Have you ever wondered what summer break looks like for the students who attend Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti?
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We asked one of our school directors and Pastor Rona to answer the question: "What do the children do for fun during summer break, and what services are available?"

Here are their responses:

Convention and Presentations
We were thrilled to present at the Minnesota District Convention earlier this month and are looking forward to our next stop—the Annual LWMS Convention. If you are attending, please be sure to stop by and say hello!

We are still scheduling presentations and tabling/informational events for both 2026 and 2027. If your church, church group, school, or college is interested in learning more about Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti and would like someone to visit, please contact us here.

Update on the Spring Fundraiser
We are delighted to share that, together, we raised just over $30,000 through our Spring Fundraiser to support the food budget. We thank God for your tremendous generosity and support of this important cause.

In Haiti, more than one million children face critical levels of food insecurity. Driven by armed violence, internal displacement, and climate-related disasters, nearly one-quarter of the country's children suffer from chronic malnutrition, which can permanently impair cognitive and physical development.
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Your continued support and dedication are making a meaningful difference in the lives of these children and young believers. Thank you for standing alongside them and helping provide hope for the future.

​“What do kids in Haiti like to do for fun?” American school children have asked this question when learning about Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti. The answer is that they like to sing and play clapping and jumping games when they have free time at school. But outside of school, children in Haiti especially love to play soccer.

Soccer has been the favorite sport in Haiti for many years, with the Haitian Football Federation, the Federasyon Foutbòl Ayisyen, having been founded in 1904. Children in Haiti play soccer with their friends with the hope of someday being part of the national team, playing for an organization outside of Haiti, or perhaps even participating in the FIFA World Cup.

This year, for a team of young men either born in Haiti or of Haitian descent, Les Grenadiers, that dream is becoming reality. For the first time since 1974, Haiti has qualified to play in the World Cup. Getting to this point has been a challenge, but one that has been met with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Unable to play in Haiti due to ongoing violence, gang activity, and political instability, they have had to play their “home games” at a stadium in Curaçao, with very few fans in attendance to cheer them on to victory. 

But Haiti managed to win the necessary matches, qualified to play, trained in Florida, and will be competing in World Cup matches, starting on June 13 against Scotland. They have additional matches on June 19 and 24 against Brazil and Morocco as Haiti fans worldwide plan to tune in to cheer on the Caribbean underdog in their first World Cup appearance in over fifty years. And Haitian children will wait to learn if their soccer heroes are victorious, dreaming that someday they too might compete to bring the trophy home to Haiti.

To view full description, please click the file download below. For any questions, please email kathleen@branchlutheranschoolshaiti.org to get connected. 

The following is a list of presentations, fundraisers and tabling events that are coming up for and with Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti: 

• April 12 - Divine Peace Lutheran Church in Rockwall, TX
• April 18 - LWMS Spring Rally at St Mark's Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, WI
• April 18 - LWMS Spring Rally at Grace Lutheran Church in Ringle, WI
• May 17 - Grace Lutheran Church in Scroggins, TX
• June 25 - 28 - Annual LWMS Convention, Madison, WI
• October 10 - LWMS North Florida Fall Circuit Rally, Jacksonville, FL

If you would like more information about presentations, fundraising or to request a speaker/representative from Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti to visit your church or group, please reach out to [email protected]! We would love to share about this work and how God is working in the hearts of the children in Haiti.

​Students and staff at Branch Schools joyfully celebrated Christmas together with songs, crafts, and fellowship. We were also blessed to receive many messages of Christmas greetings and heartfelt gratitude for the continued prayers and generous support from those who walk alongside us.

​One of our Port-au-Prince school and orphanage directors recently shared the difficult news that her father—a respected community leader and longtime supporter of Branch Schools—was facing a severe medical crisis. After days spent in the hospital, he sadly passed away.
In Haiti, medical care often requires payment upfront, and hospital stays and funeral expenses can quickly become overwhelming. While our director was able to cover a significant portion of these costs, the remaining medical and funeral expenses became more than she could manage alone. She reached out to Branch Schools for support.
Through our partnership with WELS Christian Aid and Relief, the remaining balance was covered. We are deeply grateful for their continued partnership and the vital work they do to support families and communities around the world.
“Dear friends, brothers, and sisters, I can’t find the right words to thank you. Please accept my thanks nonetheless. Thanks to you, the funeral has been paid. Thank you, Branch Lutheran Schools of Haiti and Christian Aid and Relief. May God continue to bless you.”

