Riis and his wife, Michele, run Mission Possible Relief, a Christian 501c3.  They helped to found Maison de la Liberte (Freedom House), an orphanage in Croix des Boquets, Haiti where they have spiritual oversight for 27 children, 19 of whom were restaveks (child slaves), while the other 8 came from some of the most horrific slums in all of Haiti.

Michele started a trade school 2 years ago in Haiti for aging-out orphans, widows and single moms after witnessing the brutal cycle of poverty repeat itself across generations.  She is in the process of expanding the school.  With over 80% unemployment in the country, Michele is empowering these vulnerable and most afflicted Haitians to support themselves and their families through sewing, tailoring and discipling.

Riis focuses much of his efforts in Haiti on doing clean water projects to prevent death and chronic sickness.  80% of illness in Haiti is caused from ingesting contaminated water.  Typhus, cholera, e-coli and many parasites in ground water cause a variety of crippling and deadly illnesses such as dysentery.  Riis and Michele have installed effective, low cost ($1,500 each) clean water systems in orphanages, schools, hospitals and churches across Haiti.  Each system can give 2-3,000 people life-giving water.

In all of these service areas—whether caring for orphans, teaching trades, or providing clean water, having the opportunity to share the Living Water of Jesus Christ is Riis and Michele’s grandest calling.  Haitians are hungry for the Gospel, and Jesus is the only answer to their many complex problems.

Riis and Michele have 3 grown children living in Dallas.  Over the past years, the Lord has put a strong and clear calling on their lives to ultimately move to Haiti to help “Break the Cycle” of spiritual and economic poverty.