Kacie grew up in Bensalem, PA, just outside of Philadelphia. Always involved in church, she went on her first mission trip when she was thirteen to Juarez, Mexico. When she returned from that trip and stepped back into the airport in Philly, she had a clear message in her spirit "This will not be your home." She knew that she would be called into long-term missions from that point on. After several more short-term trips to various countries in Latin America, she traveled to Haiti for six weeks on what she thought would be a one-time deal before finding her long-term place of service. God had other plans, however, and on week three of that trip, she knew that God was calling her to Haiti.
Mikken also grew up in a Christian family, always going to church, but it didn't quite sink in for him and he stopped attending from middle school on. Eventually, as an older teenager, he met a friend who reintroduced him to Jesus and helped him to rebuild his relationship with Him into something real. He started going back to church and youth group and dedicated his life to Him. When Mikken moved into his new apartment, he met some missionaries and started getting to know them and doing Bible Studies with them. A few years later, Mikken met Kacie while working at Cap-Haitien Christian School (then Cowman School). After dating a few years, they married in 2019 and welcomed their first-born Nathaniel in 2020. Their second son Elijah was welcomed in 2023.
Both Kacie and Mikken are still working in Morne Rouge, Haiti just outside of Cap-Haitian at Cap-Haitien Christian School. Kacie is working as the director of the school while Mikken is the fifth-grade teacher and elementary art teacher. Our school's mission is to "Learn together, Love like Jesus, and Transform for Haiti." We believe that by providing quality Christian education, we can empower young people to transform their own communities around them.
Right now, we are working on raising more support as a family to be able to continue ministering in Haiti. With the instability of the Haitian gourde and global inflation, the cost of living has risen dramatically since the beginning of our ministry.
As a school, we are raising construction funds to be able to finish multiple classrooms for our middle/high school students as well as updating some of our other facilities.
If you Google Search "Haiti" right now, there is unfortunately very little to no positive stories right now. Since the assassination of their president in 2021, there has been no true governing body that is willing to help stabilize the country. People are struggling in all aspects of life and violence and kidnapping have only kept rising. This has led to fear, famine, and death. While we are thankful that where we are in the North of Haiti has not been affected in such severe ways, the people still are on edge and frustrated waiting for what is next for their country. We want CHCS to be a beckon of hope and light in these dark times, educating children to know that there is still hope in Jesus for themselves personally and for Haiti.