This panel is my tribute to Daniel and Marjorie Jean, my inspiration and connection to Haiti.  Daniel was a “Sphere Champion” of Haiti long before I was aware of the concept, sacrificially serving his nation as a healer of the torn fabric of Family.  It is Daniel, a Haitian orphan himself, who is uniquely anointed to reach the orphans of his country.  By asking him, “what dreams has God laid on your heart for Haiti?”, my family began to meaningfully partner with the work in Haiti by empowering him as a sphere champion.   

Daniel and Marjorie are featured in Gold at the top of this tree, with their two biological children in the center, and many of their adopted children symbolically a double image of the growing tree.  

Daniel was recognized as a pivotal regional leader when his unshakable integrity and radical generosity provided for his community after the earthquakes of 2010.  As one example of his caliber, among many other responsibilities following the earthquake, Daniel managed the construction of over 2500 homes through Catholic Relief Services.

I will not attempt to tell you what these paintings are “all about”, as the best pieces of the work came through me and not from me.  I invite you into the conversation, eager to learn from what you discover, and offer some ingredients of the imagery as a start to the dialog...

I met Daniel in Jamaica as he finished his Bible degree in 2000, confessing even then his calling to return to Haiti and minister to the street children.  From 2000 to 2008 I got letters that he had rescued and adopted 5 children, 10 children, 21 children, 60 of the most vulnerable children in his area... and like a modern day George Mueller, was feeding and providing for them entirely by faith and God’s miraculous provision.  In 2008 my father Mark and I visited for the first time and were “adopted by orphans” into this beautiful Family.  Our family responded by drafting TeamOne:27, a non-profit to resource Daniel and other sphere champions.  Since 2008, his Family has grown to over 200 adopted children in 3 homes of blessing, and a “Church on Fire” of over 500 community members serving this amazing Family and their entire region. 

My father, Mark Gillette (Brudda Mark), as president of TeamOne:27, travels to Haiti on a monthly basis to support Daniel.  He has worked tirelessly to ship over a dozen containers and buses full of needed resources, fundraise, host American teams, and pilot a for-profit “PermaCrete” business in Haiti to generate self-sustaining resources for Daniel Jean’s Community.

Through our years serving Daniel in Haiti, one thing we have constantly found is that it is not enough to address only one sphere of influence.  While we watch Daniel pour his life out for his children and his church, he is constantly undermined by the failed infrastructure of the government, the toxic cycles of Haitian economy, the inadequacy of the system of education, rule of law, etc.  To see lasting and sustainable change for Daniel, each of the seven spheres must be working together in healthy unison.  These paintings and this conversation were born from our frustration and the perpetual question, “What does it take to restore a nation?”