"Go into all the world and reach the Gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15
Haiti March 2024
Update on the Situation in Haiti
Updated March 20, 2024
Dear Friends of GoHaiti,
Given the deteriorating situation in Haiti, I am providing you a short status report and sharing some contingency plans we are developing.
As many of you know from current headlines, much of Haiti has sadly reached a much higher level of violence: murders and rapes daily, over 4000 criminals have broken out of prison, US pulling out staff and sending in troops to protect their embassy, and the Prime Minister has been forced to resign. While there is hope for an international coalition of support – terror still rules the day. Just this week, we had to break the news to one of our children that their father had been murdered in Port-au-Prince.
By the grace of God, the children are safe – we know of a number of cases where gangs have attacked orphanages in larger city areas killing and raping innocents. While our kids are unable to attend school currently because of potential kidnapping threats and violence perpetrated on other schools, we are providing tutoring to maintain educational levels. A church in Connecticut is donating a Star-Link system to stabilize our communications and we hope to move toward some level of “distance learning”. We have begun harvesting from our garden and plan an expansion soon to become more self-sufficient. And, even amidst this turmoil, like all of you, we are looking forward to celebrating Easter and the Resurrection of Our Savior Jesus Christ with worship and praise.
In light of the escalation of violence, we are taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of our children and staff. We have identified a remote village away from the main highway that would serve as a safe-haven if the need arises. This village could also double as a "summer camp" for the children, providing them with a change of scenery in a secure environment.
To make this contingency plan a reality, we need to acquire tents, stockpile supplies, and make other necessary preparations using the help of a local church in that village. We estimate that this will require an additional $25,000 in fundraising over the next 30 days. We are pleased to announce that we have already received pledges to match the first $5,000 raised. Donations may be made on-line HERE.
Above all else, we need your prayers. Your prayers have sustained us through difficult times, and we ask that you continue to lift us up in prayer. Our supply chain is working well and we have 4 barrels of food, medicine, clothing and other items due to arrive in the next week or two in the Dominican Republic (DR) and be transported to the Haiti border where they will be picked up by orphanage staff – 4 more barrels will be sent in a few more weeks. We will also be making some short trips to the DR in March and April to acquire food and some supplies locally where it is more cost effective and transport those items to the border also.
Katia and I are forever grateful for your support – it is so encouraging for us to know you are with us on this journey of hope. You are a blessing to us, and we pray for you as you pray for us. May God bless you always.
With heartfelt thanks,
Dr. Franco and Katia (RN) Jean-Louis
Kenya 2023
Update on Kenya Mission
Updated Apr. 20, 2023
Our Mission Team has arrived safely at Tenwek, Kenya, and has begun its service at Mustard Seed House. This OSWLC-supported ministry provides accommodation and distinctly Christian care to sick children and their families who travel for treatment at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya.
The team members (Cathy O’Meara, Carrianne Joback, and Jacob Fraher) have certainly hit the ground running! On their first full day at Tenwek, they hosted 75+ Mustard Seed House stakeholders for lunch to share more about the newly acquired property and plans for the construction of a permanent facility (the current house is rented). Then, they gathered at the future building location to dedicate the newly acquired property to the Glory of God. The group planted trees to mark this new beginning, prayed over the land, and asked for God’s continued provision.
On Easter Sunday, the team spent the day getting to know the children and families at Mustard Seed House. They purchased the food for a celebratory Easter meal and had the opportunity to pray, sing, and read scripture with a jam-packed house of people facing incredible hardship due to sickness and poverty.
This week, they are working to clean and furnish three additional bedrooms to help increase the capacity of this ministry to serve more sick and suffering children.
Please continue to pray for them as they serve at Mustard Seed House in Kenya this week!
Kenya 2022
Update on our Kenya Mission
Updated Jul. 6, 2022
Greetings from the Fraher family! We just returned to Virginia after spending three months volunteering at Mustard Seed House in Kenya. Our mission was to serve impoverished children and their families who travel long distances to receive life-saving medical care at Tenwek Hospital, and lay the groundwork to expand Mustard Seed House to serve even more children. Our time volunteering at Mustard Seed House was incredible! This year, 138 children and 199 of their family members received accommodations and distinctly Christian care at Mustard Seed House. These guests often travel many hours for medical treatment and come from all over the country, representing over 80% of Kenya’s regions.
Getting to know these children and parents, hearing their stories, praying with them, encouraging them, and being able to support them in their time of need was by far our greatest blessing. The needs are overwhelming. Our current three-bedroom Mustard Seed House doesn’t have enough space to keep up with demand. We spent much of our time laying the groundwork for a larger facility to serve more children. Imagine 12 families sharing three bedrooms, with still others sleeping on the couches and on mattresses spread in the hallway and kitchen. Imagine this completely full house and still more families arriving. We need room for more! To make room for more, we launched a capital campaign and raised nearly $100k toward our $250k goal. Then, last month we received an anonymous matching gift challenge for $32,500. Praise God!
We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your prayers. Over the course of three months, there were a couple of difficult moments. Having a community praying for us gave us the strength and encouragement to continue this important work despite the challenges. We also wanted to thank you for your financial support. We are incredibly grateful to the OSWLC Mission Team for their support of both Mustard Seed House and our missionary service through World Gospel Mission. We wish we could take you all with us to Kenya to see the incredible life-saving impact OSWLC is having! We thank you for your partnership and for helping us welcome the sick and suffering in Jesus’ name.
If you are interested in hearing more about our trip, learning more, joining a mission trip, or volunteering, please reach out to
Only Together,
Jacob, Lauren, Miriam, Micah, Layla, and Lorelei
Some of the other Worldwide Support
- Lutheran World Relief - "Affirming God's love for all people, we work with Lutherans and partners around the world to end poverty, injustice and human suffering."
- Orphan Grain Train - "In loving response to Christ, the Servant, the Orphan Grain Train movement encourages and enables God's people to share personal and material resources in bringing Christ's name and character to needy people both far and near."
- Lutheran Partners in Disaster Response - "LPDR is an integral part of the Long Term Recovery effort in Somerset County Maryland."