All the storytellers who told their stories for this book project. All had interviews with a Creole translator present and an audio recording was made of each interview.
Marc Donald – Daniel Ku – Eldet Tine – Hannah – Laurene Louis – Jacqueline Tine – Noelle Michelle – Patrick Tine – Willy Lafortune – Alfred Calos – Vialey Josue – Pitou Charles – Renous Severe – Roselaur – Roselynn – Grasner Severe – Pepe Rousseau – Monette Severe
Marc Donald
Marc Donald Germeil was born in a tiny beach town in Dame Marie, Haiti. He moved to Port-au-Prince as a small child and currently lives on the Haiti Bible Mission compound in Jeremie, Haiti. He married Krista Parada Germeil about two years ago and they had their first child in September. Marc Donald translates for all of Haiti Bible Missions teams and is a fluent speaker of French, Haitian Creole and English. He enjoys driving his moto (sometimes too fast!), rice and beans, and studying the Bible.
Daniel Ku
Daniel Grandin was born and raised in Jeremie, Haiti. He joined Haiti Bible Mission in 2014 as a translator to then later become a teacher and Assistant Pastor. He currently teaches English in a countryside town near Jeremie to elementary school students. “The students love any chance they get to practice their English with the visiting missionary groups,” says Daniel, “It’s beautiful to watch because they are so excited to be able to communicate.” He speaks French, Creole, English, and some Spanish. During the week you’ll find him attending theology school and a new church started in town, training to fulfill his calling as a Pastor. Some of his favorite things include dancing, reading, researching the latest technology and an occasional good piece of cake.
Eldet Tine
Eldet first lived in the country with his family, where there was at least a forty-five minute walk to see his closest neighbor. After the family moved into the city of Jeremie, they had no job and no food. After being in the city a little while, Eldet would watch the masons who worked near his house. He eventually saw enough that he started helping out a bit with various projects. The masons saw that he was smart and good at the works, so they started paying him. He began working with the masons in the morning and then going to school in the afternoon. Eldet first learned about Haiti Bible Mission through his friends Renous and Jackson, who helped out at Haiti Bible Mission first. He came along with them sometimes and got involved in the ministries as the friendship grew.
Hannah
Enjoys walking on her tip toes, drawing circles, and playing tag with abandon. She is very curious and smart. Open to trying all kinds of foods. Chris and Dan are in the process of adoption. Her story was told via her caretakers.
Laurene Louis
Biography and picture coming soon.
Jacqueline Tine
Jacqueline is the fifth child of a family of 8, and her mom and dad constantly reminded her and her siblings of the promises they have in Christ. When she was young, they lived in “the bush”, or the far removed country. When she was a teenager, her family moved into the city so she and her siblings could go to upper level schools. When Jacqueline was an older teenager, she went to work at a family member’s house and was a poorly treated servant. She wasn’t even provided with shoes to go to church. That never stopped her, though. About two years ago, her mom brought her to HBM. She now lives here with us on the compound and has started her own business, making headbands. Unlike most Haitians, she saves half of everything she makes and is very frugal in her purchases. She’s discipling and now even employing her friends with her headband business. She is constantly filled with joy and shares it every day.
Noelle Michelle
Born in 1953, in the mountains surrounding Ty Wooj, where she has lived her whole life. One of eleven children. Cherishes her simple childhood, and memories of her father in the garden next to their house, tending corn and other vegetables, protecting them from the sun. She did not go to school, but is proud of her own four children who have gone to school. Jesus is the greatest joy in her life, she talks to Him all of the time and He brings her help in all things.
Patrick Tine
Patrick Tine was born the youngest boy among 8 siblings, 3 boys and 5 girls. His family lived in a countryside named Fon Kochon, about an 8-hour walk from the main city. He remembers a happy childhood, where he would work in the garden with his siblings and his father. Once they were established in town, his older brother, Eldet, started to work for Haiti Bible Mission. He would ask Patrick to come and help out here and there with work projects and odd jobs. Once they saw how hard Patrick worked, Eldet and Mark Stockeland invited him to be a part of the full time Haiti Bible Mission Emerging Leader’s team. Patrick loves to work with HBM, because they are always focused on evangelism and they are willing to go where other mission and missionaries won’t go.
