The kids K-6 have finished school and report cards were distributed last week. The children had school in the playground all this year since the earthquakes, and as a result will not have to repeat a year of school despite the fact that there are still aftershocks.  The buildings themselves need cleaning and painting, but they are structurely sound. Many of the desks and chairs need to be replaced because of the rough handling and being moved in and out of storage all year long.

The school year 2010-2011 will begin on schedule in September. We will admit 25 five year olds into kindergarten. They have already been selected from about 120 who applied. All totaled, we expect to have close to 300 students and 34 employees.

Our greatest need for this school year is to increase the donor base. We will need $6000 for start-up expense in August. We are debating whether or not we can afford to feed the 7th-10th grade students. If we do, we need a kitchen at the upper school. We have plans for a major construction project which covers the ravine behind the upper school building with a platform 60 x 80 feet and a kitchen at the far end. This undertaking would cost roughly $50,000. We still have plans to finish the computer lab. As I said, our donor base is critical.

As the Lord leads, I expect to go back to the school in August. While there I will be taking individual portraints of the kids as well as some video.

President Emeritus,

Jim Speicher.   

Haiti Gospel Ministries Inc. is a nonprofit, nondenominational, Christian organization. It was founded by a group of Christians joined together for the purpose of establishing and supporting the Bethany Baptist Christian School. The school is located at Lakrobat, Haiti, West Indies and is ten miles east of the city of Jacmel, on the south shore of Haiti. It is about 1 mile up the side of a mountain. The school's goal is to provide a primary education in an environment conducive to the presentation of biblical truth, bringing hope and meaning to the lives of children, creating citizens grounded in the faith to become leaders of the church and community.

The Lord laid it on the hearts of several people in Clearwater, Florida to come together to form a charitable tax-exempt corporation with the name of "Haiti Gospel Ministries" to accept funding for this project (Bethany Baptist Christian School). The children enrolled in this school will receive a spiritual, intellectual and physical education through a Bible based curriculum, as well as regular medical check-ups and a vitamin enriched hot meal each school day. Each fall there are about 20 new children accepted into the kindergarten class that will need sponsorship. A sponsor covenants with the Lord and a student to send $30.00 each month. The plan is to accept a new kindergarten class each year and continue to the 12th grade.