ABOUT LARRY & DIANA OWEN

Welcome to Waves of Mercy!

Larry and Diana Owen have been in ministry in Haiti for over thirty years, following a ministry of twenty years in the United States. They work with the poorest of the poor in Haiti – those who have been abandoned or forgotten by society.

Their mission is straightforward – keep it simple and save one child, one mom, one soul at a time.
They teach the Word through their church services and events, feed nearly 150 children daily, and have made a home for a eight young boys who otherwise would be sleeping on the streets. Their ministry is not held in by walls, as they are in and among the people daily.

Larry and Diana operate Waves of Mercy from their residence in Port-de-Paix, Haiti. They reside in Haiti for approximately 9 months out of the year, but return to their home base in Versailles, Kentucky to visit the churches, individuals, and organizations that support their ministry.

ABOUT HAITI

Originally discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, Haiti has had a long history of struggle and conflict. The country of Haiti occupies the western half of the island of Hispaniola, with the Dominican Republic bordering Haiti to the east. Haiti’s population is over ten million, with a male life expectancy of 47 years and a female life expectancy of 51 years.

With an unemployment rate of 40.6% and 80% of the population living below the poverty line, Haiti is the poorest country in the world. The adult illiteracy rate hovers near 90%, the average annual income is less than $400, and unemployment rates continue to rise.

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck 15 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city. In a matter of minutes, over 300,000 people were killed, thousands more were injured, and over 1 million people were left homeless. The earthquake was assessed as the worst natural disaster in the region in over 200 years, and dealt a severe blow to Haiti’s government, its economy, and most importantly, its people.