Willy Lafortune
A talented basketball player and a star of his school team, Willy Lafortune fell and broke his arm in 1992 – and it was the painful aftermath of that fall that made him decide that medicine was the career for him. The fastest way to have taken young Willy to hospital at the time should have been by sea. But the Neptune, the ferry that plied between Jérémie, where he lived, and the capital, tragically capsized around that time with the loss of several hundred lives, and the roads were virtually impassible. So, it was 15 excruciating days later that Lafortune got the professional treatment he needed, an experience that marked him with the determination to do everything possible to ensure that medical services to the less-accessible parts of his country improved.
He was as good as his word. After graduating with a medical degree, he went to Canada to continue his training, returning in 2006 to work with the Haitian Health Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides emergency medical care to residents of the rural south-west.
It was a valuable service but Lafortune wanted more freedom, so after three years he decided to start his own private clinic, Clinimed, working with his wife who is also a doctor. It’s now one of the most modern facilities in the region, with a staff of nine, including two nurses, two lab technicians and a pharmacist. The experience has been hugely fulfilling, says Lafortune, but his long-term aim is on a different scale: a new hospital for Jérémie. It’s no pipe-dream either. The land has already been acquitted – and now he’s looking for a donor to help fund it.
Alfred Calos
Alfred Carlos was born in Jeremie, Haiti to a family of poor farmers who worked hard cultivating the land. They did not believe in God, but put their trust in evil spirits, hoping the spirits would help them to be rich. When Carlos was a young boy, his mother died. Carlos suffered a lot while living with his father and stepmother. Carlos remembers that his father abandoned him and would hit him and tell him that he was going to sell him as a slave because he had too many children. Carlos was adopted by Pastor Eric Pierre and treated just like one of his own children. Pastor Eric put Carlos in school and since then, he has not had any contact with his birth family. Before Carlos was associated with HBM, he used to make and sell bread, help people with music, and give English classes, in order to make money to support himself. Now Calos work with HBM.
Vialey Josue
Vialy Josue was born in his childhood home at the Point in Jeremie. He is the first child in his family. He has eight sisters, he is the oldest and the only boy. His mom and dad still live in the same house that he is from at the Point. His mom and dad took good care of him during his childhood. When Vialy was old enough to work, he helped with the fishing boat and hauling cement for money for his family. When he was a boy, he loved playing soccer, and he still loves to play now. Whenever they would start a game, the kids would always come for him to play because he was so good. Ever since he was a child, he would go to church and see people accept the Lord, but it was never for him. About 5 years ago, Pepe invited him to church so he started going again, he accepted the Lord at HBM just a few months ago. He came to know HBM through Pepe, as he has been best friends with Pepe for a long time, and he is now working for HBM as Security In-Training.
Pitou Fritznell Charles
He was born on Borde Street (just down the street from the compound). He is the fourth of six boys in his family. When he was one month old, his dad died. He and his siblings still live with their mother. For as long as he can remember, his mother has worked as a janitor in the men’s and women’s ward in the hospital. Pitou has gone to school up to sixth grade. He has stopped school due to lack of funds, and some of his brothers have never gone to school. He is in school this year in sixth grade. He first became connected with HBM when he met Eldet in town. Since he doesn’t live far from here, he started stopping by HBM to help out around the compound and has recently become an employee with HBM. Before coming to HBM, he did not go to church. He started coming to church, but he is currently not saved and not sure he is ready to take that step yet. He had never travelled before he went to HBM, but because he is strong, he has been able to go with HBM to places like Te Wouj and Caye and he is grateful for the chance to travel. He loves doing security with HBM and if he could choose any job, security would be the one that he would choose.
Renous Severe
Renous moved into Jeremie at age ten and lived with a family friend who happened to know Mark Stockeland’s father, David. Renous loved living in town so he decided to stay in Jeremie, and David asked him to help with work around the mission house. The Stockelands later asked Renous if he would like to stay at the mission house and work as a full time employee. He was overjoyed and thankful because he did not even have a bed before this point in his life. Renous’ mother was a Christian when he was born, so he grew up going to church. However, he realized after hearing a sermon from David, that he must invite Jesus into his heart. Therefore at age 15, Renous accepted Christ. He is now a sweet young man with a servants heart, and his biggest passion is the help the mission wherever he is most needed. His favorite verse is Daniel 3:17 because Satan wants to try to break and destroy, but Renous knows that God will overcome evil. Renous’ father has been sick for eight years now, and it forces his mother to work really hard to provide for the family.
Roselaur
Biography and photo coming soon.
Roselynn
Biography and photo coming soon.
Grasner Severe
Grasner was born July 27, 1993. He has one sister and two brothers. He was born and raised in the countrysides of Abricots. They have been Christians ever since he can remember. They have a garden in Abricots, and his father would work in the garden and the kids would help. His mother sells cassava (a tortilla-like bread). Grasner’s dad has struggled with being sick and having pain in his side, which has made him unable to work for 5-6 years. Grasner came to believe in Christ in Abricots. He would follow his mother to church as a child and saw that the people there and the church itself was beautiful. He wanted to become a Christian and finally did so when he was seventeen. Whenever he came to town from the country to visit his uncle and brother (who worked for HBM already), he came to HBM. Mark remembered him and invited him back, and he began spending more time there and helping more. He is now an emerging leader, and is following his brother in learning how the mission operates from a power and electrical standpoint.
Pepe Rousseau
Pepe grew up at the Pointe, a very poor area located in downtown Jeremie. Pepe has twelve sisters and six brothers. Three sisters of his sisters and one of his brothers lived in their one room home. Pepe’s father was very abusive and left his family when Pepe was very young. When Pepe was nine years old, his mother decided to leave as well. She moved to Port Au Prince and left all the children on their own. When Pepe turned sixteen, his father returned to his house and started to beat him again. Starting at the age of seventeen, Pepe began drinking, smoking, and partying, while still remaining responsible for his younger siblings. Because of Pepe’s hard life, he never had the opportunity to attend school. In 2010 Pepe met Pastor Mark, who would visit his neighborhood and talked with Pepe. In 2013 Pepe accepted Jesus and soon after he was invited to come live at the compound and work for the mission.
Monette Severe
Monette Severe was born in a beautiful beach town named Abriko. She is the oldest of four children and the only girl. Her mother and father have always lived and raised their family together. Her father became sick with chronic pain when Monette was a small child and he has been unable to work or support his family since that time. Monette remembers her mother working so hard to support her family of six. During this time, is when Monette first began to dream of becoming a teacher. She would pretend to be in school and teach whoever would listen! Today, Monette is working hard to make that dream a reality, as she is now working as the Pre-school teacher for Haiti Bible Mission’s Elementary School in Te Wouj. When she was a little girl, she would go without shoes or nice clothes sometimes, which is almost unacceptable in this culture, but she didn’t care because she wanted to go to church. Her brother Renous has worked for HBM for many years and Monette has been around the mission serving in the kitchen and doing various part time jobs. She has been praying for a full time job for many years. When we offered her a teaching job, she literally could not stop smiling and hugging us over and over again. She wants to say “Thank you” to all of the supporters and staff of HBM for giving her this opportunity to make her dream come true and for helping her to help support her family in this way.
Seeds In A Dark Fruit Sky 
After seeing the pictures and reading about these precious people, it is obvious that Christ is in their lives and that they are happy for their good fortunes of the help and love they have received from HBM.
It is clear that God is smiling and is grateful for the wonderful ministering of HBM.
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