About

Mission Statement

Our goal at My Neighbor Missions is to “Love our Neighbor” by providing a Christian education for children in Haiti. We also desire to partner with the local community in Pernal, Haiti to provide housing and medical assistance to widows and the disabled. We also provide oversight for community-based, self-sufficient means of income such as raising animals and gardens.

Background

In 2014, Vernon Wengerd and Keith Yoder left West Virginia and traveled to the mountains of Haiti with Pastor Chester Fisher. The goal of the trip was to build a small shed that would provide shelter for a large cement block-producing machine. 

One day they visited a local church-run school. At the school, they met the principal, Jean Edouard Chavré, who spoke English. Impressed by his knowledge and passion for the school, they wanted to do something to help him and the school. Just before leaving the states, a local businessman had donated $100 and asked them to give it to someone in Haiti who needed it.  So, after a conversation with Jean, they gave the $100 to him to purchase a much-needed water tank for the school.  

Vernon and Keith left Haiti and returned to their lives in the US. However, a bond had been formed, and Vernon and Jean remained in contact after Jean had sent pictures of the new water tank. In 2016, Jean decided to part ways with the large school where he was working and begin his own smaller school with a desire to reach out to un-churched children. It was Jean’s vision to have a school that would accept children from his community who were extremely poor and give them a Christian education.

In 2017, Vernon and Keith traveled to Haiti again, this time to visit with Jean and see his new school. To make the school attainable for even the poorest of children, Vernon and Keith partnered with Jean to provide sponsors for some of the students. Around this time, they decided to reach out to friends and family to help sponsor even more students.    

In 2018, Vernon returned to Haiti with a group of young people to do some work projects and expand the school. As the school expanded, the need for sponsors grew. In 2019, Vernon and Keith again traveled to Haiti to meet with Jean and discuss his vision for the work. Jean continues to not only work at expanding and improving the school, but he is also heavily involved in the community and many people come to him with their needs.

Today more than 60 students attend Jean’s school. Through the help of donors, MNM has helped Jean clear off land to plant a large garden which provides food for the school. In addition, he now raises rabbits and sells them to local families who can begin raising rabbits for themselves. This is an effort to help the school become more and more self-sufficient.

My Neighbor Missions is a 501c-3 nonprofit organization.

Haitian School Administrator

The Board

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