Haiti in Focus

When I heard that the Haitian from the hit TV series Heroes had a foundation working in Haiti, I was excited.  The Haitian always fascinated me as a character on the show, and I loved the fact that referred to him as the Haitian and even set some of the scenes in Haiti (though they weren’t really filmed in Haiti but Pasadena, Florida). Jimmy Jean Louis heads up a foundation working in Haiti called Hollywood Unites for Haiti, a foundation that focuses on providing resources for youth sports and the cultural arts.

In our conversation with Jimmy, we chatted about where he was born in Haiti and some of the places he’s lived since then.  We briefly touched on his film career (Tears of the Sun and others) and some of the TV shows he’s worked on (The Shield and most notably Heroes).  I found it interesting that he still considers himself part of the cast in Heroes. I hope that means we’ll see him again in the show.

But the real focus of our conversation was about what drew him back to Haiti, what made him start Hollywood Unites for Haiti, some of the celebrities that have been involved, and the purpose of the organization.  He also shares his hopes for Haiti.  If you would like to know more about Jimmy Jean Louis and Hollywood Unites for Haiti, click here. Hope you enjoy the show!

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In this episode of Haiti In Focus, Scott and Curt sit down with Tim Plaut, Ora Wells, and Bill Allen, all doctors working with Mission Manna.  The group shares a brief overview of the history of Mission Manna, of how it started with a youth mission trip to Haiti, and their current work. The doctors take us to Montrouis, a small town off the coast, and lead us into the remote mountains of Haiti where very few Americans ever visit.  They discuss their focus on the health eduction that enables Haitains to better take care of themselvse.  They each share stories from their work and talk about how Haiti has impacted them.  If you want to find out more about Mission Manna, please visit their website.

The following is a brief description of Mission Manna from their website.

Mission Manna’s Core Values:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Humility

Mission Manna is a faith-based organization providing medical care for malnourished children and continuing health care education for adults in and around the Haitian town of Montrouis, while nurturing relationships through respect and creation of understanding between our two cultures.

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In part two of an interview with Chris Lieb, Scott and Kristen chat with him about the holistic approach Baptist Haiti mission is taking in assisting the people of Haiti.  He talks about their educational endeavors which include schools enrolling more than 65,000 students and a Master’s program.  He also shares about BHM’s 110 bed hospital, outpatient clinics, and mobile health teams, all of which provide Haitians with comprehensive medical care.  He voices concerns over the deforestation of Haiti, and ongoing efforts by the Mission to reforest the land.   Chris also invites our listeners to participate in their work in various ways.   Stay tune as well after the podcast for a brief discussion about how BMS acquires their water and buying water in Haiti.  For more on Baptist Haiti Mission and their work there, please visit their website. Powered by Podbean.com

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 Enhanced Podcast [ 23:58m]: Download | Embeddable Player | Hits (15)

Scott and Kristen interview Chris Lieb, who has served as the technology and educational coordinator at Baptist Haiti Mission for the past five years.  Through out this interview, Chris shares how he worked in the computer industry making really good money, yet he was unsatisfied and wanted more from his life.  So he, his wife Kellie, and four children, gave up the American Dream  and moved to Molokaʻi “The Friendly Isle” in Hawaii, to assist in the education of the indigenous population.  After serving as a mathematics instructor and athletic director for four years, he and his family moved to Baptist Haiti Mission, in Fermathe, near Port au Prince right around the time Aristide was overthrown. He chats about issues of safety and the divine providence.  For more about the awesome work Baptist Hait Mission is involved, please visit Baptist Haiti Mission.

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