Camp Hope 2026
In almost every Fall newsletter, we recap the fun moments and highlight the successes of Camp Hope… and this year is no different! During Camp Hope 2026, a total of 190 campers attended the two-day event in Port-au-Prince and studied the theme Christ in Me. Students participated in worship, Bible study, discussion groups, games and activities, hot meals, and times of fellowship and prayer. They laughed and played and competed and had the time of their lives. We rejoice that three young people committed their lives to the Lord and were baptized at camp!
This year, however, we also want to tell a story behind the story… one that inspires and encourages us to keep giving, serving, praying, and watching for hope.
Humble Beginnings
When Camp Hope began over twenty-five years ago, a small team of Americans hosted a gathering of a few dozen students in the first ever Christian Youth Leadership Camp. Many of the same activities occurred then as they do today: Bible teaching, worship, discussion groups, and games. Throughout the years, the camp population grew… as did the teams of Americans who traveled to Haiti to help execute it. By 2018, the camp had grown to accommodate 220 campers at the Global Outreach retreat center in Titanyen, Haiti, along with 20+ team members from the United States and Haiti who served as Bible class teachers, discussion group leaders, camp counselors, Bible Bowl directors, etc.
Although this was our largest and most successful church camp event, we dreamed about hosting the gathering in our own facilities… with a new name to reflect our organization… and with our own Haitian leadership at the helm.
As we looked ahead to Camp Hope 2019 and beyond, we committed this idea to prayer and felt called to establish a transition plan that would put camp planning, organization, and execution directly into the hands of our HFHC staff in Haiti. We quickly established a Camp Hope Leadership Team and developed a 5-year strategy that would involve all camp tasks being fully delegated to the Haiti team by 2024.
Faith Through the Unexpected
Then COVID happened. Understandably, we thought all hope was lost in the early months of 2020. We never imagined Camp Hope would survive, much less thrive. But our Camp Hope Leadership Team would not be deterred. They recommitted their efforts to ask for God’s direction, wisdom, and guidance as they navigated the setback of not having the assistance of a team from the U.S. at camp. They brainstormed creative solutions for hosting Camp Hope 2020 while adhering to social distancing guidelines, mask recommendations, and sanitation protocols. Then they watched as the Lord changed students’ hearts in a big way: 72 of 177 campers gave their lives to the Lord in baptism at camp that year.
And the rest, they say, is history.
Haitian Leadership, Lasting Impact
Since Camp Hope 2020, the Camp Hope Leadership Team has steadily continued to take ownership of almost all camp tasks. Even with the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 and the ensuing gang-led danger and insecurity that continues at present, our team remains unwaveringly committed to host an annual church camp where children can find peace, fellowship, and hope. Current Camp Hope Director Edith Plaisimond leads her team with strength and tenacity, instilling a sense of unity, purpose, and pride that reaches every student at camp.
When asked recently, “How do you see God working during the camp?” one leader commented, “During camp, what we can see as God’s work is, first of all, the synergy that comes through the leaders, through the way they come together. A lot of love is being expressed; it is an atmosphere of love. It is truly good for us to see this among the leaders, and it will have a positive impact on the children. We can truly see how they notice that the leaders are living together, how they work together, and the children feel that.” Another said, “It is a great privilege for us to continue helping move the work forward… Camp helps children strengthen their faith because at camp they are taught about God, they are taught about God’s goodness, and they are taught who Jesus Christ is. And when you know Jesus Christ, you see love.”
Generations of Hope
Throughout the long history of HFHC’s Christian Youth Leadership Camp and now Camp Hope, over 2,900 students have attended camp and 309 have committed their lives to the Lord in baptism. These students represent generations of young Haitians who have met Jesus Christ and seen love. They are radiating hope and carrying it out into their homes, churches, and communities.
All because a small but mighty team of Haitian church camp leaders decided they would be the ones to help young people in Haiti find and follow Jesus.