Summer Camp 2017: Week 4 (Casey)

When I first began to consider doing a missionary trip I wondered if this was something I should really bring my children with me on. I wasn't sure they could handle being in a third world country nor would they be able to understand that many people in this world don't live the way we do. I spent lots of time thinking about this and then came to the conclusion that there was no better place for them to experience missionary work than in Haiti where the children suffer so much.
I began to look into different missionary groups and ultimately I chose Tree Of Hope for several reasons. One reason was because it seemed smaller and more intimate than some others and another was because we would be working with someone who experienced this first hand as Gama has grown up in the situation these children are living in. I began communications with Cassandra and started to get very excited for our trip to Haiti. 








When we arrived in Haiti it was quite shocking even for me to see the culture and the way these people live. I looked around at everything as we drove to the house and eventually I saw past the poverty and realized I was in one of the most beautiful islands I had ever seen. The mountains and ocean were equally as beautiful but nothing compared to its children.

Our first day there we went for a walk to go find a child who had been injured and needed his bandage changed. On that walk we instantly made about 20 little friends. These children walked with us and held our hands. They had never met us but they knew we were there to help in any way we could. That night I was so excited to spend more time with them and couldn't wait for the rest of the week.




Fast forward to Monday when our first group of campers arrived and these little tiny smiling faces arrived at camp ready and eager to learn. They were all so smart. We did shape books and sang songs and got to know each one of their tiny personalities.  It was love at first sight!







Day two, we had the next group of slightly older children who know a lot more English and are really focused on learning. They were full of energy and eager to soak up everything we taught them. There were bonds formed immediately, not only with the little ones but also our older helpers who were so kind as to give their time and come help translate for us and help us teach the kids things. We did word matches and paint by numbers and the kids got a lot out of it. I loved recess when we got to know these kids more and spend free time with them.

We got so close to these kids and spent the majority of our time with them even after camp. We would do home visits and the kids would follow along by our sides in hopes that when we were done we would spend time playing soccer or other games with them which most nights we did. We even tried to teach the kids about animal compassion as we fed a few "adopted" dogs and gave one of them medicine to help with an eye infection. The people in Haiti don't keep animals as pets the way we do so initially they thought we were crazy for doing this bit eventually we saw them wanting to help us find the dogs to care for them.

Bring on Friday when we finally got to spend time with some of the older kids who came to camp. These kids were amazing! We spent most of the time conjugating verbs which we all know is not something easy to understand especially when you are used to a language with no conjugation. These kids were like sponges, they soaked it all up and I heard them amongst each other making little sentences using the words we were going over, "You are funny," "I am very smart." They were so excited to use what they learned. Some of these kids are so advanced in their English that they asked me questions like 'what does tidings and scoundrel mean'? Wow, they blew me away.


Friday after camp we went to the beach which is about a one hour walk from where the kids live. When we arrived at the beach they were there waiting for us. They didn't care how long the walk was they just wanted to spend more time with us.







 It was so much fun! We laughed and swam and tried to teach some of them to swim and we enjoyed ice cream together. I was so thankful they made that walk to spend time with us.


After the beach we headed home to get ready for movie night. The kids filed in and sat on the lawn so excited to watch a movie. I think there was about 75 of them total in their best clothes and wearing the best smiles I have ever seen! We all day together and laughed together watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was an awesome night. At the end of the movie we had to begin our goodbyes which was the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. We had become like a huge family and now we were having to leave them. My heart broke.


Our final goodbyes on Saturday were excruciating for me. I wish I could stay forever. These kids need us and I needed them! As we drove away with tears rolling down my face I thought of how lucky they are to have Gama and Cassandra and Angela. They are these children's angels on Earth. They are doing amazing things for them and I believe it will create a much brighter future for these kids.

Words can't express how thankful I am that we took this trip and that my children got to experience it with me. Until next time my loves!

