Dear Friends,
Several years ago, we set up a scholarship fund specifically for university students seeking a medical degree. Each year Daniel and our high school supervisor interview any students applying for the scholarship, and this year they selected a young woman named Bendjina Saint-Norvil.
For the first few years of Bendjina’s life, she lived with her father, her mother, her three sisters, and her brother in Tricotte. But while she was still a young girl, her father left the family and moved to the Dominican Republic. Although he stayed in contact with the family, and occasionally sent money to help support them, it was difficult for Bendjina’s mother to care for the family.
She set up a small business selling goods at the local market. She would travel by “tap tap” to one of the larger cities and buy small food items or toiletries to sell at a small profit. Between this and what she could grow in her garden, along with the occasional support from Bendjina’s father, she did the best she could.
Bendjina was always a good student, first during her six years at Eben-Ezer Elementary School in Tricotte, and then at the Starfish Ministries High School. As a young high school student, she responded to the gospel and came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. She was baptized by Pastor Patrick, she became active in the church in Tricotte, and she began to volunteer at the Starfish Ministries Orphanage.
Shortly after Bendjina was saved, Madam Exalus, one of the older widows in the church in Tricotte, began to disciple Bendjina. After a while, Bendjina began to stay with Madam Exalus, to take some of the burden off Bendjina’s mother, but also to give the two of them more time together for teaching and training. Bendjina thrived during that time and grew in her faith. But she was about to encounter a significant trial.
Late at night, on July 1, 2022, gang members came into Tricotte. Up to this point, the village had been less affected by the gang-violence than many areas in Haiti, but that was beginning to change. It appears they were targeting prominent members of the church for kidnapping. They took Pastor Joe from his home, and then they went to Madam Exalus’s house. Madam Exalus wasn’t at home, so they kidnapped Bendjina. They put their victims on their motorcycles and left the village.
Pastor Joe managed to escape, but Bendjina remained with her captors, and they wanted a ransom for her release. Starfish Ministries’ staff tries to stay out of sight in such situations. Anyone with a connection to America is seen as wealthy, and that would have inflated the kidnapper’s expectations. But Daniel advised from behind the scenes, and many prayers were offered for Bendjina’s safety. A ransom equal to approximately $2,000 US dollars was paid, and Bendjina was released. Praise God for answering our prayers!
Word was out that Madam Exalus was still a target, so she decided to leave Tricotte and move to Port-au-Prince. Bendjina had to move back with her mother. She recovered from her ordeal and returned to school in the fall.
She continued to excel in school and grow in her faith. She graduated from high school with honors in June. And she wants to continue her education and become a pediatrician.
What a blessing Bendjina is! God so clearly has his hand on her, and we are eager to see what he has in store for her. As I look ahead to her becoming a pediatrician, I can envision her coming back to Tricotte and serving in the Starfish Ministries Medical Clinic.
Please pray for Bendjina. Reading the news and hearing the reports of the terrible conditions in Haiti can be discouraging. But God is still in control, and He is at work! We trust Him for Bendjina’s future. And we thank Him for your prayers and the support that He is using to accomplish His purposes!
In previous year, we have offered a list of options for your consideration for your year-end or Christmas giving. However, because of the current conditions in Haiti, it has become almost impossible to distribute the gifts to children and their families. So, this year we will simply give you a couple of possibilities for your consideration.
- Education Scholarship Fund – As students graduate from our high schools, we would like to encourage them to go on to higher education.Students like Bendjina.Without support this is not possible.
- Elderly Ministry – This continues to be a vital support for otherwise often forgotten elderly and handicapped Haitians. In many cases this is their only means of receiving their most basic needs.
- The coffee and food ministry in our churches has met a very real need. Many of the church members in our nine churches benefit from this weekly offering.
Thank you for your partnership with us as we navigate so many aspects of life as we serve God in Haiti. God has given us the privilege to serve the people of the Tricotte area of Haiti from birth to the very oldest of the population. Babies were born safely in the medical clinic, and healthcare has been provided for people of all ages. Hopefully that will continue soon. 41 children, ages four through 17, are now cared for outside the orphanage setting. Many more children from preschool all the way through trade school and university are educated and fed through the school ministry. Children and adults alike are fed through the coffee and food program at the churches each Sunday morning. Many of the poorest families in the region have received help through food relief. The elderly and handicapped ministry meets needs for 86 previously-forgotten people. We are able to hold up our Haitian brothers and sisters in prayer as they go through various trials. And through every means possible, we present the gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting in Him to meet their greatest need.
Thank you so much for your prayers and faithful support!
Serving the Lord together,
Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp
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