LONG AWAITED UPDATE FROM HATS-HAITI WITH GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL AND A REMINDER WE NEED YOUR SPONSORSHIP FEES PLEASE!!!!

October 6, 2024 Posted by Karen Huxter

It has been too long since the last update on HATS-Haiti. I apologize for this. I was finding it very difficult to write anything as things were so very difficult and bleak in Haiti. Still, I should have let you, our supporters, know how things were.

The good news is that our school will reopen for this school year on October 7th. Our school, IMKH, is doing extremely well even though there are gang members throughout the Artibonite area where our Mission is.

Each year in Haiti, grade 9 and grade 13 (Filo) students must write the difficult governmental exams. They are directed to write them at various sites throughout Haiti under strict supervision.

Recently Luckner received the awesome results of our school’s Grade 9 governmental exams. I am thrilled to report that 28 grade 9s of our school wrote these difficult exams and 25 of them passed. These 25 students now move on into Senior Secondary. This is a tremendous accomplishment when you consider how difficult it is in Haiti right now. Grade 13 (Filo) results came in just yesterday and 24 out of 32 students passed, which is another awesome accomplishment.

And to top this great news, Met Luckner (School Director and Director of HATS-Haiti) has been told that our school IMKH is in the category of “The Very Best Schools in the Department of Education.”

Many thanks to Met Luckner for the awesome results of these two very important governmental exams, and under your continuous strong and faithful leadership, you were able to provide so many children with an excellent education. What Met Luckner has done is especially amazing, since our school, students and teachers are faced with the daily stress of gang violence so close by.

I humbly ask all of our student sponsors to PLEASE send your sponsorship fees to HATS-Haiti. Your sponsorship donation for your student(s) is desperately needed for this 2024-2025 school year.

We had upkeep to do to our school and uniform fabric to purchase for our students. We have teacher salaries to pay. A very important fact is that we need to purchase large amounts of food so all our students can receive a hot meal daily. Our students arrive at school HUNGRY. You can imagine it is quite difficult to concentrate and absorb what is being taught with very empty tummies. This meal, for most of them, will be the only food they get each day.

This year I must ask something that I haven’t asked before for our school. We do not want to raise our sponsorship fees. If, however, any of you can possibly enclose a little extra donation to cover the soaring costs of food and uniform materials with your sponsorship money for your student(s), please do so. We desire to be able to feed them a good hot meal daily. Thank you so very much in advance!

I will write another update with new photos shortly after IMKH reopens on October 7th.

I’m also thrilled to say that all the children of our Mission are doing okay. Luckner and Roselore are continuing to care for all of the children together, our HATS children and their children. Again, thank you Luckner for all that you do. It gives me peace knowing that my children are under your care.

Things continue to be extremely difficult throughout Haiti. There are presently more than 400 extra police in Haiti, mostly from Kenya, working alongside the Haitian National Police. Much prayer is needed for more police to join them and for the safety of all the police and those they are trying to help.

The United Nations just reported that a couple of days ago, one of the gangs in Haiti went to a town in our area, about a 10-12 minute drive from us. This gang killed 70+ people and forced 3000 people to flee as they swept through the town shooting automatic rifles at the residents. Many others were injured. It was also reported that the gangs set fire to at least 45 houses and 34 vehicles leaving so many people destitute. The people in our area already have a hunger crisis, and this will make it much worse.

I want to thank you all for keeping the precious people of Haiti in your hearts and your prayers.

Love Karen 🙏

About Karen Huxter

Karen Huxter, the founder and Director of Hands Across the Sea, was born in Springdale, Newfoundland and is proud of her Newfie roots and heritage. She lived in various places across Canada such as Quebec, the Yukon, Ontario, Alberta and BC before moving to Haiti in 1995. In her professional career, Karen worked in teaching, banking and administration and did extensive volunteer work with community groups and charities. A mother of two grown daughters, one young adopted son and seven grandchildren, Karen is energetic and passionate about the work in Haiti. She loves each of the children and has a heart of compassion for children, women and families in the country of Haiti.

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Testimonials

Thank you Karen for everything you do, all the hard work and dedication that you put into this place, all of the work behind the scenes. Thank you for putting up with all the craziness that we bring when we come to your house for the week, just thank you times a million and one for everything Karen. I can write about my week until I am blue in the face (maybe not write that long but if you know me I can definitely talk for that long), and can sing about kit kat bars until my voice gives out, but I cannot even begin to try and articulate in song, dance, or other random art forms how thankful and blessed I am to have been given this experience not only once but twice! Thank you – thank you – thank you – thank you!!!!!!!

