If the story of Cinderella took place in Haiti, Ernesto would be the fairy godmother.
At 10 PM on the night before Children of the Nations’ Christmas party, Sarah and Mirlande, two young sisters from Haiti, heard a knock at their door.
When they opened the door, they saw Ernesto. In his hand were two beautiful dresses. Ernesto had spent the day shopping for them. He knew that without the dresses, the girls would not want to go to the Christmas party the next day.
This is just one example of the kind of care Ernesto provides.
Sisters Mirlande and Sarah.
Ernesto serves as a missionary in Haiti, and he plays a vital role in the lives of the children there.
Most children in Haiti do not come from Christian families or don’t have a place to learn about the Bible. The churches often don’t have children’s programs or pastors who are trained in ministering to children.
Ernesto has special training in children’s ministry and teaching the Bible. He is able to provide the spiritual care that so many children would not have access to otherwise. He leads prayer and worship in the afterschool program and has helped local churches grow their children’s ministries.
Sarah, one of the sisters Ernesto bought dresses for, says that she had heard the gospel before, but it wasn’t until Ernesto’s teaching that she truly understood it.
Ernesto is from the Dominican Republic, although like many people there, he is of Haitian descent. He grew up going to the Children of the Nations' school in Los Robles. He then took part in Children of the Nations’ two-year Biblical Training program.
Ernesto is pioneering a missionary program in the Dominican Republic where graduates from the two-year Biblical Training program can go serve as missionaries in Haiti. The graduates gain experience and are able to use their training to give back and serve Jesus.
Ernesto was the first Dominican missionary to graduate from this program to come and serve in Haiti. He was chosen from five candidates because his character and dedication to his home church made him stand out. His home church fully supported his ministry, but they were sad to see him go.
Ernesto was determined to come serve the children in Haiti, even when it put his life in danger.
When Ernesto first arrived in Haiti, the nation was in a season of political violence. Although he was putting himself in danger by being there, he was determined to come and serve the children of Haiti.
Ernesto now heads the spiritual care department in Haiti. He leads prayer and worship at the afterschool program. He leads Bible study and discipleship groups once a week. He takes children from non-Christian families to church every Sunday. He is helping to start a weekly worship service for children and their families. And he does all this without earning a salary.
Really, Ernesto is much better than a fairy godmother. He is a kind, caring individual who gives children access to the Word of God and shows them God’s love.
But Ernesto needs your help. He needs funds to be able to stay in Haiti another year. To give a gift and keep Ernesto in Haiti, providing ministry and spiritual care to the children there, visit Missionary Funds for Ernesto