We are excited to highlight Project Living Hope as our missions focus for the month of September. Founders Sara and Guesly Dessieux are members at Foothills Church and Sara took the time to answer some questions about the history of Project Living Hope and what it’s like living in two countries.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up outside Eugene, Oregon, and Guesly, after immigrating from Haiti at age 8, grew up in the Miami, Florida area. Our childhood experiences were pretty different, but we shared in common fathers who were pastors, mothers who were devoted stay-at-home moms, and lots of siblings.
How did you and Guesly meet?
We met outside the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2004. Ironically, I was the one living in Haiti volunteering with a Haitian-led mission and he came for one week as part of a medical team. I was drawn to his friendly, servant-hearted ways and he was impressed that I spoke Haitian Creole and seemed totally at ease in his home country that he had been away from for 19 years. We both knew within days that we would likely marry each other one day and two and a half years later we did.
Following the completion of his residency program in Missouri, he was hired as a physician at Santiam Hospital and we moved to Stayton. We attended Foothills Church our very first Sunday in town and never even visited any other churches. Guesly grew to share my family’s love for the outdoors and board games all while never giving up his love for soccer and competition. Foothills Church has played a huge role in our lives and in the lives of our three kids and we’re grateful that we’ve been able to be part of so many different aspects of the ministry over the years.
What was the biggest roadblock that you faced when starting a ministry in Haiti? How were you able to move past it?
For both of us, our ministry in Haiti began through a different organization, and even when we started Project Living Hope five years ago, we worked alongside them. Soon afterward though, our relationship with them was abruptly severed and that was an extremely sad and somewhat stressful time for us. Over the next year though, we were able to see God completely redeem that situation and work it out for good. He led us to a new community in Haiti, provided us with numerous valuable partners, and eventually brought about reconciliation with people in the other organization.
What is something that Americans could learn from the Haitian people?
Haitian culture is one that places high value on relationships and moves at a bit slower pace. The weather is always hot and every day has the potential of adventure and obstacles. Our family enjoys the unpredictability of it and seeing growth in progress. From Haitians, Americans could learn how to develop deeper relationships and have fewer inhibitions. From Christian Haitians, they can learn how to pray, worship, and speak from the heart.
What is it like for your family to live in two countries?
So far, our children share our love for life in Haiti. The back-and-forth schedule of our lives does require some sacrifice, however, so we hope they grow to see that when God calls us to things it’s not always going to be enjoyable or easy. It can be scary and uncomfortable. But we hope they have no desire to trade a life in service to Christ for a life of more ease and complacency. We hope they are able to see the work of God in lives around them and that that compels them to always remain in step with what God is doing.
How has God shaped and changed your faith through working with Project living Hope?
In working with Project Living Hope we have been so impacted by watching God’s provision. He brought us to a town and to a church full of people that have joined us in this work. Over the years, we have taken more than 50 people from Foothills and even more from the Stayton area to Haiti to volunteer and to experience Haiti. We have an incredible board, staff, and host of champions that have made PLH’s success so far possible. Down in Haiti, we have both Haitians and Americans that God placed in our path to help with this work. We have learned that we can take steps into the unknown and God will provide. We do have to keep taking steps though. My life has been entangled with Haiti for twenty years now. At times, Haiti feels like a partner that’s continually breaking your heart. But I know hope always exists with Christ and we really cannot imagine doing anything different with our lives.