Redeeming Love

As teams of HFI Reservists continue making the journey to rebuild the village of Sous Savanne after Haiti's 2010 earthquake, we are frequently reminded that the recipients of our efforts are not just names and numbers -- they are people. Each house that is built gives new hope to a family in need and creates the opportunity to change lives. We recently received a reminder of this human element of relief work thanks to Child Sponsorship family 143.

"As far as we know, this family has seven members," explains Hope Force staffer, Rene Lako. "Their youngest son, Osnel, is in the Child Sponsorship Program. The family still lives in their damaged house and a Hope Force tent, but is content. Whenever we come by, Andre (the father) gladly climbs one of his coconut trees and prepares a fresh drink for us. After witnessing this family's giving heart in the midst of their dire circumstances, we were glad when they made it onto the list to receive a home through the Houses of Hope project."

"Last month when we went back for a visit, Andre told us that his son's girlfriend was pregnant and ready to deliver any day. She was living in a Hope Force tent located close by but not on their property. Andre shared with us that he was not on speaking terms with his son, whose name is Loveman."

"A few days later, we came to discuss signing the contract for their 'House of Hope'. Andre -- now a grandfather -- told us the baby had been born, a little boy. After talking about the house we would build for his family, Andre decided that he could not have his grandbaby living in a tent. He would give his new home to his son Loveman, his partner Manouchka and the baby boy, Lovemans."

Thanks to his father's generosity, Loveman is receiving the first block home to be built by HFI in Sous Savanne. Originally constructing prefabricated interim houses, Hope Force chose to switch to a new home design after finding a high-quality block manufacturer in Port-au-Price and a Haitian contractor with extensive experience in block construction.

Like all other beneficiaries of the "Houses of Hope" project, Loveman helped with the construction of the home his family received. As the Haitian crew built the house, Loveman was actively engaged and worked hard to transport materials in a wheelbarrow, mix cement and do whatever was needed to contribute in the building of his home.

"The beauty of it all is that father and son are talking together again," continues Rene. "The young family is receiving a roof over their heads, and the little one can get out of a very hot tent and into a nice home."

This experience showed us once again the power of a father's love to redeem difficult circumstances. As we work to help the Sous Savanne community recover from the devastating events of 2010, we are continually encountering stories like Andre?s that illustrate the good that can come out of a terrible situation.