Faith in Action International (FIAI), a Christian-based mission program in Verrettes, Haiti, has been quietly serving the poorest-of-the-poor for 13 years.
With each tree sapling planted, every meal delivered, and every water filter installed, the Haitian people have come to say “Mesi,” Creole for “thanks for making a difference.”
Michigan native Tom Braak founded FIAI in 1998.
Braak made an initial mission trip to Haiti in 1997 to see the country’s needs first hand. Upon hearing God’s call, he set up headquarters in the hills north of Port-Au-Prince and married a Haitian woman named Ficilta. Together, they have a 16-month-old son, Ryan.
It was when Braak was asked to present on FIAI at the United Methodist Church of the Dunes (UMC-Dunes) in Grand Haven, Mich. that he made a longstanding connection to the United Methodis Church.
At the conclusion of Braak’s presentation, one of the UMC-Dunes church members organized a mission trip to Haiti in April 2007. It included 16 people who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with FIAI missionaries.
Braak is also connected to the Michigan Area through Dr. Bill Cansfield, a strong advocate for Haiti and member of UMC-Dunes.
Cansfield is a member of the Michigan Haiti Task Force, which works through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to support churches, schools, orphanages and agricultural improvement projects in Haiti.
Cansfield also serves as the chairman of the FIAI board of directors.
As its sole missionary, Braak, 48, has brought FIAI to the people day-by-day through teaching sustainable development.
A tree nursery was established; animal husbandry programs were introduced, providing goats and chickens to help Haitian farmers learn how to start a business, sell milk and eggs at market; literacy programs also help children and adults learn to read the Bible.
Currently, the FIAI fruit tree nursery has 12,500 saplings growing in plastic bags.
Soil is mixed with bat guano and the plants are thriving.
“Some 23 species will bear fruit that can be a source of $80 of increased income potential each year.
This $80 is a welcome addition to the annual $200 income the farmers currently earn,” Braak said.
Trees are set for distribution in May, with each Haitian villager receiving 20 plantings.
FIAI’s tree nursery species include: Mango, avocado, lemon, kenep, sour sop, lamapen, guava, orange, cacoa, apricot, pumelo and chocolate pudding plants.
“We also started growing five children’s tree nurseries and we anticipate over 350 kids will benefit from this aspect of our ministry,” Braak said.
Recently, the mission has also made headway with continued distributions of goats, food and water filters.
“We took delivery of two more buck Boer goats this week,” said Braak. “The 19 bucks we gave out last year are now all producing offspring, which will help create income for villagers at market.”
Braak also received 47 boxes of food, which contained 36 meals each — to be distributed to the homeless, elderly and handicapped.
Rice, soybean flour, corn protein and dried vegetables are at a premium to many people.
A chronic problem is the need for clean water. Cholera continues to spread through contaminated water and food.
FIAI is addressing this epidemic by providing 300 water purification systems to schools and villages throughout the Artibonite Valley, some 40 miles north of Port-au-Prince.
“In January we gave out 74 water filters throughout six communities and each filter will provide clean water to 60 people,” Braak said.
In February, Tom’s father, Larry Braak, M.D., brought 200 Sawyer Point One filters, one of the fastest, most cost effective ways to deliver clean water.
Each filter system will clean up to 100 gallons of portable water every day. The filters remove the protozoa and viruses using technology adapted from kidney dialysis filters.
“People are still dying in the mountains and all around Verrettes and Port-au-Prince because of the cholera pandemic,” Braak. said “We are praying for continued support throughout 2011 to help us sustain our brothers and sisters throughout Haiti.”
FIAI has faced several major challenges in the wake of the 2010 earthquake, hurricane and cholera pandemic. Rocky roads left with huge potholes by the disasters have taken their toll on the FIAI truck used to transport supplies and people to and from the regional hospital. Funds are being sought to help purchase a new vehicle.
Homes that collapsed have left people without shelter and FIAI has helped with the reconstruction process.
Braak has grown FIAI through donations from family, relatives, friends and supporters attending largely United Methodist, Presbyterian, Christian Reformed, Reformed, Baptist, Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches in Michigan, California, Iowa, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
People can donate by sending checks made payable to: FIAI, P.O. Box 171, Spring Lake, Michigan or by donating electronically on the FIAI website at www.faithinactionint.org.
A spring mission trip, led by Braak, is planned for March 29 through April 5 to the FIAI mission in Verrettes, Haiti.
Another one is being considered for September.
Participants will work in the tree nursery, deliver water filters to schools and homes, plus participate in church services with Haitian villagers.
To contact Faith in Action International reach Tammy Davison at tammy@faithinactionint.org or 616-842-8951, or Pam Mettler at pmettler@iserv.net or 616-402-3144
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