The Hope of Haiti, Pt. 2. Reference Psalm 50:2

I have so many more images of the Haitian people, and closing this series is a difficult thing for me as my passion for these wonderful human beings and my desire to return to their nation has not abated. I pray to God in Jesus matchless name, He will allow me one day soon to return to give of the labor of my hands and the witness of my mouth to his Glory, and to be so blessed again as I was by Him and these hopeful people on my first visit.
The image above is of the children of the small church we attended service at in Cap Haitian. Their pastor who's name I fail to remember is poorly cropped to the extreme right. Greg, whom you have seen in other posts is rear left, and the little girl in the very front left is one of the missionaries children who brought us to the service and helped us to understand the translation.
The second facet of hope I see for Haiti is the faith of it's Christian people, especially their children who worship and sing in service with as much energy as the adults! These will be the future parents of godly children no longer under the yoke of Voodoo or a Catholic hybrid thereof.
Some of these young folk speak more than one language, learn a tireless work ethic that the need to just survive demands, and show up every worship service dressed their best as if they were going to meet Jesus personally that day. Amongst all the squalor and poverty, every attendant of the service we went to from oldest to youngest were dressed in a fashion that rivals most of us who worship corporately in America. For most of these folks I am told it is the only good set of clothing they may own, and in some cases if they do not feel presentable enough they will not attend for shame of disrespecting Christ in their appearance! Although I was informed that this practice is happening a little less as they come to understand it is the condition of the heart and not the clothes Jesus is concerned with.
Can you see the hope there? who do we know among us that loves Christ so much they fear to disrespect Him by even less than their best dress in church? How many in America will miss church this Sunday simply because they want to sleep in, or have work around the home to do, or want the money Sunday overtime may provide!
Can you see the the richness of Christ in the souls of those who have little, as compared to the poorness of the hearts of some of us who have so much?
This is the hope of Haiti, the love and devotion and enthusiasm to our Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ, taught diligently by missionary brothers and sisters to the parents, who's hearts are open to God and touched by His Grace, and teach of His Word their children well!

The Hope of Haiti, Pt.1

This photo was taken by the last mission trip to Haiti from Holland Church. I believe the young man in the foreground is Isaac, and the man behind the wall is Pastor Randy, team leader that year. they are working on an outer wall of the Bethesda medical clinic. As each year passes, and the teams continue to work, the hope of the people who live in Haiti as missionaries grow alongside the lives of the native peoples as they learn of the love of Jesus, and see it displayed by those who come to share it.

Greg sweeps the dried tile mud and sand from the unfinished section of the room. We had hoped to finish the whole room, just as I below strove to finish the hallway before we were called back to the OMS compound for dinner. Even in our earnest labor for the Lord we are still chastised for our pride. He sends hands to dig the furrow, others to plant the seeds, some to water and He gives the increase. The next team, one from Canada will take over next week and finish here all according to His plan.

I never expected to learn a skill on this foray, even one as enjoyable as this one is to me. I look forward to the day when the Lord calls me back to Haiti to serve the needs of these people, and to share in the fellowship of such good brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Hope is such a multifaceted word. Over the past blog segments we have seen the need for it, and I pray enough drive to empower the execution of action on it's behalf. I believe there are two planes of hope for this nation. This segment will attempt to address in some small way the lesser of the two.
Above part of our missions work team takes a quick break from laying tile in the new compound that will house a large modern seminary school for the training of Haitian pastors. As I write this the building you see here is already completed and occupied by full time missionaries Gil and Dan Shoemaker, who are overseeing the project. The physical labor is hard and the temperature is above 90f. Most of us have never laid a tile in our lives, but became fairly good at it under the firm and professional guidance of fellow missionary Lt. Dan, a professional contractor from Indiana who gives weeks each year to the Lord's service.



Begun and finished 3 years ago, this is an addition to the Bethesda medical clinic on the main OMS compound, this photo was taken by the last mission team to Haiti from Holland Church.



