Eastview has partnered with Haitian Christian Ministries to support a ministry in Pillatre, Haiti led by Pastor Emmanuael (Manno) Laguerre and his wife, Prisca.

Taken from Haitian Christian Ministries website:

"The Pillatre Christian Center began with a prayer and Bible study group under a large mango tree.  While the primary focus of offering Christ to the unsaved remains unchanged, today it is a comprehensive Christian center offering education and good health for children.  Read on to learn more about the history of this church and center."

The Pillatre Christian Center ministries include a church, an elementary school, a medical clinic, and a vocational training program. 

A brand new church building is currently being constructed with plans to be complete by January 2010.  The need arose when the Pillatre Christian Center Church congregation grew to more than 500 people and the current building became too small to accommodate everyone.

The Pillatre Christian Center School educates approximately 700 preschool through sixth graders, teaching the basic core subjects as well as Christian principles and Bible subjects.  The school also provides a hot meal to all of the students for lunch - this is often the only real meal they will get all day.

The medical clinic facility at the Pillatre Christian Center began in October 2001 with a full-time Haitian M.D., nursing staff, lab and pharmacy.

Attached to the clinic is a 36' by 36' waiting area building which protects patients from the weather and provides and area in which to evangelize to them.

The vocation program is integrated into the high school courses and offers training in plumbing, electrical, masonry block laying, computers, and computer repair.  The programs use the facilities after grade school is done in the afternoon and evening.  There are over 200 people enrolled in these programs.

Eastview teams that go to Haiti will be working at the Pillatre Christian Center doing construction on the new church building, working in the medical clinic, running sports camps for the young Pillatre Christian Center School students, or a number of other projects under the direction of Pastor Manno. 

Haiti Statistics:

Population: 9,035,536

Area: 27,750 sq km (slightly smaller than Maryland)

Life expectancy: 60.78 years

Population below poverty line: 80% (2003 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 80%    Protestant 16%   None 1%   Other 3% (roughly half of the population practices voodoo)

Languages: French (official) Creole (official)

Government type: Republic

Industries: Sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts