Greg Stamme paced towards his plane. The past week of work lingered over him like a heavy fog. Greg was excited and exhausted as he settled into his seat. The smells and sounds of Haiti burned into his memory for a lifetime. He could still see their faces, the hungry, radiant faces of the children. Thoughts of Haiti stayed with him the entire flight home. Days passed as Greg tried to adjust to his regular life, but nothing felt right anymore. He couldn’t shake the pull in his chest. His heart was still in Haiti. His heart was at that orphanage.
Greg Stamme is a southern man to his core. He has spent his life as a grain and cattle farmer. You will find him in denim overalls and a ball cap over a button-up shirt any day of the week. He is also a father to three adult children, a loving husband to his wife, and a devoted follower of Christ. However, Greg’s path was not conventional. He left the church when he was young, only finding his way back to his Faith just a few years ago. During that time, Greg believes God was preparing and teaching him. Over those years on the farm, he learned the skills he would eventually use to fulfill his mission in Haiti. Greg, however, had never originally planned to go to Haiti. Greg and his wife first discovered mission trips when they decided to join a local Paducah church a few years ago. A mission trip is the mobilization of a religious group with the goal to serve others and spread the message of their faith. Greg was intrigued by the idea of mission work, but a trip would need to fall between his planting and harvesting season. He could not afford to miss such vital time periods. Greg’s church was planning a trip to Haiti, but the timeline would be during a critical time on his farm. His livelihood had to come first; the farm had to be his priority. Greg and his wife decided they would go on a different mission trip to Nicaragua. This trip was at a much safer time of year for a farmer, and the couple had friends going. As they prepared for their trip to Nicaragua, Greg felt a voice calling him to Haiti. He could not get this nagging feeling out of his head. Greg truly believed he was meant to go on the trip to Haiti. In a radically life-changing moment, Greg made the decision to put the farm in the hands of his son-in-law and booked their trip to Haiti. From there, everything changed.
When the group first arrived in Haiti, Greg was overwhelmed by the level of poverty. Trash-coated every surface. Chaos filled the streets as people begged for money and cars sped past, following no traffic laws. There was a powerful odor of burning plastic that stung the inside of their noses. Greg’s church team was loaded onto school buses and taken to Mission of Hope, the organization that hosted these trips. Over the next week, Greg would help plant trees, paint houses, build walls, and would pray for the people in Haiti. The team consisted of volunteers, medical personnel, and a pastor. One day, the medical team was away providing aid, leaving the rest of the team free to explore or relax. Greg and the other volunteers decided to return to the town of Titanyen to offer additional support. While there, the team was led to an area they had never seen. Standing before them was a tin roof supported by poles infested with termites. As they approached, children began singing to them in English. They were singing Christian songs of worship. This was an orphanage. The building the team had approached was the church and school for the children. Greg was overcome by the voices of singing praise to his and their God. The condition of the orphanage was startling, small concrete rooms with no electricity or water. The boys would carry five-gallon jugs ¼ mile down a hill to a spring shared with animals; this was their only source of water for the entire orphanage. There was a young boy that immediately grabbed Greg’s heart, Joe Nelson. Joe was around 11 years of age at the time and is unable to walk or speak. Joe has suffered from HIV from birth, and his left foot is completely inverted. Greg says, “He was so frail, but he never once stopped smiling; it just grabbed ahold of my heart.”
The group decided to return the next day with the medical portion of the team. This overjoyed the children; they sang and performed tricks for the group. Greg was then approached by the man who, with his wife, started the orphanage, Jocelyn and Nahomie Hogarth. Hogarth stated that they needed help. In order to receive a permit from the government, the orphanage needed electricity, a water tank, and a security wall. The children also hadn’t eaten in two days. Greg promised to return to Mission of Hope and ask for assistance. Hogarth then stated, “No, we do not want Mission of Hope to help; we want YOU to help.” After collecting enough cash from the group to feed the children, it was time to say their goodbyes.
Once back at home, Greg could not get Hogarth’s words out of his head. He eventually contacted Mission of Hope to see why they were not offering assistance to the orphanage. This is where he learned the importance of the permit. The government of Haiti does not allow the large mission organizations to get involved with non permitted orphanages. Greg’s new purpose was to provide for this group of Christian children. He and his wife sent money to feed the children monthly; he raised money through churches to begin providing infrastructure for the facility and decided he needed to return to Haiti. On his first trip back, Greg brought the owner of Ivitts Plumbing. The two installed a water tank and a gutter, which was life-changing for the children. Many of them had never seen running water before. Greg only fell deeper in love with the children in the orphanage. He knew this is what he was meant to be doing. Over the past three years, Greg has made six trips to Haiti and transformed the facility. He has created a 501(c)3 for his mission, named Young Disciples for Christ, which gives it nonprofit status. Young Disciples for Christ has grown from Greg and his wife to a wide range of individuals, serving in many ways in this ministry.
Unfortunately, Greg has been forced to cancel several recent trips due to COVID-19, but fundraising has allowed progress to continue even in his absence. Since Greg’s first trip, they have built three showers and installed four toilets that drain into a new septic tank. Greg has installed a propane cook stove, a sink, and a deep freezer in the kitchen that he built separately from the home. They have transformed the unfinished concrete room into a hurricane shelter. They have also installed four solar panels and batteries that provide electricity and lights to the building. Greg later constructed a cistern to store water and two water pumps. They have installed exterior locking doors throughout the home and built a large security wall around the entire compound. Greg stated, “the wall was a huge project, but the Lord told us to build it. He provided all we needed as we progressed.” Greg has plans for the future, stating, “next winter, we are called to build a school/ church for education and worship.”
All of these accomplishments would not be possible without the generous donations from community members and Greg’s personal friends. Greg, his wife, and the group’s volunteers host regular benefits to raise money for continued projects and feeding the children. However, when asked how people can help, Greg simply asks for prayers. “The power of prayer is what keeps this mission going,” Greg professes. If an individual feels compelled to support financially, he or she can mail a check to the 501c3 PO Box at Young Disciples of Christ, P.O. Box 731 Brookport IL, 62910 or they can make a deposit directly into the Young Disciples of Christ mission account C/O Lynn Wehrmeier at City National Bank in Metropolis. Lynn is the financial operator and vice president of the bank. Lynn sits on the board for the nonprofit with Jimmy Ivitts and Greg. All donations received by Young Disciples for Christ go directly to the ministry in Haiti or for supplies for the fundraising efforts. There are no salaries or financial benefits for their constituents who freely dedicate their time to this mission.
The work Greg has initiated is monumental. With the help of many, he has completely transformed the lives of these children, but Greg remains incredibly humble. He gives all of the credit to God. There is more work to do for these children and others around the world, but the difference created by one man sparks hope for the future. What began as a mission to feed the children in the orphanage has now evolved into a ministry to not only provide for the children but to teach them how to become disciples and missionaries for their own people in Haiti.
Each of us can have an impact on the world around us. We must ask ourselves, “how will I make a difference today?”