Donated from The US, Canada, and other countries, things we take for granted like cabinetry for a kitchen may seem trivial, but the desire in the hearts of those who donate, ship, and work to install these simple amenities is anything but that. The love of Christ and the desire to help those in desperate need fuel the furnace of human industry that helps to build even the smallest parts of God's Kingdom.



John, son of a full time missionary from Canada spends his winter months working to add to the compound. Here he cuts tile with a wet saw. The pace is fast as we strive in a week to accomplish all we can for those who live and devote their lives to the mission field full time. Though we are but a small drop in the bucket, the privilege and blessings are great, growing our hearts for service to others.
The next segment will be the final one on this experience, and will tell of the largest hope for the people of Haiti, and for those who are moved by the Grace of God to call Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour.

In love in Christ, Mike.

The Beauty of Haiti

A beautiful garden maintained in a restaurant courtyard in Cap Haitian.


First let me apologize for the delay in this promised post on the physical beauty of the nation of Haiti. Physical and emotional distress has kept me otherwise distracted until today, as God has blesses me with a window of relative comfort, and a desire for industry. The following are some of what I feel are the wonderful natural gifts God has bestowed on this island. Gifts that are constantly in danger of eradication, and in some cases extinction. I was not able to obtain all the names of the flora featured here, but I will do my best to identify those I do know. If you see any you recognize, feel free to leave a comment and the correct name!


This wonderful flowering shrub was all over the OMS compound, fragrant, and looks to me like a tropical version of Azalea, or it's larger cousin Rhododendron found frequently in my home area of New England. The bushes ranged is size from o few feet to over 12 ft. tall and as many wide. Their beautiful sunburst color and sweet fragrance were a welcome experience every morning.



Most everyone will recognize this classic tropical beauty, the Hibiscus. This is just one of many colors and configurations I saw during the week, and with the exception of Bananas, Papayas, Bougainvillea, and some others I can not name, they were the most numerous and possibly the most fragrant of all I encountered.



Though deforestation is rampant on the island, in some small protected places such as the OMS compound, and on the lands held behind high walls of the wealthy few the diversity of trees and shrubs that grow in profusion here are remarkable. Charimoya, Mahogany, Date palm, Papaya, Banana, and I believe ( correct me if I am wrong) Lychee and Longon berry trees.
There were also cultivated Tamarind trees, who's seed pods produce a fruity paste like a tart fig. God has certainly placed a wealth of life here, just waiting for the spiritual recovery of the nation to thrive upon, feed it's own, and export to a waiting world.



I would like to say these beauties are a form of Bougainvillea, but I can not be sure. They may be indigenous or introduced, I really do not know much about them but they are spectacular.
Among Haiti's subsistence crops are peanuts, which they make the best peanut butter in the world with. Sugar cane, guavas, papayas, bananas, and my personal favorite of God's earthly gifts, coffee, which local co-ops helped by OMS grow, harvest, roast, and sell. If you have never had Haitian Coffee, check out the link on the link section on my blog front page "Starfish Kids", and check out their link section, this will lead you to places where you can find ways to order this delicacy at for far less than the overpriced mud found at Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. I still have a pound in my freezer I keep for special occasions. You can also order peanut butter from them, but the supply is limited and sporadic depending on the harvest, and the rain



I hoped to get a better shot of this creature, it is a large (15") reptile of the Skink family that did not seem to eager to wait around for a photo op. Aside from much smaller Anoels and an abundance of insects, spiders, birds and frogs, native fauna was hard to come by. This is mostly due to habitat loss and human predation for food.


Away from the interior of the country the tourist areas, which one is seldom if ever allowed to leave is kept pristine and breathtaking. Labadee is a small island a few hundred yards off the coast of Haiti that is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a 'day at the beach' dock. Lavadee beach where we went for a day of R&R a few hundred yards swim west was not so exclusive, but beautiful in the fact that it was God's provision for us that day.
Part of the port of Labadee . If you look at the far edge of the water on the right side of the photo, almost to the opposite shore, you can see a small dark spot. Four of us swam with one kayak between us to that buoy, it is over a mile away and weighs several tons. It is anchored to the sea floor and is used to tie to the cruise ships that sail the Caribbean and stop here for a day at Labadee.
Beauty and danger often go hand in hand in Haiti,. These wondrous limestone formations on shore are part coral and will shred the feet of any who venture onto them unprotected!



