In 1997, God called Pierre Fedner to start a ministry on LaGonave Island in remote villages, where no missionary groups were present. (The Gospel of Christ had not been heard in some of these places.) Pierre Fedner grew up in the center of the voodoo culture as the son of a powerful witch doctor and was trained to take his spot one day. Pierre was saved through a Haitian who was saved through a Canadian with the Mission Possible missionary organization. Prior to his calling, Pierre served for 11 years with Mission Possible & 3 years with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) missionary organizations in St Marc Haiti (mainland) in various leadership roles.
Shelly Holcombe, whom Pierre met and trained in YWAM Discipleship Training School in St. Marc Haiti, came back to the US and raised awareness of the situation in Haiti and raised funds for Pierre’s ministry and urgent needs. Over the years, in addition to the church, a school was constructed, staffed, community development projects (i.e. water, medical, clothing, etc.) where undertaken and lives in this voodoo place began to be transformed.
In 2003, Shelly formalized the US fundraising organization and incorporated The Haiti Project for this effort. Between 2004 and 2006, Pastor Alfonso Kirk and Pastor Derek Ingraham became involved with The Haiti Project in various capacities.
In September 2007, when Pastor Pierre met with The Haiti Project to present the 2007-2008 budget, he was told that The Haiti Project was ceasing operations as of October 2007. God used what seemed to be a problem to open up an opportunity for His church. In November 2007 Remember The Poor International was born to carry the work forward. RTPI was organized as an independent Florida non-profit corporation. At the center of the work of Remember the Poor International is the ministry on LaGonave Island. While our work originally centered on the church (Bondye La) and school in the remote mountain village of Boucan La Marre, we now support Bondye La extension churches in the port city of Ansa a Galets and in the remote fishing village of Point Sable. We also expanded our educational program for the 2011/2012 school year by opening the only school in the village of Point Sable.
Today, thanks to our faithful partners, the vision of RTPI continues to be realized.