A Multi-faceted Christian Mission

WATER:  A capped spring, located 4 miles up the riverbed from the village, feeds the WISH waterline where it flows into a 40,000 gallon reservoir.  The reservoir supplies enough water pressure to reach 15 public fountains throughout the village. Portions of the waterline are suspended on the cliffs of the ravine, vulnerable to rock slides. The fountain in each neighborhood is a bustle of activity day and night as villagers fill buckets or barrels to carry home.  Constant maintenance of this water system is a major responsibility for our directors. 

AIRSTRIP:  WISH built the first airstrip to serve the island.  Medical emergencies can now be evacuated by air to larger facilities on the mainland.  The airstrip provides mission organizations with an alternate and faster route for work teams to serve the island, avoiding unpredictable seas and unstable conditions on the mainland.

ELECTRICITY / ICE PLANT – WISH built the first ice plant on LaGonave.  Previously, islanders and shopkeepers transported 100 pound blocks of ice several miles up the mainland coast and across the sea, arriving with a much smaller block of ice. The ice plant also produces purified water for purchase at a very reasonable cost. WISH has three generators,( 60KW, 80KW, and 100KW ) providing electricity for the ice plant, hospital, WISH Mall, welding shop, dental clinic, police station, churches, schools, library, youth center, and the WISH mission center.  Generators run at various times based on demand and fuel efficiency. Approximately 450 gallons of diesel fuel are required each week to sustain this operation.  Fuel must be purchased on the mainland in large barrels, loaded into a boat and unloaded again at the island wharf. 

WELDING SHOP:  Local welders are able to support their extended families on the money they earn at the WISH Welding Shop.  WISH provides the electricity and welding machines.  A small fee is charged for the allotted time.  Vehicle repairs, security gates, beds, tables, chairs, shelves, and charcoal burners are just a few of the items produced in the shop.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT:  WISH is the only mission with John Deere tractors, dump trailer, flatbed trailer and a backhoe.  WISH is the go-to organization when heavy equipment is called for.  Our trucks, ATV’s and power boat are vital to the transportation needs on the island and crossing to the mainland.

WISH MALL:  Surrounding the ice plant is a “strip mall” of shops.  The WISH Mall has about 15 shops that are 10’ X 10’ concrete block rooms with electricity and a secure door.  Local entrepreneurs can start a business that would not be possible without electricity and a building. Some of the businesses include a barber shop, beauty shop, computer school, cyber café, shoemaker, tailor, gift shop, Popsicle shop, and battery charging station.  These businesses provide income to support extended families.

DENTAL CLINIC:  The full-service dental clinic hosts an average of six dental teams a year.  The clinic is equipped with a modern x-ray unit, curing lights, autoclave, three dental units, and a very adequate supply of instruments.  Teams are responsible for bringing their own supply of disposable items, anesthetic, and filling materials.  Patients walk from distant mountain villages when word passes that the WISH clinic is open.  A small fee is charged but services are available to anyone, regardless of ability to pay.

FEEDING PROGRAM:  WISH provides the rice, beans, and cooking oil to feed children of the saline (salt flats by the sea) who are the poorest of the poor.  Pastor Foglas, the Haitian man who supervises the distribution of the food, also feeds the children who attend his saline school.  Food is also provided for the inhabitants of the Poor House.  These are elderly or handicapped individuals who do not have family to provide for them.

YOUTH CENTER: The WISH Youth Center provides a secure location for Vacation Bible Schools, a basketball court, and English classes.  We are searching for a qualified Youth Director to join the mission and expand the opportunities in youth ministry.

LIBRARY / RESOURCE CENTER:  WISH has a 60’ X 40’ building under construction.  This modern facility will provide all types of books in French and Creole.  Computers will be available for research and educational software.  The facility will also serve as a meeting center. 

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: Moringa trees grow very rapidly.  The leaves are dried and pounded into a fine powder which is used as a nutritional supplement, providing a superb source of protein.  Trees are distributed to families, also encouraging reforestation.

WORK TEAMS:  The mission hosts numerous work teams with a variety of talents to support these projects and serve Christ through this ministry.  The teams enjoy comfortable accommodations in the dormitory rooms and guest houses on the compound. Purified water, meals, and laundry are provided for the teams.

INTERNET ACCESS:  A satellite internet connection provides communication for consultations, ordering supplies, coordinating work teams, emergency communications, and schooling for missionary children. 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH:  WISH assists the Wesleyan Hospital, saline school, orphanage, and local government with specific projects.  Pastor Seminars have included local pastors from all area churches.

EMPLOYMENT:  WISH employs 34 Haitians, 23 are full-time and 11 hold part-time positions.  The employees receive health benefits for their families.  Many are supporting extended family members through their employment with WISH.

MORINGA:   During the summer and fall rainy season, if you listen close enough, you may be able to hear the Moringa trees growing in the WISH gardens. You notice their remarkable growth if you stop to look at them daily. There are two fields of trees being harvested regularly for the nutritious leaves to be made into a powder. This powder is now accepted as a food supplement in the Wesleyan hospital and clinic.

   Local knowledge about the benefit of moringa leaves is expanding. The leaf powder is about 27% protein and high in the amino acids that are often in short supply in the local diet. Dr. Frank Martin says, in Survival and Subsistence in the Tropics, that "among the leafy vegetables, one stands out as particularly good, the [Moringa] tree.  The leaves are outstanding as a source of vitamin A and when raw, vitamin C.  They are a good source of B vitamins and among the best plant sources of minerals.  The calcium content is very high for a plant. Phosphorous is low, as it should be. The content of iron is very good (it is reportedly prescribed for anemia in the Philippines ).  They are an excellent source of protein and a very low source of fat and carbohydrates.  Thus the leaves are one of the best plant foods that can be found."  The leaves are also reported to be a rich source of Lutien and Omega-3 oils. Studies are being done now in some countries with TB and AIDS patients to see if moringa strengthens the immune system based on its nutritional values. (Click here to go to the Church World Service website that provides detailed information on the nutritional value of moringa.)

   The moringa trees are grown in rows like a corn field and cut back to about knee height every few weeks.  They grow well in the local salty, gravelly soil and are rarely damaged by insects or diseases.  In the past the most damage has been done by mission employees who like to take the tender shoots home to cook like spinach.  We have had to limit the amount that mission employees can harvest so that there are enough leaves for making moringa powder.  We are selling fresh leaves through a merchant in front of the WISH ice factory in hopes that others will get the idea to grow extra moringa trees and sell the leaves in the markets.
  
The trees also  provide seeds that are distributed worldwide through the Christian group Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO). Cory Thede, who is in charge of this project, occasionally gets emails requesting information about Moringa from far-away lands. We praise the Lord for His provision of this tree. We also are thankful to those who have supported this project financially and with prayer.

Moringa trees

Moringa garden

Solar heated moringa drying shed.

Grinding dry leaves with a mortar and pestle

Sifting out stems and particles

The finished product