Possibly my favorite scent in all of Haiti, the Jasmine. (at least I believe it is, smells like it, looks like it even though I am used to seeing them in white.) These are also found all over the land where pollution and contaminated water has not devastated the ecology. They are a common shrub around the OMS compound and most of the walled enclosures of the well to do. The night air is thick with the scent and brings a peaceful sleep despite the whine of mosquitoes!



On our approach to Haiti I was awestruck by the landscape. I have been to the Bahamas, but their featureless topography never prepared me for the breathtaking sight of the Hispaniola Mountain range that divides The Dominican Republic from Haiti. this view is from the Northwest. about three hours from our last stop at the Bahamian island of Exuma where we took on fuel to complete the trip.



This is one of the most unusual flowers I have seen anywhere, but Haiti is not the first place I saw it. There is sample species in a greenhouse in Connecticut. It is (by the curator) called a lobster claw plant, because of the way the flowers petals open and close into each other like the claws of the popular North American crustacean . I was not able to learn the Haitian name for the plant, but it was abundant and thrived in the tropical environment.



While one may not recognize the plant shown above by the flower, you would know it instantly by the sharp heat and flavor, indeed even the spicy scent from and number of Japanese, Indian,Thai, Korean and Caribbean dishes, as the tuber from this plant is the ever popular spice Ginger! It is indigenous, and grows profusely in the wild, and local gardens, as well as by most roadsides where pollution has not destroyed all plant life.




This one, well, you got me. I am guessing by the ornate petal edges on the main body of the flower that it may be a member of the Hibiscus family, even with the wild display of pistil and stamen. Unfortunately, I can not remember if there was a strong scent associated with it to confirm my guess. This was a less common species so it seemed, usually found in tended gardens and not so much in the open areas we were allowed to explore. Again, if you know the species, please comment!


The last image I chose here is one that is both nondescript, and potent in my thoughts. It is not cultivated or colorful, cultured, or maintained by any but the hand of God. He made the nation of Haiti as He did America, Europe, Africa, South America or Australia. It is the sin of humans that cursed the lands, and by the Redemptive Blood of Christ and the loving labor of the Faithful in worship of the One True God, this land may once again shine forth in spiritual as well as physical beauty in honor of the Father, Son, and Holy spirit.

In love in Christ, Mike Z.

The Desolation of Haiti, pt. 2.

The UN office at Cap Haitian International Airport.

The United Nations has had a peacekeeping force of some 3,000 international forces in Haiti for a few years now. As most local police are corrupt, underfunded, and under equipped these are the only stabilizing force against the gangs and drug cartels that pray on the Haitian citizens. While we were in Haiti, the gang violence in Port Au Prince reached a crescendo with attacks on UN vehicles and soldiers. Some of these were perpetrated by children under the age of 14, weilding AK-47's supplied by the now defunct Aristied government. Usually the UN will not engage the population in a firefight, but the day before we left we were told by our missionary hosts of street to street gunfights, as the UN took a stand to rout the gangs from the city streets.


12 ft. walls surrounding the OMS compound.

Walls are a common sight in Haitian life. They define those who have and those who have not, they protect and preserve, and they segregate and divide. The original land area or the OMS compound was almost twice what is circled by walls today. Squatters are a fact of life here, and the only way to drive off the desperate and destitute is by the gun. Saints would do no such thing, so walls were erected around the land not yet taken over by the poor to keep the establishment of service to the Haitian people intact. The envious and unrepentant look upon them with resentment, and the VooDoo practitioners focus their malice upon them and those they protect. The broken in spirit see hope in the establishment of secure boundaries, where help for what ails the body and soul can be found.


Multipurpose waterway.

