to contribute their knowledge and gain the experience.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be a bed and breakfast or anything,” Peggy said, laughing. “I just expected to get there and love the children, that’s all I wanted to do.”

Both of the Phillips used their talents and abilities to create the garden and develop a nutritional plan for the orphans.

Lonny also helped with various carpentry tasks: Assembling a kitchen table, benches, bunk beds, a desk and a learning center.

The Phillips both took their experience to heart.

“Just walking into the house and seeing the kids there was really what got to me,” Peggy said. “They look so at home already and they were so comfortable. They feel safe there, you can tell just by looking at them.”

Ron Ives said the orphans developed an appreciation for the work done by the volunteers.

The children reacted to the carpentry by taking in every inch of it, jumping onto the bunk beds and climbing across the benches.

“The first time all of them were able to get to the table,” Ron said. “That was phenomenal.”

Though the trip to Haiti was a success, the volunteers don’t believe their work is over just because their trip is finished.

“There’s other things that need to be done there,” Peggy said. “More things that need to be built.”

Haiti is not the only country where HCI is present, it also works to improve living conditions in Uganda, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Osborn plans on going back within the next six months to visit My Heart’s Home, as well as other places in Haiti in need of assistance.

“I have made a vow that I’m going to do anything possible to help these kids,” she said. “I’ve always had a heart for Haiti.”

- Staff Photographer Libby March contributed to this report.