First Bakery Program

[dropcap style=”1″]Ten young men made up the first group of guys for Heartline’s Discipleship Program. All of them were in their 20’s and, except for one, were also single. The backgrounds of these men varied from being raised in a Christian home to being converted out of a situation where both parents worked as Voodoo practitioners! All of them were professing Christians and desirous of growing in their walk with the Lord.[/dropcap]

The first months of the program are mainly spent in an intensive Bible study while the bakery work gives the guys practical hands-on experience in practicing Christian work ethics and integrity within the workplace.

A regular day begins at the Heartline property at 6am with a brief time of devotions. Each morning a different man in the program shares a devotion. The men then sing a song and pray together. Each day both breakfast and lunch are served and the work time in the bakery ends at noon. In the early afternoon there is an additional time of studying the Bible. Because the bakery is open until 7pm, those who wish to work extra hours are paid accordingly.

Moise, the Haitian Bible teacher, is a spiritual shepherd in helping each participant to a deeper place in their walk with Christ. He has a strong emphasis on the importance of sanctification and personal integrity. If negative issues come up, like interpersonal arguing, these are promptly addressed in light of God’s word and what it means to be a Christian.

Before the program ends, each participant receives training in obtaining their Haitian Driver’s License. While common in the States, many Haitians do not know how to drive and this can limit their future opportunities. The training includes 18 hours of class work over a three week period, followed by an hour a day of driving practice for 10 days.