Coastal Haiti Mission
October 2025
-BLESSED ENCOUNTER-
We were in New York City. My late husband and I had come there to attend a convention of the the Full Gospel Business Mens’ Fellowship International.
As usual, it was time well spent. The convention room in the hotel was electric. Jesus Christ was lifted up and adored through the worship, praise, and testimonies of men and woman of various ages and diverse nationalities. Together, in one accord, we shook the rafters with the potent and weighty songs of the Church. A bright light in a sometimes dark place.
It was about 9 p.m., when back in our hotel room, Clint and I decided to go out on the street and find someone to share the Gospel with. (We just wanted everyone in the world to know Jesus!)
Back on the street after leaving our hotel we just began walking, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead us to the right one. As we approached a subway station we found him. He was an older gentleman, alone and sitting on the stairs that led down to the trains. We went over and joined him on the stairs. At that moment, at that subway station, on that staircase, that man became the most important man in the city to us. We felt such a tenderness toward him as we told him about God’s love for him and about what Jesus did for him and for us. (I think he may have been Jewish.) He was a lovely man, and put up with us from the beginning. And he seemed to be listening to what we had to say. He had an apartment in the city, but because he was claustrophobic he couldn’t spend much time in it, forcing him to the street. As I recall, His children (don’t know how many) were not a part of his life at that time.
We ended our visit by going for coffee together. He insisted on paying for his own. Before Clint and I departed from him we invited him to come as our guest to the convention banquet the next evening. We made arrangements to meet him outside the hotel. He didn’t come. We never saw him again. But the whole thing was a blessed encounter.
I hope some day when both Clint and I are in heaven (not because of anything we did or didn’t do, but because of WHAT JESUS DID!) a man approaches us and asks if we remember a night long ago in New York City when we joined him on the subway stairs…
Hopefully we planted a seed that night. You know the routine – “one plants and another reaps.” (John 4:36 KJV)
As a young child I grew up in the Presbyterian Church. Later on in years my family began attending a community church closer to home. It was a good church with good people. It was not, however, what you would call “conservative.” To me, at that time, the world was central, and the church peripheral.
As it does, the passing of time brought marriage to my sailor husband and I, eventually a home of our own, and the blessing or our own sweet Baby James. I’d like to say all was well, but it was not. To borrow from what Candy, of the singing couple Tom and Candy once said, I didn’t know how to be a wife, and he didn’t know how to be a husband. Surely something was missing in our lives, too.
It kind of came home one Easter Eve. I worked evenings at an ice cream parlor and often worked late. That night, after cleaning up. we fellow employees sat around and had a drink together before closing shop for the night. Later, on my way home a I felt a thud under my car. I pulled over to find that I had hit a rabbit (on Easter Eve!). It managed to make its way onto a neighbor’s lawn and then lay down. I found it there and picked it up. It was dead. I was aware of something warm running down my hand. It was blood. I was heart broken.
At home I went into my son’s room as he slept. So pure, so clean, so innocent Who was I? Were are we going? What’s it all about?
In desperation one night I got down on my knees. I told the Lord that if He was real, we needed Him in our hearts and home.
That’s all it took. The next day I received a call from my Pentecostal neighbor inviting me down for coffee. With great intent she talked with me for hours about Jesus Christ. When her husband came home he took over.
I invited Jesus the Christ to come into my heart that day. My husband invited Him in one week later. Our conversion was immediate. Our relationship was changed.
Our home was changed. Now the Church is central in my thinking and the world is peripheral! All because a couple took the time to lead us to our Lord.
Walking this Way with you,
Connie
Food for the Needy Program
Pastor Coty Writes:
“Thank God who blesses and sustains this program, so it never stops. We can’t ask for more, but we strive to do more each month. Even though the idea is to help some of the most vulnerable people get something to eat, in truth, we always go beyond that.
You’d be surprised to hear that we’ve brought food to hospitals, to improve the living conditions of some elderly individuals.
There are some gestures we’ve made with people that are deeply meaningful, but unfortunately, no photo could ever capture their fervent gratitude—especially the way they express their thankfulness to us.
Occasionally on Sundays, we offer coffee and bread in the morning when people come to church. It’s one of the branches of the program that means a lot to them. We don’t do this regularly because sometimes we encounter cases that require even greater intervention, after the food we have provided.”
The School Fall Term Begins
Pastor Coty Writes:
There’s no better way to start a school year than with prayer. Just like in previous years, we dedicated the first day of class to spend a moment in prayer with the students, their parents, and the teachers. Under the leadership of the church, many gathered to entrust this school year into the hands of the Lord. It was Deaconess Philomene who prayed for all the students.
With bright smiles on their faces, the children returned to school, which, according to their own words, they had missed dearly. You could see it in the expressions of both parents and students as they arrived. As usual, we were happy to welcome them.
God allowed us to prepare everything as we always do. The courtyard was swept and ready, there was water in the faucet for them to drink—but that was never enough, because as usual, they peeked toward the kitchen.
It was with joy that they noticed Rosiana and Mrs. Yvene were present, but what mattered most was the smoke rising from the kitchen, a sign that lunch was being prepared for them. Through God’s goodness and mercy, this school continues to provide both the bread of instruction and daily bread, while He blesses our supporters in every way.
Pastor Coty Joseph
Saturday Sunday School
Pastor Coty Writes:
The Coastal Haiti Mission ministry in Haiti, more specifically in Cahess, is doing very well. We say ‘very well’ when we realize the level of satisfaction among the people in the area and all they benefit from the mission’s activities.
