Investing in the Future
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Sunday, June 28, 2026 - [click here to support the continuing work at MOHI]
Today's update is from Jonathan, Ben and Taran
One of the greatest privileges we have at Mission of Hope International is investing in people.
Sometimes that investment looks like a child learning to read.
Sometimes it looks like a patient regaining strength through physical therapy.
Sometimes it looks like helping a young entrepreneur launch a business.
And sometimes it looks like celebrating students as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.
This week, we were reminded that every investment we make today has the potential to impact generations to come.
Investing in Relationships
This past week, Pastor Lex traveled from the Dominican Republic back to Haiti as preparations continued for this weekend's graduation ceremonies.
Along the way, there were plenty of opportunities to spend time with some of his favorite people—the children.
Whether sharing pizza with children in the Dominican Republic or sitting beside toddlers in Haiti as they enjoyed bowls of pumpkin soup, these simple moments remind us what ministry is really about.
Schools matter. Clinics matter. Feeding programs matter.
But at the heart of everything we do are relationships.
Sometimes the most meaningful ministry happens over a shared meal, a conversation, or simply taking the time to sit with a child and let them know they are loved.
Haiti Updates
Celebrating Another School Year
This weekend marks one of our favorite times of the year—graduation.
Our students have completed their final exams, and today we celebrate the incredible work they have accomplished throughout the school year. We look forward to sharing photos from graduation with you next week.
While students begin enjoying their summer break, our teachers and administrators are busy preparing report cards and wrapping up another successful school year.
Planning has also begun for our summer programs, and we are excited for the opportunities they will bring to continue investing in children throughout the months ahead.
Healthy Communities
This week brought encouraging news from our medical team.
Very few patients visited the clinic, and that's actually something worth celebrating. Fewer patients often means the community is healthier.
The Physical Therapy Clinic continues to grow, with patients reporting encouraging progress and renewed hope as they continue treatment.
Our Dental Clinic also remains busy, serving patients through cleanings and ongoing dental care.
Behind the scenes, new equipment has been installed throughout the clinic, along with updated lighting that will help improve the quality of care for years to come.
Business Academy Continues to Grow
A new Business Academy class began this past week in Haiti.
One of the greatest joys of this program has been watching participants—especially women—launch businesses that create new opportunities to support their families.
Economic development doesn't happen overnight, but by equipping people with practical business skills, we're helping families build brighter futures.
Dominican Republic Updates
Preparing for a Busy Summer
Our Dominican Republic team has been hard at work preparing for a busy month of July.
Over the coming weeks, we look forward to welcoming three mission teams who will serve alongside our staff and local communities.
These partnerships continue to strengthen the ministry while creating meaningful opportunities for people to grow in their faith through service.
Healthy Families
Our Community Health Promoter also shared encouraging news this week.
As she continues following up with patients throughout the villages, they are finding that many remain healthy and stable.
These ongoing visits allow our team to build trusted relationships while ensuring families continue receiving the care and encouragement they need.
More Than a Meal
One of our favorite updates this week came from La Grúa.
Earlier this year, visiting mission teams helped build tables and benches for the children's feeding program.
Before then, many children ate standing up, crouched on the ground, or by themselves. Few had ever experienced gathering around a table for a shared meal.
Today, those same tables have become places of friendship, laughter, conversation, and belonging.
One community member watched the children eating together and simply said,
"Only MOHI would do something like this for our children."
What may seem like a simple construction project has become a powerful reminder that ministry isn't just about meeting physical needs—it's about creating spaces where children know they are loved, valued, and part of a community.
Thoughts from Jonathan
Every year around this time, my social media feeds fill with proud parents, smiling graduates, decorated caps, moving-up ceremonies, and family celebrations. Whether it's kindergarten, middle school, high school, college, or graduate school, graduation season is a time of accomplishment and hope. It's a chance to celebrate hard work, perseverance, and the promise of what comes next.
In my experience, that sense of pride and celebration is nearly universal.
The details may vary from place to place, but families everywhere recognize the significance of seeing their children reach an important milestone. And while graduation season is special here at home, it carries an even deeper significance in places like Haiti.
Simply put, graduating from high school in Haiti is a monumental achievement.
Many students face interruptions in their education due to political instability, gang violence, civil unrest, natural disasters, or the simple reality that their families cannot always afford school fees. As a result, students often graduate later than their peers elsewhere. It is not uncommon for young adults to finish high school at 19, 20, or even 21 years of age.
Yet even after completing their final year of classes, there is one more hurdle standing between them and their diploma.
Unlike many educational systems, Haiti requires students to pass a series of national examinations administered by the Ministry of Education. These exams serve as an exit requirement for secondary school. If a student does not pass the exam, they do not receive their secondary school certificate, regardless of whether they successfully completed all of their coursework.
Imagine spending an entire year knowing that one exam will determine whether you officially graduate.
For many students, the final year of school becomes focused almost entirely on preparing for that test. The pressure is immense because there is no alternative path. If you don't pass, you don't graduate.
Adding to the challenge, these exams are often not administered until late July, weeks after many schools have already held graduation ceremonies. Students may walk across a stage, celebrate with their families, and pose for graduation photos without actually knowing whether they have officially graduated.
Then comes the waiting.
The exams can take months to be scored and processed. In some cases, students may wait two or even three months before receiving their results.
That uncertainty creates more than anxiety. It can also delay enrollment in university programs. A student may finish high school in June or July but not be able to begin higher education until months later because they are waiting for official exam results.
Those months matter.
For young people everywhere, transitions can be fragile periods. In Haiti, where opportunities are limited and daily life is often shaped by economic hardship and instability, those months between high school and whatever comes next can be especially critical.
As educators and advocates, we spend a great deal of time thinking about how to keep students engaged during those transition periods. We want to help them remain connected to positive influences, meaningful activities, mentorship opportunities, vocational experiences, and healthy relationships while they wait for their next chapter to begin.
That is not always easy.
Another challenge many families face is simply gaining access to the exams themselves. The national examinations require registration fees. If a family cannot afford those fees, a student may not be permitted to sit for the exam at all.
For many households already struggling financially, those fees become one more obstacle standing between a student and the future they have worked so hard to build.
This is one of the many reasons sponsorship matters.
When someone sponsors a child, they are doing far more than helping pay for a year's worth of schooling. They are helping ensure that students can remain enrolled, stay engaged, access educational opportunities, and overcome barriers that might otherwise derail their progress.
Sponsorship gives us the flexibility to respond when needs arise. It helps us support students through critical transitions. It allows us to invest not only in academic success but also in the long-term development of young people as they prepare for adulthood.
As graduation season unfolds, we celebrate every student who has persevered through challenges to reach this milestone. We celebrate the families who sacrificed to make education possible. We celebrate the teachers who continued showing up despite difficult circumstances.
And we celebrate the sponsors and supporters whose generosity helps make these stories possible.
While graduation marks the end of one chapter, it is also the beginning of another. Our responsibility doesn't end when students walk across a stage. In many ways, that is when some of the most important work begins.
Thank you for helping us walk alongside these young people—not only through their years in school, but also through the critical transitions that shape the future they are working so hard to build.
Staff Spotlight: Jean Renald Remy
This week, we would like to introduce you to Jean Renald Remy.
Remy is a graduate of Mission of Hope International's school in Grand-Goâve, where he completed his education from preschool through high school. After graduating, MOHI awarded him a scholarship to study Educational Sciences, recognizing his character, leadership, and passion for learning.
Today, Remy serves in several important roles within the ministry. He is the Dean of our school, helps manage the school's records with Haiti's Ministry of Education, and teaches at our Business Academy, where he invests in the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders.
His journey is a wonderful example of the long-term impact of Christian education—growing from an MOHI student into a leader who is now helping shape the lives of others.
We are grateful for Remy and the faithful leadership he provides every day.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate another graduating class, welcome new Business Academy students, care for patients, prepare for summer mission teams, and watch children gather around a table to share a meal, we are reminded of one simple truth:
Investing in people changes lives.
Whether it's a teacher helping a student prepare for exams, a doctor restoring someone's health, a mission team building tables where children can gather, or a sponsor making education possible, every act of kindness becomes an investment in someone's future.
Thank you for investing in children, families, leaders, and communities across Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Together, we are helping build a brighter future—one relationship at a time.
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