Bonjou, my name is Jillian. Raised in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee, where BBQ is at its finest and bluegrass can soothe anyone’s soul, I now call the mountainous country of Haiti my home. My husband, Hunter, and I live in Cap Haitien along with our two adorable Haitian children and two rowdy dogs.
I came to Haiti for the first time when I was 16. I hated it. I’ll be honest. But God had plans for me far greater than my own, and in 2011 my husband and I moved here to assume the role of administrators for an existing orphanage. In 2013 we stepped down from our positions and started a transition home for 17 teenagers who were aging out of the children’s home. Named Emmaus House, we now seek to provide life skills, professional skills, and education to young adults to afford them the opportunity to become faithful and knowledgeable followers of Christ who are able to spread the gospel in Haiti.
When I’m not riding on the back of my husband’s moto, you can find me homeschooling my little ones, working with my teens at Emmaus House and advocating for their futures, writing, nestled in my hammock reading a good book, or enjoying the fellowship of my friends here in Haiti. I enjoy all things chocolate. I can’t go a morning without my cup of coffee. And Chick-fil-A, yeah, I crave that place on a daily basis!
Above the sanity that is needed to daily work with 17 teenagers, what do we need prayers for the most? Please pray for our marriage- that God may strengthen us and use us as a mighty, united force in our community. Pray for our adoption, which is a long, expensive, and time-consuming process. And lastly, please pray for our teenagers. I desire, above all else, for them to be set free from their pasts and to know in full confidence how much God loves them. I want God’s love to be the power that drives them in their futures as they become independent young adults.
©2014 Thrive.