About Us & Contact
We have been living on the island country of St Kitts since November 26, 2016. This island, along with its sister island, Nevis, make up the smallest sovereign state in the western hemisphere. At only 69 sq miles, St Kitts is home to around 45,000 wonderful people. They have had their independence from the UK since 1983, and the country has been in upward development since 2005.
From our first few visits, we were able to see some of the major challenges confronting the Kittitian people. Right off the bat we were told that, though there are many churches on the island, many of them teach that you need to “get yourself right” before you can be accepted by God. Church has become a cultural norm rather than a gathering of people who are thirsting for God. Most church attenders are women and children, and just a few men participate.
The next thing we quickly became aware of was the rampant drug and alcohol abuse issues in St Kitts. Gangs have formed and drug trafficking has risen through the island, and many islanders are addicted to marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, or crack cocaine. There is one jail/prison on the island. With no recovery programs in the country, most addicts, dealers, and gang members end up in this prison. The facility was originally intended to hold around 70 inmates, but currently houses over 200! Once released, there is no halfway house or re-entry programs for the inmates. They usually end up right back on the streets with no prospects and no hope.
We have spoken with men who feel like they have no choice after prison but to go back to the drugs and the gangs. We have spoken with those on the outside who feel as though the addicted adults in St Kitts are completely hopeless. We were told multiple times, “Just come help our children not make the same mistakes.” It breaks our hearts that many truly believe there is no hope for their addicted loved-ones.
But we know that there IS hope! For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (Romans 6:7) So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:36) Through Aaron’s own struggle with addiction, Katelyn’s struggle with codependency, and other family member’s struggles, we have seen God move is mighty ways to set us free from the grip of sin.
With its location in the Southern Caribbean, St Kitts relies heavily on tourism for their economic stability. Cruise ships come in almost daily and over 100,000 visitors come to the island each year! It’s a truly beautiful country.
However, it’s important to point out that the Kittitians and residents are not here on vacation. The people who live here make up a variety of economic classes, and most live in low-income or low-middle class conditions. Even the “middle class” neighborhoods are full of duplexes and triplexes, which are the normal living spaces. With the high cost of living and a low average income, many Kittitians work long hours or multiple jobs to make ends meet.
From our first few visits, we were able to see some of the major challenges confronting the Kittitian people. Right off the bat we were told that, though there are many churches on the island, many of them teach that you need to “get yourself right” before you can be accepted by God. Church has become a cultural norm rather than a gathering of people who are thirsting for God. Most church attenders are women and children, and just a few men participate.
The next thing we quickly became aware of was the rampant drug and alcohol abuse issues in St Kitts. Gangs have formed and drug trafficking has risen through the island, and many islanders are addicted to marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, or crack cocaine. There is one jail/prison on the island. With no recovery programs in the country, most addicts, dealers, and gang members end up in this prison. The facility was originally intended to hold around 70 inmates, but currently houses over 200! Once released, there is no halfway house or re-entry programs for the inmates. They usually end up right back on the streets with no prospects and no hope.
We have spoken with men who feel like they have no choice after prison but to go back to the drugs and the gangs. We have spoken with those on the outside who feel as though the addicted adults in St Kitts are completely hopeless. We were told multiple times, “Just come help our children not make the same mistakes.” It breaks our hearts that many truly believe there is no hope for their addicted loved-ones.
But we know that there IS hope! For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (Romans 6:7) So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:36) Through Aaron’s own struggle with addiction, Katelyn’s struggle with codependency, and other family member’s struggles, we have seen God move is mighty ways to set us free from the grip of sin.
Now God wants to take those experiences and use them for his glory by sending us to St Kitts! We have partnered with Celebrate Recovery to bring hope and healing to the people of St Kitts. Celebrate Recovery (CR) is a Christ-centered recovery program that uses large group teaching, open share small groups, and 12 step groups to help ANY person with ANY hurt, habit, or hang up to find freedom through Jesus!
Since living and ministering on the island, God has also called us to take over pastoring our local church - Caribbean Christian Fellowship. This amazing gathering is made up of people of multiple ethnicities, social classes, races, and life stages. From American, Nigerian, and Canadian students to Kittitians, other Caribbean people, and expat families here for work, our church truly is a small picture of the diversity we will experience in Heaven.
If you would like to partner with us in this ministry, we would love your prayers and we need financial support. If you want to receive our e-newsletter, which includes our prayer requests, you can sign up here: News Letter Sign Up. If you would like to join our financial support team you can do that here: Support Page.
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