After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, countless Haitians were forced to leave their homeland in search of work and stability to support their families. Over the years, this migration has continued to grow, driven even further by the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021, which plunged the country into deep political unrest.

Brazil’s open borders and the availability of factory jobs in the state of Santa Catarina offered the opportunities many Haitians were desperately seeking. However, arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, refugees encountered significant challenges. The language barrier—Haitian Creole versus Brazil’s national language, Portuguese—made it difficult to secure employment, find housing, and complete the legal paperwork required to work.

Amid these challenges, another need became clear: the Haitian community had no place to worship in their own language. Surrounded by Portuguese-speaking churches, they lacked a space to gather, hear the Bible preached in Creole, and preserve their spiritual heritage.

Pastor Dumassais Constant recognized this gap and responded by founding Restoration House—a church dedicated to restoring people to God and to their families separated by the refugee crisis.

In 2015, we partnered with Pastor Dumassais to plant our first church in Brazil, and in 2021, we were honored to open a second campus.

Our churches serve as a vibrant hub for the Haitian community, providing a place of worship in their native language and preserving their culture as they raise their children in a new country. Beyond spiritual care, our leaders—fluent in both Portuguese and Haitian Creole—offer translation services, guide families through the paperwork and interview process necessary for legal employment, and help them secure jobs and housing.

The Haitian community is incredibly brave and resilient, and we are privileged to stand alongside them, supporting their vision and building a future of hope together in Brazil.