The children never miss their Saturday meetings with Miss Nana, which we call ‘Saturday Sunday School.’ Some of them walk more than 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) to attend every Saturday, which shows how much they love it. I feel the encouragement they receive is worth gold to them.
Teaching here doesn’t work without food—if you try to speak without it, the students won’t retain anything. But we’re confident that Miss Nana’s messages are getting through, because they’re always accompanied by a little something to eat.
All of this is thanks to the support of many people in the USA. To our friends and supporters, beyond saying thank you, we say: May God bless you all.
The Solidarity Garden is Starting to Bear Fruit
Pastor Coty Writes:
Instead of focusing only on vegetables, Sister Kathy decided to help members of the Solidarity Garden obtain fruit trees—either varieties already found in the area but considered important, or others not yet present in the Cahess region. So, they purchased different types of young trees to distribute to the members.
Today, many of those fruit trees have already begun to bear fruit. Notably, we have a pomegranate tree that is already producing. It’s a challenging plant to grow, and no one in the area has had one before.
Personally, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen what a pomegranate looks like. We were only able to buy one tree because even the people who grow and sell this tree, didn’t have many available. According to the seller, it is a very difficult fruit tree to cultivate.
I thought it would take three more years before I’d see it bear fruit, but in less than two years since planting, it has already started producing.
Some people have even harvested passion fruit and begun selling them—these came from the passion fruit vines distributed through the Solidarity Garden initiative.
Now, we’re looking forward to seeing other trees like lemon and orange begin to bear fruit.
Daly, one of the garden coordinators here, took some photos of the fruit trees. We’ll share a few to show the public how things are progressing. Some trees aren’t clearly visible because weeds have grown around them, and the owners haven’t yet decided to clear them out.
Pastor Coty Joseph.
The Classroom Construction Project
Pastor Coty Writes:
The School Has Resumed with the Same Determination, Goals, and Mission.
On our side, with the Lord as our guide, we believe we will reach our destination and achieve great results. The children already have food on their plates, and the teachers are present every day.
However, regarding our latest request, we are still waiting. Specifically, I’m talking about the four new classrooms we want to build for the students.
We are the ones on the ground, and we can testify to the poor condition of the hangar we currently use—it’s not comfortable for the classes held underneath it.
For example, it’s difficult to concentrate on the lessons being taught because of the noise and distractions happening in adjacent classrooms.
A good friend, a servant of God who was moved by our situation, generously offered us $5,000, which has already been sent. That’s why I rushed to begin the work, hoping we’ll receive more support soon.
Today, here’s how far we’ve come.
Thank you.
Pastor Coty Joseph
The project goal to build the 4 classrooms is $20,000
To date the classroom construction fund through CHM is $800
The initial gift $5000
The total giving to date for the classroom construction $5800
Conditions After Hurricane Melissa in Cahess
Pastor Coty Writes:
The name Melissa, in recent days, has become very popular in Haiti. Everyone is talking about Melissa. It’s not the first cyclone to devastate the country, but it seems to be one of the most talked-about, given how much people are discussing it. It’s frightening and harmful.
It’s true that Haiti wasn’t at the cyclone’s center, but that didn’t stop us from recieving significant damage — both in the red alert zones and the orange alert zones. Even areas under green alert suffered losses because the government didn’t see everything in time.
For more than 10 days, we haven’t seen the sun. Wind and rain have been nearly constant. Today, almost everyone has a fever, cold, and headaches. Many say it’s because they got soaked in the rain too often.
These cyclones always worsen our already dire situation, increasing the suffering of the poor. No one could really go out, yet the poor live day by day. Every day they must go out to seek a living, but this cyclone forced everyone to stay home out of fear.
In conclusion, while we saw major flooding in other areas, it wasn’t like that in our zone this time. Still, we suffered all the damage. Our homes — especially those of the most vulnerable — were already in poor condition, and some were nearly destroyed by the wind. Since our area is close to the sea, we experienced more wind than anything else.
What the cyclone left us with is a sharp increase in misery and hunger, along with fever, colds, and headaches — many people are complaining. There wasn’t too much material damage in our zone, but it did hit nearby areas hard.
Pastor Coty Joseph
Whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the Lord
and he will repay him for his deed.
Proverbs 19:17
A prayer for you from the scripture:
Numbers 6: 24 to 26 NLT
24. ‘May the Lord bless you
and keep you
25. May the Lord smile on you
And be gracious unto you
26. May the Lord show you his favor
And give you peace’
Thank you, Family and Friends of Coastal Haiti Mission, for all that you do to help the people in Cahess, Haiti. You are making a huge difference for these people.
Please remember, that CHM must continue to send our monthly commitment of $2000 to carry on the ongoing CHM ministry in Cahess. This is in addition to the cost of the School Lunch Program.
If you desire to help, please send your tax-deductible check to our address and tell us how you want us to use your donation:
Coastal Haiti Mission
C/O Constance Goddard
3048 Spring Fancy Lane
Indian Trail, NC 28079
Or For tax deductible “online donations”, please use our PayPal service. Also please designate how you want us to use your donation.
May the Lord our God, who knows your heart and sees your actions, grant you great joy as you serve Him. Connie, Esther, Pastor Coty, Carl, Dan, and Ken are very grateful for your sacrifice. Ken Johansson CHM Newsletter Editor