5 minute read
“Fighting the Life” at Mont Sinai Ministries
BY BECKY BARNETT PHOTO CREDITS: LYLE FRIED
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This past week I was given the chance to sit down and have a conversation with Reverend Lyle Fried about his work in Haiti with Mont Sinai Ministries.
There is a common Haitian phrase that translates roughly to “fighting the life.” Because for many living in the depths of poverty, every day truly is a fight.
Envision a life where there is no connection to the outside world. There are no trips out of the village to look forward to. Life is not spent seeking comfort and entertainment, but struggling to survive each day. The people living in places like Haiti know that somewhere in the world are others, who live with running water, who live in houses with roofs and air conditioning and toilets. But the rich people in those houses don’t see them—at least not most of the time.
But sometimes, worlds collide. As I talked with Reverend Fried, he told me about a series of mysteriously orchestrated circumstances—including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, diverted plans, language barriers, misunderstood distances, and a good bit of travel delay—that lead to something quite unexpected. He and his wife, Darlyn, found themselves up a remote mountainside and became the first outside visitors at an isolated Haitian orphanage. rived in the Bayonnais area, the buildings included a UNICEF tent for treating cholera outbreaks and a school/church made of sticks and tarps. There was no running water. No electric. No phone service. No latrines. No showers. Haiti is the poorest nation in our hemisphere, and Bayonnais is one of the poorest regions in Haiti. Those living here survive on a wage averaging less than 25 cents a day. To add some perspective, that is one dollar and 75 cents a week…. seven dollars a month…. eighty-four dollars a YEAR. How many of us in the United States can spend more than that amount in a single grocery trip? On that momentous day in 2010, as Lyle and Darlyn found themselves visiting an orphanage they had no plans to be at, a connection was formed and hope was kindled. Darlyn made a promise to return to Bayonnais. And return she did, Darlyn Fried went back to Haiti six times that next year. Returning to the same remote mountainside and working along with her husband and many others, to improve the lives and living conditions of the children and adults of Bayonnais. “We invested in them, and they have become like family to us” Lyle Fried avidly remarks.
By 2013 the ministries of Mont Sinai were in full swing. A school had been built to replace the sticks and tarps. Teachers were hired, the importance of water sanitation was taught, latrines were built, and waterborne illness began to decrease. A sponsorship program was initiated
to provide for the orphans and to cover education and nutrition needs for school age children in the community.
Since 2013 the schools have graduated multiple students and sent them on to university. Three nurses have returned to work in the area they grew up, and another is in med school. Unfortunately, there is currently no hospital or medical care available in Bayonnais. Undeterred, those at Mont Sinai Ministries have a new hope— to build a medical center for this community of 70,000 people spread throughout the mountainside.
There is much work left to be done with Mont Sinai Ministries. Caring for true orphans and widows while providing a Christian education, safe housing, and loving environment is an ongoing undertaking. The ministry also works to support and feed local individuals with mental health and developmental disabilities, who have been rejected by their villages. Mont Sinai is invested in teaching and implementing sustainable agriculture practices, which will eventually allow the community to sustain itself apart from donations. Major plans for the future include building the medical clinic, installing a solar-powered reverse osmosis water filtration system, and building a safer school building that is not in danger of collapsing with heavy rains.
However, with the August 2021 earthquake in Haiti, plans have been slowed. Much of the funds raised for the medical clinic and other future projects were re-routed into emergency relief work. When an orphanage near the epicenter was flattened, the people of Mont Sinai knew what they had to do. “We gave the money we had to where it was immediately needed, and we know that God can provide the money again.” It is this strong faith and belief in the goodness and providence of God that has sustained the mission for the past twenty plus years. Healing and restoration come through Jesus Christ; the people of Mont Sinai know this well.
A final and very unique aspect of Mont Sinai is its association with Recovery Church. Reverend Fried not only works in Haiti, but also in the states, and has a passion for those suffering from addiction and seeking recovery. He enjoys taking individuals in early recovery to see Mont Sinai, the people, and the work being done there.
Prerequisites for this trip include only the ability to show love and kindness. By taking others with him to meet the people of Bayonnais, Reverend Fried hopes to create meaningful connections across different cultures and situations. “We may go to Haiti thinking we will change the people there, but often, it is the people there who change us.”
When asked what his favorite part of Haiti was, Reverend Fried replied without hesitation: “The people. They are so loving, welcoming, grateful, gracious. The kids. They might have only a few rocks to play with, but they have more joy, smile more, laugh more, they are so much happier than kids here.”
If you are interested in the work of Mont Sinai Ministries or would like to contribute to the life-changing work happening in Haiti, please visit their website at https:// mont-sinai.com/