~ Casey Proper, TOHH Summer Camp 2017 Missionary

TOHH Announcements

Would you like to come on a mission trip to Haiti?

We would love to have you for one week (or more) at TOHH in Grand-Goâve!

Holiday Sponsorship Trip 2017:

December 27, 2017 - January 3, 2018

We currently have spots available on the Holiday Sponsorship 2017 Team! This team will be doing a variety of activities with the sponsored children! These include home visits to the children's homes, crafts, baking, a holiday party, a hike, a trip to the beach, and a possible home improvement project (additional cost, to be discussed at pre-trip meetings). 

This team will have pre-trip meetings before traveling to Haiti. The cost of each trip is as follows:

$125 - Deposit (includes the cost of a TOHH shirt that we request you wear on travel day)

$450 - TOHH Guesthouse Fee (includes three meals/day, housing, transport to and from the airport in Haiti, and operations costs)

Flights - Purchased by each volunteer at a pre-trip meeting

If you'd like to join the trip, please fill out an application form here: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/application

For more information about preparing for a trip to Haiti, follow this link: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/preparing-for-a-trip/

Would you like to lead your own team to Haiti? 

Are you a church or school group? TOHH accepts missionary teams of 10 - 24 people. Once you have a team forming, contact us to request dates and begin preparing your team for Haiti. To submit your request for a one- to two-week trip, please email us at info@treeofhopehaiti.org.

Summer Camp 2017: Week 3 (Janey)

Haiti has a special place in my heart. I have been so fortunate to come to this country again and spend two weeks here at Tree of Hope...although two weeks in not enough! Spending time here has opened my eyes and my heart in ways that are hard to put into words.

This summer camp that Cassandra and Tree of Hope have created is such a blessing. There are so many children that come in and have bunches of fun while benefitting from the extra opportunity to learn during the summer time. It is such a wonderful place for the community to come together to learn and grow. Being able to see so many beautiful, smiling faces instantly warms my heart. What I really enjoyed this second week was becoming even more comfortable with the kids. I felt more comfortable knowing more names and working more to help as many with their learning as possible. 

We were able to visit homes and to go see the kids playing in different places, and I really began to see how this is where their whole lives are. The people in this community are full of love, smiles and kindness. The have so little in comparison to what we have at home in the states, and yet their love is so rich. The kids all love to gather in the area where the pavilion is being built to play soccer, tag, joke around or to watch us feed the neighborhood dog Scooby. There is so much joy radiating from their little faces from being able to be around their friends. So many hugs, handshakes and giggles - and I still didn’t get enough! 

What I really loved while being in Grand Goave was the opportunity to get out and see the people and their community. This is where they live all the time - its where the kids play, parents work, where families eat sleep and breathe. When initially seeing the circumstances that are all around my first emotion was shock. There are too many people that are in need of better living situations and its overwhelming to try to wrap my head around how to reach out and help every single person. But what I’ve taken away from my time is that you just have to start with the people. No matter how big or how small the action is, putting your effort and whole heart into these people is where the change starts. 

If you’re feeling a calling towards Haiti, go for it! I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have had to spend more time here, and I cannot wait to get back!!

TOHH Announcements

Would you like to come on a mission trip to Haiti?

We would love to have you volunteer for one week (or more) at TOHH in Grand Goâve!

Holiday Sponsorship Trip 2017:

December 27, 2017 - January 3, 2018

We currently have spots available on the Holiday Sponsorship 2017 Team! This team will be doing a variety of activities with the sponsored children! These include home visits to the children's homes, crafts, baking, a holiday party, a hike, a trip to the beach, and a possible home improvement project (additional cost, to be discussed at pre-trip meetings). 

