OUR HISTORY
In January of 2008, after pleas from government and business leaders in Haiti, three members of the MNTC Board stepped onto the streets of Port‑au‑Prince. What they witnessed forever changed them.
Their days were filled with heartbreaking encounters, walks through overcrowded prisons and orphanages, and conversations with abandoned youth whose lives had been shaped by loss. They saw staggering poverty, deep injustice, and an overwhelming absence of hope and purpose. Entire neighborhoods lived under the control of violent gangs. Human trafficking, drug addiction, and a devastating lack of father figures robbed young people of safety, identity, and direction.
Haitian youth faced impossible choices. With no positive role models and little opportunity in a broken economy led by corruption, many were forced into gangs or prostitution, where they endured abuse, manipulation, and addiction. They were struggling simply to survive - another day, another night - without hope for a future.
At the same time, Haiti was saturated with help that wasn’t healing. Before the current instability, thousands of NGOs, nonprofits, and ministries poured billions of dollars into the nation, yet lasting transformation remained elusive. It became clear that a new paradigm was needed - one rooted not in outside control, but in faith, dignity, and empowerment. Only God could rebuild Haiti, and only Haitians themselves could restore their nation.
Out of this conviction, Haiti Teen Challenge was born.
Modeled after the original Teen Challenge founded by David Wilkerson in the 1950s - which reached youth trapped on the streets of New York - Haiti Teen Challenge carries forward that same revolutionary faith. Grounded in Isaiah 61:1–9, the ministry is built on God’s call to heal the brokenhearted, set captives free, and empower a people to rebuild the ruins of THEIR own nation.
Haiti Teen Challenge officially opened its doors in Port‑au‑Prince in February 2011 with a clear and courageous mission: to bring freedom to the captives, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim joy instead of despair, and raise up “Oaks of Righteousness” who reflect the splendor of the Lord, and rebuild THEIR nation for God's glory.
"So much poverty! The shanty towns where people make lean-tos with corrugated tin or cardboard or whatever materials they can find. Vendors are everywhere selling everything from fruits and vegetables to toiletries and cell phones, sitting on the sidewalk with their wares. Candles are used on the street because of the lack of electricity. The density of people is overwhelming.
People pack themselves in the brightly painted and decorated "tap taps" (people "tap" the side of the vehicle to signal they want to get out.) There is so much garbage everywhere! It looks like years of accumulation. There are dogs and people scrounging through the garbage for food or whatever....
The roads! Potholes and stones/boulders everywhere. They take a real beating on our backs and the car's shock system! One funny observation....after a very long bumpy road back, there was a short section of pavement, but within a few feet, a set of speed bumps!!! There is no sense of order to traffic flow with lots of honking, near misses, and side swipes!
What are we supposed to do with this?"
-C. McCarthy, Driving through Port-au-Prince, January 2008
