Welcome! We are Kingdom Kids, located about thirty minutes from Port-au Prince, Haiti. We desire to minister to the children and youth in our community through an after school tutor and mentor program, providing a meal, and sharing the Bible. We also desire to share the love of Jesus with the families in our community however the Lord leads us.

March 2026

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so thankful for each of you! Your prayers and encouragement truly make a difference. Here is a short update on what has been happening in our ministry and in Haiti in January and February.

Ministry Update

We have some AMAZING NEWS!

In January, we were able to move back to our original location in Simonette—where we first started the After-School Program in 2021. This property provides much more space for the kids to run and play in the yard, along with additional classroom space for homework and learning.

Both the kids and staff are enjoying the cooler breeze up on the mountainside and are loving being back in this location. It is also safer now, with a school open nearby and more families moving back into their homes around us.

We are so excited about this move and love seeing pictures of the kids and staff gathered on our property again!

Sak Pase!  A glimpse into Haiti with Gary

The situation in Haiti remains very serious, especially in an area of Port-au-Prince, where kidnappings and violence have increased significantly. Last week, multiple kidnapping attempts took place. Police intervened in several operations, resulting in several criminals being killed or arrested. Tragically, two police officers lost their lives and three others were injured. Violence remains extremely high in parts of the capital, and we continue to pray for protection and greater security.

In Simonette, however, the community remains peaceful. Children have few activities after school, which ends at 1 p.m., so we created a program that provides homework help, Bible teaching, and a daily meal. With many schools no longer able to provide food due to insecurity—and many parents unemployed because businesses have closed—this program has become a tremendous blessing to the children and their families. While nearby areas face violence, Simonette continues to be a safe place for families and children.

Something Extra

Did you know that most of the children we serve come from families earning just $2–$3 a day—if even that?

Providing a large, HOT MEAL FIVE DAYS a WEEK  to these 65 kids is an enormous blessing to both the children and their families. For many of them, this may be the only hot meal they receive all day, as most families simply are not able to provide one consistently.

Thank you for helping make that possible!

Praise and Prayer

A few PRAISES that happened in January and February:

• We helped a former After-School Program family purchase a BED for their children (ages 11, 4, and 2), so they would no longer have to sleep on a cement floor and get wet from rain leaking into their home.

• We provided MEDICALCARE for three children in our program—one with a broken arm and two who needed medical attention and medication for illnesses.

• We also helped four families who were struggling to provide FOOD for their households.

Thank you for being part of what God is doing through Kingdom Kids!!

Prayer Requests 🙏

• Please pray that we can find affordable French Bibles in Haiti for the children in our After-School Program. We desire for each child to have access to God’s Word.

• Pray that God’s Word would bring true nourishment—spiritually and emotionally—to the 65 children and 9 staff members in our program. May it take root in their hearts and transform their lives.

• Pray for God’s strength, protection, and peace over Haiti in the midst of ongoing gang violence and the absence of stable government leadership. Ask the Lord to bring order, hope, and lasting change.

Your Support

Thank you for your loving support of Kingdom Kids. The 65 children in our After-School Program, along with our 9 dedicated staff members, are incredibly grateful for you and the difference you are making in their lives.

If you would like to partner with us financially, checks can be mailed to:

Kingdom Kids
628 S Meadow Drive
Sioux Center, IA 51250

You can also give through Venmo: @Kingdom-Kids77.

Thank you for helping us nourish these children with both daily meals and the Word of God!

With thankful hearts,
Gary & Taunya (De Weerd) Merilus

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."

Psalm 82:3