This team will have pre-trip meetings before traveling to Haiti. The cost of each trip is as follows:

$125 - Deposit (includes the cost of a TOHH shirt that we request you wear on travel day)

$450 - TOHH Guesthouse Fee (includes three meals/day, housing, transport to and from the airport in Haiti, and operations costs)

Flights - Purchased by each volunteer at a pre-trip meeting

If you'd like to join the trip, please fill out an application form here: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/application

For more information about preparing for a trip to Haiti, follow this link: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/preparing-for-a-trip/

Would you like to lead your own team to Haiti? 

Are you a church or school group? TOHH accepts missionary teams of 10 - 24 people. Once you have a team forming, contact us to request dates and begin preparing your team for Haiti. To submit your request for a one- to two-week trip, please email us at info@treeofhopehaiti.org.

Summer Camp 2017: Week 2 (Janey)

It's been a successful second week of summer camp at Tree of Hope Haiti! Check out what Janey had to say about her past week in Haiti:

This was my first of two weeks here at Tree of Hope Haiti, and it was week two of the summer camp. I had been counting down the months, weeks, and days until I could come back to this beautiful country again. Working with kids is one of my favorite things to do, and being able to come work with these sweet children of the Grand Goave community is something extra special. Having the language barrier between us intimidated me a little - especially when being in a room of 70 creole speaking children. But what amazes me time and time again is how the interactions and relationships with them are about so much more than just talking to each other. We laugh, smile, play, use hand and facial expressions to teach each other English, Creole, and teach about who we are. 

This week we worked on saying simple greetings and questions, colors, math problems, writing, reading stories, and verbs. I can see in all the kids their interest in learning. Some of them begin to show up at 7:30 am - half an hour early for camp - and then by the end their feet become weights and they cannot leave! They are genuinely having a great time coming here and they never want to leave! We work on saying “Good morning, how are you, what is your name, and how old are you?” each morning and so many of them are understanding it and have become so confident in answering. Whether inside during camp or in the afternoon when I see them playing playing, they love to be talked to and love to answer. 

The final class of the week is the older kids. For me it was interesting being on the teaching side of english. We worked on verbs such as to speak, to run, to swim, and then conjugated and put them into sentences. With these kids it was cool to see how each of them were figuring out little ways of understanding what to do. Writing things out, looking at the board, writing translations, trying to say it out loud first. It was really cool to see how they went about understanding the English. 

Another part of the week that I really enjoyed was in the afternoons being able to work one on one with a few kids each day to write letters to their sponsors. They liked to have the little time of focus on them, and I liked to see each of their personalities show. For the little ones having the help to write their own letter made them happy, and for the older ones being able to write independently gave them more confidence. All of them have a special place in their hearts for their sponsors, and it is visible. 

On Saturday we went for a nice hike out to a waterfall in the mountains. Haiti’s mountains are beautiful. The whole hike was really nice - walking the riverbed and seeing everyone carrying their goods for market day on their heads and with their donkeys. The waterfall was awesome! On our way back we found that 6 of the boys had followed us! Through the heat with no water and they walked about 6 miles just to see us with the small reward of a few crackers and a few sips of water. After that we went down to the beach, and they walked down to us again! The endurance and persistence of there kids amazes me. Their faces are so refreshing and joyful. 

Overall, it was an awesome week. The summer camp ran super smooth, and we had so much fun playing soccer and hanging out with the kids throughout the days. Onto week 3!  

TOHH Announcements

Would you like to come on a mission trip to Haiti?

We would love to have you volunteer for one week (or more) at TOHH in Grand Goâve!

Holiday Sponsorship Trip 2017:

December 27, 2017 - January 3, 2018

We currently have spots available on the Holiday Sponsorship 2017 Team! This team will be doing a variety of activities with the sponsored children! These include home visits to the children's homes, crafts, baking, a holiday party, a hike, a trip to the beach, and a possible home improvement project (additional cost, to be discussed at pre-trip meetings). The deadline to apply for this trip is July 1, 2017.

