Assistance for the Joseph Belle-Fleur Family

Hi - my name is Carey Burke and I am fundraising for my Haitian friend, Adelin Joseph, his wife, Marjorie and his daughter, Admayah. Here is the story......

Adelin was one of our translators during our first Haiti mission trip in 2014 and again in 2015. In 2015, seeking hope, he and Marjorie moved to Chile. He had a dream of finding work and studying to become an engineer. Things didn’t work out as planned. Ultimately, Adelin did find work as an apprentice for a building contractor. He worked for the contractor for three years learning skills such as painting, drywalling and ceramic tile laying. Unfortunately, when COVID hit the company for which he worked went bankrupt. After 10 months in Chile without work, he and Marjorie decided to try to make their way to the U.S.-Mexican border with their 3-year old daughter.

They left Chile in early July with $6,000 in their pocket. In early August, they arrived in southern Mexico. Their savings was fully depleted. Adelin took to selling water to feed his family.

By way of social media, I have been in communication with Adelin at various times since he left Haiti. We reconnected again in early August and he explained that he was in southern Mexico. My fellow Haiti mission team member, Jim, was having a similar dialogue with him. We quickly understood that he was making the long, arduous trek to the US border. Jim tried to dissuade him. Adelin responded, “God is our strength. If I’m alive today it is his plan for me. I have been in the Darien desert in Panama an in the rivers and he’s taken me out because he knows my heart and my plans. If I have to wait for him for months or years I will because without him, I am nothing”. During his journey, he never once asked us for financial support – only for prayers.

Fast forward to last Sunday (Sept 18). I received a message from Adelin. The Department of Homeland Security was asking for a point of contact in the U.S. As a family, and with a U.S. contact, Haitian refugees had a chance to be allowed into the country. Without a contact, they were to be deported back to Haiti. I consulted with my friend, Jim, and I provided my contact information. On Wednesday, September 22nd, I received a text from the Department of Homeland Security. They instructed me that I had 24 hours to arrange transportation for the family from San Antonio. The departure window from San Antonio was between 1 pm and 10 pm on Saturday the 25th. Long story short, they arrived in Philadelphia Sunday morning around 7:30. They are currently staying in temporary lodging in Exton.

Jim and I are now assisting Adelin and his family as they seek asylum here in the US. Their dream is simple .... find work, support themselves and provide a better life for their daughter, Admayah. We are carefully navigating all that needs to be done - applying for work permits, applying for asylum, checking in with ICE as required, looking for English classes, looking for an apartment to rent, seeking legal counsel.... the list goes on and on.

Needless to say, all of this requires financial resources until Adelin and his family are settled and can support themselves.

On behalf of Adelin, Marjorie, Admayah and Jim - we would ask first for your prayers over this situation and we thank you for considering a donation to these efforts.

Most sincerely,

Carey