Blown away! Amazed! I went to Haiti last week and saw incredible ministry taking place through our American missionaries, our mission teams from Virginia and Florida, as well as our Haitian workers.
Back in Time
On Tuesday of last week, we went to a remote village called Matthias. I felt as though I had gone back in time 700 years. Everything was primitive. No electricity, no running water, nothing. Only simple huts made of sticks and stones and mud. Most of the adults are illiterate.
Sweet little boy sitting on a log as we arrived in Matthias
Visiting with a family in front of their home
Singing with the children. The tiny church/school is in the background.
My daughter and I inside the small structure with mud walls that is used as the church and the school
Sharing the Good News
In the village of Matthias, we handed out audio Bibles that are solar powered. This lady and her family were delighted to receive one. These audio Bibles are especially important since most adults in the village cannot read.
While handing out audio Bibles on Tuesday in Matthias, we asked this man if he knew Jesus. He said he did not but he would like to know about him. We shared the Good News of God’s love that has been demonstrated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He chose to place his faith in Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life.
While sharing the gospel with the man in the photo above, we didn’t notice this lady who was standing about 6 feet away. After we finished talking with the man, she immediately stepped forward and said, “I want to know Jesus, too.” So we shared the hope of the gospel with her and she also placed her faith in Christ. It was a glorious day!
On Wednesday, about 60 people came to the Hope Center in Thoman for a Bible Study. I shared the parables of Jesus in Luke 15 – the stories of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. I told them Jesus said, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Numerous ones said they wanted to put their faith in this Jesus.
These are the ten souls who wanted to become followers of Jesus. We prayed with them, talked about their commitment, and shared how they can grow in their faith. Most of them had walked two hours through the mountains to come to the Bible study. Praise God!
While walking outside the Hope Center in Galette Chambon, this girl approached us and asked for a Bible. She was so excited to receive a copy of God’s Word in her Creole language.
Meeting Needs
Countless needs exist in Haiti. It’s a great joy for our teams to be used by God to help meet some of these vital needs.
I caught the medical team in Thoman having devotion and prayer time before the clinic opened on Monday.
This mom was smiling because her little boy is doing so much better. A few months ago, we ran into her and found this little guy was 6 moths old and weighed only 5 pounds. He was starving. Now, she comes weekly to the Hope Center medical clinic in Thoman to receive formula and he has almost doubled his weight!
Men from the Great Bridge Baptist Church team in Virginia made desks for Pastor Mathurin’s school.
They made 26 desks that will hold 4 young children each. That’s 104 children who will get to sit at brand new desks when school starts next month. Way to go, team!
A house was built in Thoman by the Virginia team last week for this man and his family. He was one of the hardest working men I’ve ever seen. All week he hauled cement and blocks and worked tirelessly on his new home. Now, he can move from his house made of mud and stone walls into this sturdy home that will last for generations.
Our friend Margaret from California standing with a mom and her son. This little boy needed to be enrolled in school but his family had recently moved to Haiti from the Dominican Republic and mom had left his birth certificate there. Children cannot go to school without a birth certificate. We thought and planned and worked and prayed, and God answered our prayers and he will be sponsored and enrolled in school next month. Going to school will be a life-changing event for this kind-hearted boy.
On Thursday, I sat in on an English class in Galette Chambon being taught by our missionary, Mickie West. Mickie is a former high school and college English teacher and does an incredible job teaching English to the many Haitians who want to learn to read and speak English. Many doors will be opened once they become fluent in English.
Blessings Galore
As always, when we attempt to bless the lives of others we are the ones who receive the greatest blessings. In our dorms in Thoman, mission team members write on the wooden bunk beds.
Someone from Palmetto, Georgia
From Arkansas