This team will have pre-trip meetings before traveling to Haiti. The cost of each trip is as follows:

$125 - Deposit (includes the cost of a TOHH shirt that we request you wear on travel day)

$450 - TOHH Guesthouse Fee (includes three meals/day, housing, transport to and from the airport in Haiti, and operations costs)

Flights - Purchased by each volunteer at a pre-trip meeting

If you'd like to join the trip, please fill out an application form here: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/application

For more information about preparing for a trip to Haiti, follow this link: http://treeofhopehaiti.org/volunteers/preparing-for-a-trip/

Would you like to lead your own team to Haiti? 

Are you a church or school group? TOHH accepts missionary teams of 10 - 24 people. One you have a team forming, contact us to request dates and begin preparing your team for Haiti. To submit your request for a one- to two-week trip, please email us at info@treeofhopehaiti.org.

Summer Camp 2017: Week 1 (Sarah and Nancy)

I have never met a group of children, and young adults who are more eager tolerant, love, and laugh. One of my favorite experiences in Haiti always in going on walks around the neighbourhoods. 

Trips to Haiti are filled with love. I have some pictures from a trip a few years ago. In these photos I'm standing just outside of the Mission of Hope International. I'm holding the hands of two little boys who I had met in church that morning. On this trip I showed Cassandra the picture and she said that she knew where one of them lived. One of the next days we walked over to their house to visit with the family. I'll never forget how he hugged me and how we walked arm in arm back to Tree of Hope. 




Getting to spend individual time with some of the children on this trip was very special. I honestly believe that neither the missionaries or the children will never forget each other. It's a special bond you form as you learn and laugh every single day. Even if you just hold a hand on a walk or read a book together they are so appreciative. 

I learned so many lessons on this trip. Our days began with beautifully cooked meals. Featuring fresh fruits and authentic delicious Haitian dishes. When the children arrived we began English practice with them. The children and translators taught us just as much Creole as we taught them English. We played games and had snacks. In the afternoons we visited houses, helped write letters, and of course played! 

I'll never forget learning about how many kids are waiting for sponsorship. There are so many children being sponsored but there is such a high need for committed people to step into this role. These are kids who deserve to go to school just like all children should. If you are able to be a sponsor it is such a magical experience. The children love their sponsors so much. Their faces light up when you mention sending them a picture or when they get to read a hand written letter from their sponsor. To be able to provide a reliable education for a child will change their life forever. It makes them believe they can change their lives and it gives them the power to do that very thing. Through sponsorship you could help a child change the world. I know that I will be back to Haiti as soon as I can be. I know that if you take a chance and go to Haiti you will go on more than one trip. It is an experience like no other that will change your definition of love.

- Sarah Berthier




Where can you gain 100 plus new family members that trust you and show genuine unconditional love and admiration? Gama and Angela's neighborhood in Grand-Goâve, Haiti is where. Under the awesome leadership of Cassandra Clemente, summer camp has expanded this summer serving over 100 eager children and young adults who are honing their English skills while singing, practicing calendar skills and greetings, crafts, and fun games. The group is now split into three, offering younger (3 and 4 year olds) and older (13 + year olds) classes to work on skills geared towards specific skills taught to preschool and high classes, respectively.

I so enjoyed interacting with the children,

young and old, within hours of our arrival at Tree of Hope Haiti's mission guesthouse. It seems like there are endless amounts of children nearby ready to give and receive the gifts of learning and love (and tons and tons of hugs). 

Although I loved the teaching, singing, and playing of summer camp, I also much appreciated the multiple opportunities for interaction with individual children and their families, both on planned, structured visits and strolls around the neighborhood, never having empty hands for long.Sometimes two or three children are trying or creatively holding each hand. There really isn't a language barrier, in this Creole community where everyone seems ready to help others with interpretation...but the greatest communication is the huge smiles between us "blan" and every child I met.


A week really wasn't long enough for me! I am oping to share my love for Haiti, and the Tree of Hope community, and hope to bring a friend or two more to experience the beauty that surround this mission.

- Nancy Wilcock