Our Journey
Beautiful Morning is a grassroots organization led by a group of lifelong friends who were inspired to group their talents and expertise in the service of bettering the lives of children.
Dr. Carlos W. Perkins was growing up in Jamaica when the first spark for what would become Beautiful Morning was lit. As the grandson of a pastor, Carlos was always thinking about how he could help his community, but he will never forget the day, at the age of nine, when an inspiring young Black Canadian missionary visited his town and told Carlos that he was destined for mission work. Dr. Perkins recalled that memorable interaction on a return trip to the Caribbean years later, after moving with his family to New York, graduating from Ithaca College, and being called to serve as a pastor himself.
Dr. Perkins traveled to Haiti in 2016 as part of a medical mission led by the pastor of his home church. He was accompanied by a close friend, Dr. Michael Henderson, a cardiologist and former US Army soldier who joined the mission's medical team. Both men felt an immediate connection to the culture and people of Haiti, as well as surprise at the dire need in this beautiful country not far from the United States.
Dr. Perkins reflected on his own childhood experiences and knew in his heart that he was being called to work with Haitian children. Similarly, as Dr. Henderson met children and performed medical exams in Haiti, he realized that for many of them, this was the first time they had ever received a basic health check-up. He was moved by each child's eagerness to learn and felt compelled to help.
In 2018, this new organization opened Jesus House for Children, a 28-child orphanage. When political unrest forced a nationwide shutdown in 2019, they expanded to open an on-site school so that children could continue their education while local schools were closed. The need among Haitian children has only grown in the first few years of operation, and many families have reached out for assistance. Dr. Perkins and Dr. Henderson have been blessed with the opportunity to visit with their families and watch their own children not only contribute to the project but also form strong bonds with the children there. Beautiful Morning's mission will remain the same as it expands to serve more children in the coming years: to give every child the opportunity to grow up and develop a happy and healthy future.
