Haitian ambassador visits Munster

MUNSTER | Standing in front of the hundreds who packed the Family Christian Center, Haitian Ambassador Raymond Joseph said he wants to see the island nation become a better place than it was before a devastating January earthquake.

"We're going to make it the country it should have been from Day One," Joseph said Sunday.

He said Haiti has been called the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and "it took an earthquake to have the whole word wake up to Haiti."

Steve Munsey, senior pastor of the Family Christian Center, said he is planning a "crusade" to Haiti in late August to aid earthquake victims.

"We pledge to rebuild Haiti," Munsey said.

The church wants to teach Haitians different trades so they can begin to build residences in the country.

"You have to work to get out of poverty," he said.

Munsey is looking for assistance from Joseph as he prepares for the journey. In particular, Munsey said land is needed so he and his team can teach Haitians how to build the structures.

The church has been involved in multiple relief efforts in Haiti since the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Munsey headed a relief group that brought food, water and other supplies to Haitians.

The Family Christian Center also assisted to bring 1-year-old Rose Daphcar Calixte and her mother to Northwest Indiana so she could receive surgery that she couldn't get in Haiti. The church handled the costs of processing visas for the child and her mother, and helped in other ways.

Joseph said he is appreciative of the efforts of the church to assist Haiti.

In addition to rebuilding Haiti, Joseph hopes to see some changes in the country.

He said there are 15 seaports in Haiti that have been closed for years, and he wants the ports to open again.

Joseph also said Haitian officials have focused too much on Port-au-Prince, and he wants officials to pay more attention to areas outside of the capital city.

Munsey suggested Joseph would make a good candidate for president of Haiti, and he said the church would support him if he decided to run for the position.