Kathleen
HATS Visitor
This morning, we woke up as the sun came up and as we all began to trickle downstairs; we were met with warm welcomes from the precious children. As the children arrived, we were deeply touched and came to the realization of how important the HATS organization is to this country. Many children who would not have had any opportunities are now well nourished, educated and have a loving home and a mother who loves them more than we could ever comprehend, Karen Huxter.

Nicole Boudreau & Marcia Muise
HATS Visitors
I spent a week in Haiti at HATS in November 2017 and it was a wonderful experience. Karen is an amazing woman and is doing amazing work. She is dedicated to the children in her care and is changing lives. I would love the opportunity to visit again and help out where I can.

Sandy Eastly
HATS Visitor
It is our last day and there is always a certain amount of sadness and joy when we come to the end of a trip . We look forward to our homes and loved ones but there is a part of us that wants to stay and be near these dear dear children. They open their hearts and arms to you when you enter the front gate. They give you laughter and tears all week long and then they cry and hug you when they know you are going away. Being near that kind of unconditional love effects us all very deeply. So we leave part of our hearts here and promise to return.

Gerry Rhyno
HATS Visitor
This week has been amazing – one of the best weeks of my life thus far, hands down. I can’t really think of any other experience in my life that can even come close to comparing to this. Though my visit here was short (too short), it has been incredibly eye-opening, and life changing. I will never forget the people I have met here, or the things I’ve gotten to experience! Most of all, I would like to say how remarkable it is to see first-hand the amazing work God is doing here. I am behind this ministry 100%, and will continue to support it. I am so, so blessed to have been given the opportunity to come here, and I am REALLY not looking forward to saying goodbye to the children tonight. My heart sinks just thinking about it. There’s no doubt that they’ve had a bigger impact on my life than I’ve had on theirs. I will be leaving a big piece of my heart with these people and this country. God bless.

Jess Buckle
HATS Visitor
It’s my hope that I manage to touch their hearts in some small way, the way that they have touched mine – in a major way.

Cherie MacDonald
HATS Visitor
After years of thinking about it and months of planning for it, it seems strange that our time in Haiti is over. We have been asked by a few if it was like we expected. Well, no. I’m not sure what we expected, but our minds could not have fathomed what we have experienced, and we can hardly believe that our 3 month stay has come to an end. HATS really became home away from home for us. We knew we would enjoy getting to know and spending time with the kids but we had no idea how difficult it would be to leave them. They sneak in and steal your heart without you even knowing it. We have left a piece of our hearts in Haiti and can’t wait for the day when we can return.

Mike & Nicki White
HATS Visitors
I have learned much about Haiti in my short stay here, much about generational, entrenched poverty, and much about hope. We can only be part of the bringing of hope if we become one small actor on the huge stage that is poverty. Thank you, Lynn Clark, for inviting me to share this life changing experience with you, and thank-you, Karen Huxter, for investing so much of your life in a work designed to bring hope to those who need it more than any Canadian could ever imagine.

Linda
HATS Visitor
This is my first trip to Haiti and I’m hoping that it will not be my last! I could start by telling you all about my experiences however I’ll start by saying that Haiti DOES hit you in your heart! Not a day goes by when I’m not fighting back tears. Hands Across the Sea is an amazing place! Our team has been assembled of different men that all who all felt God calling them to do his bidding. Since I have been here I was quick to realize that we are just helpers here. Karen and her team of workers are, what I believe to be, the real workers of God! Each child presents their own challenges and Karen and her staff make sure that all of the children, not one child, are seen to!

Bernie Melanson
HATS Visitor
Culture shock for this Canadian team at first, but a ride through busy, vibrant streets proved terrifically interesting; busy markets, vendors selling exotic fruits, clothing and shoes, used tires and rusty metal… and then the gorgeous countryside: banana plants, mangoes, cows and goats and pigs and dogs, the Golfe de La Gonave by our side. Rice patties indicated we were close to our home for the next week. We were greeted by Magalie, a house mother, with hugs for all and, of course, the children themselves, so gorgeous and endearing. A beautiful meal was followed by a sharing of impressions: there is a lot of poverty but so much potential and hope. We are already in love with Haiti.

Team Canada
HATS Visitors