Can you tell me about the volunteer work you have done with Branch Schools?
My volunteer work began almost as soon as Missionary Terry Schultz visited Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.  He asked if I would coordinate a group of WELS and ELS women to make pillowcase dresses for the girls.  Also he asked if I would organize a good-used shoe drive for boys and girls alike. Thus, I became the Special Projects Coordinator for Missionary Schultz’s mission work in Haiti. This led to many more projects and fundraisers for the orphans. 
Once Missionary Schultz was given permission to start the three schools, the projects list grew, as did the need for money for shipping, etc. I became completely absorbed by my work for the children in Haiti. I was blessed to be able to visit Haiti, beginning in 2014. The trips allowed us to take many, many items that the children and teachers needed. I felt so blessed to be able to make these visits.
After Branch was formed to take over funding for the schools in 2015 my volunteer work for the children continued, as well as three more trips to Haiti with suitcases full of supplies, clothing, toys, and small gifts for the children. As a Friend of the Board, and the wife of the Chairman of the Board, all travel costs, etc. were paid for personally. No money was taken away from the children to fund any of this.

How has Branch made an impact on your life?
Branch has impacted my life in so many ways. I found that I had a love for the orphan children who were our first students. Though we could not communicate verbally due to language differences, we felt their love for us also. Just playing simple games, giving out small handcrafted gifts from our volunteers, as well as fruit and crackers put smiles on children who had very little to smile about.  However, they were now being given a wonderful education and learning about their Lord and Savior.  Each trip found them healthier and happier than the one before.  Each of these trips also reinforced my commitment to these children and their families. 

What would you share with someone who is just learning about Branch or a new donor?
The people of Haiti have so little.  Most live on less than $2.00 a day.  Work is hard to come by. Food is becoming less available and more expensive everyday.  Many Haitians follow the “religion” of Vodou.  These children are taught about their Savior and his forgiveness every day.  They also share this knowledge with their families. Without Branch support none of the work in Haiti, with now over 1,600 students, would be possible. As money is now our only way to support these schools, our donors are extremely important to the work being done there.

What do you like most about being involved with Branch?
Knowing that these special children in Haiti are getting the opportunity to learn about their Lord and promise of eternal life in heaven is most important. Being able to promote Branch throughout the WELS and ELS; speaking at church groups, LWMS rallies, OWLS groups, and schools is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

What are some future goals and/or dreams you have for Branch?
To continue promoting the welfare and education of the children of Haiti. If God blesses Haiti with more schools and growing enrollments, I pray that Branch will be able to grow support from donors.

What do you love the most about Branch Schools?
We are a loving, caring, giving group of individuals who have come together to create places where Haitian children can continue to learn and live in Jesus. We support each other in our non-profit endeavors, as well as in our personal lives. I experienced this love and care when I lost my husband of 52 years to cancer in August of 2025. 

What’s a project you want to work on or get involved with for Branch Schools?
I would like to do whatever I can to foster awareness of the needs in Haiti. I enjoy traveling to other parts of the U.S. to spread the word about the children of Branch. God has blessed our work over the first ten years, and I would like to work in any way possible to spread the word to all corners of the country.

What is the biggest career challenge you see Branch Schools facing?
The biggest challenge in Haiti is space.  The three founding schools are at or nearly at capacity. They will need to find ways to accommodate more grades and more students.
Also, the schools are limited in their teaching as Branch had no high schools currently. There is a definite need, but with that comes a much larger budget.  Branch needs more large donors, grants, and support from WELS and ELS member-owned businesses.  

Why should people support Branch Schools?
We all need to support Branch Schools as they are educating children in the Word of God. Children whose souls would be lost to black magic if not given the chance to attend these schools. We already know that the few children we have lost to illness or crime were learning about their promised home in heaven and were given the gift of eternal life.

With this year and season of giving coming to a close, we want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude for your support on GivingTuesday and our annual year-end campaign. Your gifts, along with the $14,000 matching funds from generous anonymous donors, helped us to raise $42,669!

There is still time to make that number grow. Any additional year-end gifts will be added to that total and help us get closer to our goal of raising $50,000.

But your gifts are more than just numbers and totals. Your gifts provide more than 1,800 children in Haiti with daily meals, a safe environment to learn and grow, and a sense of stability in a place where each day is full of challenge and hardship. Most importantly, your gifts provide these children with a Christian education and the opportunity to grow in their faith every day. We consistently receive words of thanks from our directors to all of you for your prayers, support, and continued love for the children in Haiti.

We are grateful for your partnership in this mission. We thank you for the love you have for these precious children. We pray that the Lord blesses you richly in the year ahead, just as He has blessed us through you.
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 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:17