Mission & Vision
FJS Outreach Mission For Jonathan Sake Outreach is a multi-faceted program that exists to help families who have children with special needs in the community to feel empowered to care for, advocate for & raise their children with special needs. Our goal is that they know that they are not alone but have a support system and family within the outreach program and the Miriam Center. We pray that each family will grow in their wisdom & knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and have a better understanding of how God loves them and their children. We strive so that each child will receive specialized quality education & medical care to address their unique needs (medical, nutrition, therapy, etc.). Ultimately our goal is that each child will participate in their family and community to their fullest ability. We plan to do this by filling in the gaps where the families need us:
• Physically: nutritional food, therapy, medical care, schooling, etc.
• Spiritually: weekly worship during therapy & praying together as a group and during home visits getting specific prayer requests
• Emotionally: by building a community and support system among other families in the same situation.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8 NIV
To provide a voice and hope to children and adults with special needs and their families by showing God’s grace and love.
FJS stand for For Jonathan Sake. In the Bible David was best friends with Jonathan. They made a promise to take care of each other’s families. Jonathan had a son Mephibosheth and he was the grandson to Saul who was King of Israel. Mephibosheth was only 5 years old when his father and grandfather were killed in battle with the Philistines at Mt. Gilboa by the Jezreel Valley. It was customary that when a ruler was defeated that his family would be killed as well so that there would be no lineage of that ruler left to reclaim the throne. However, we find in 2 Samuel 4 that Mephibosheth survives.
“Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled, his name was Mephibosheth” (2 Samuel 4:4).
By the time David learned about Jonathan’s Death Mephibosheth had grown and had a son of his own when King David inquired of his whereabouts. King David and Jonathan had been very close friends and became as brothers. Because of their relationship and an oath David made to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:15-16, 42), he wanted to honor it by finding and caring for Mephibosheth.
One of Saul’s servants was questioned and told King David of the young man’s location. Mephibosheth was summoned to appear before the King. Though afraid, Mephibosheth came not knowing if he would be killed or what might happen to him. He was a cripple, had lost his heritage, and lived in a desolate place named Lo Debar. Translated, the name literally means “land of nothing”. Mephibosheth had been reduced to having nothing.
2 Samuel 9 describes the meeting of Mephibosheth and King David. The young man humbly bowed and David told him to not be afraid. “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table” (2 Samuel 9:7). Mephibosheth bowed and asked why David would “notice a dead dog like me?” in verse 8.
Mephibosheth was made the promise that he would be honored with restoration of profits from his grandfather’s wealth and would always eat at the King’s table. This was despite Mephibosheth’s low self-worth, physical handicap, and shame brought to him by his grandfather’s sins, defeat and resulting suicide.
Mephibosheth is a wonderful example of the redemption available to those who come humbly before the King of kings. Jesus is that King and offers to one and all a chance to eat at the King’s table forever. No matter that we have nothing, have been shamed and rejected or that we are handicapped and hurt, young or old, black or white or red or green. We are offered an inheritance of royalty.
In Haiti the children we work with are seen as outcast, not worthy, second class citizens but God want the very best for each of them and so should we. For Jonathan Sake exists to help all the Mephibosheth’s in Northwest Haiti and invite them to the Lord’s table with the best we can offer.