Breath of Life Haiti

As we come out of celebrating Father’s Day 2019, I thought it would be appropriate to write a blog post about the importance of having a father in one’s life.

I personally, have been blessed with one of the best dads on the face of the earth and I could not imagine my life without him! He has never failed to encourage, support, finance, feed, and love me and for that I am ever grateful. Unfortunately, not everyone has a Sam Fry in their life, but for those with and without fathers, we know that NO MATTER WHAT we have a Heavenly Father who provides for us in any and all circumstances.

Here in the United States we perceive fatherhood very differently than third world countries like Haiti. When many of us hear the word “dad” we may envision the man who taught us to ride a bike or the one who embraced our sweaty hugs after sporting events. A dad for me is surely different than a dad for you, but this variety in comprehending the abstract idea of a father continues to be present across state lines, borders and even oceans.

In no way am I qualified to speak on behalf of the daughters and sons in Haiti, but from research and conversation throughout the years, it has become apparent to me that the perception of fathers in Haiti is not frequently positive. In Haiti, it can appear fairly common for fathers to walk out of a child’s life before they are born. According to “Household Size and Composition Around the World 2017”, a data booklet published by the United Nations, of the 49% of children under 15 who live in a single parent household, 39% of those households only have a mother present. That means 39% of households in Haiti do not have a father present.

Living in a country were fathers aren’t always loving, caring or even present can heavily impact their understanding of their Heavenly Father. On several occasions, the Bible uses analogies of earthly fathers to explain God’s role as our Father. While these literary devices often aid our culture in understanding His love they can regularly act as an obstacle for people from differing cultures.

While we are incapable of providing every child in Haiti with a loving and caring earthly father, we at Breath of Life Haiti do have the ability to spread the Gospel and love of our Heavenly Father, a father who’s love never fails and provides eternal life.

Below I have included a few verses that over the years have allowed me to better understand the relationship I strive to have with my Lord and Savior. With your support, Breath of Life Haiti can better share God’s word and God the Father with the searching and unreached people of Haiti.

2 Corinthians 6:18 – “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.

1 John 3:1 – See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Isaiah 64:8 – Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the

work of your hand.

Psalm 103:13 – Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Romans 8:16 -The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

Ephesians 4:6 – One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.

“Household Size and Composition Around the World 2017.” United Nations, 2017. https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/household_size_and_composition_around_the_world_2017_data_booklet.pdf