Fresh water in Haiti is rarity. Here a shallow river provides water for a multiple of uses. Cars are washed, garbage and sewerage is disposed of, bodies are washed and the poor drink from the same source, fish and wildlife are polluted out of existence by this. Deforestation and erosion scar the land causing rockfalls and mudslides that take lives without warning. This desolation has been caused by a people fighting to survive day to day in a land almost devoid of hope and natural resorces. I fish many of the waters in Massachusetts where I live and appreciate their beauty. Many times I feel shame and anger at the sight of trash left by uncaring people who have no appreciation for the gift of the natural world God has given us. Perhaps if these unthinking minds and unconcerned hearts had only such places like these in Haiti in which to get their drinking water or to bathe they would consider the bounty The Father has heaped on us, and treat it accordingly.


Housing of the middle class.

Haiti is a nation of over 8 million as of 2005 estimates. The area of Haiti is only slightly less than that of Maryland, and much of the country is arid and mountainous. 75% of the population crowds into it's two major cities, Cap Haitian and Port Au Prince. 80% of the people live below poverty level, for us in the United States thats a little over $10,000 annual salary. For the Haitian citizen it is less than $500 a year. The most basic of needs take precedence, food and shelter. Above is a coastal district of Cap Haitian that is blessed with concrete domiciles, offering protection from hurricanes, and offering some sense of security.


Dangerous shores.

This is a beach front property in Cap Haitian. The erratic fluctuation of an unstable economy and political upheaval see flurries of unfinished construction as resources fail, and long intervals of decay and stagnation. This has taught the people of Haiti to be resourceful with what they do have available to them. Cars that breakdown and can not be fixed due to lack of parts or money are stripped to the bare metal frame, every nut, bolt, scrap of upholstery and length of wire is salvaged, reused, sold, or traded.


Pop shop.

Soda pop is as common in Haiti as in the US. Small businesses like this are found all throughout Cap Haitian and Port Au Prince. The glass bottle is more valuable than it's contents and are always reused. Of all the refuse one will see in Haiti, a discarded pop bottle is the most rare.
The next post in this series will show the natural beauty that the nation of Haiti still possesses. while there is precious little of it left, it is breathtakingly beautiful none the less. It shows I think that God has not completely forsaken this place, and as the Faithful labor to do the work of The Kingdom in the hearts of the Haitian people the land may yet heal.

The Desolation of Haiti, pt. 1.

The Citadel

Welcome to the beginning of the Haiti mission blog series. To better understand the circumstance of this Island nation you will need a brief history.
The Island of Hispaniola (which Haiti now occupies 1/3 of) was discovered by Columbus in 1492. The native Arawak Indians were exterminated to make way for Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century the French established a settlement on the western coast of the island, and in 1697 Spain ceded the west third to France, thus establishing the colony of Haiti.
Forestry and sugar cane, worked on the backs of millions of African slaves soon made Haiti one of the Caribbeans' wealthiest spots. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'ouverture and after many years of bitter fighting ejected the French and became the first black republic to declare it's independence. The date was 1804.

Seaport of Cap Haitian, second largest city in Haiti.

This is the history you will read according to the CIA World Factbook, and most of western history. While it is true, it is not the complete story as known by the Haitian people and the missionaries who work and live among them. Western culture has little room for the supernatural in enlightened thought and so fails to understand the plight of this poorest of nations. In the battle for independence from the French the African Slaves sought an ally, they turned to the idols and demons of Voodoo brought from their native Africa,and the power of the Devil to aid them to victory. To this end a pact was made between the slave population seeking freedom, and the Evil one. The new found country of Haiti would serve the Devil for 200 years in exchange for their release from the tyranny of the French. To seal this deal, 3000 human sacrifices were made at The Citadel (pictured above) on a mountain overlooking Cap Haitian, a northern seaport.
A well maintained street in Cap Haitian.

The Devil delivered. Independence was soon after won, the French were ousted and Haiti began it's two century debt payment to evil and corruption. Since it's establishment as a sovereign nation Haiti has never know peace or prosperity. The influence of spiritual decay is evident in even the heavily guarded and walled compounds of the relatively wealthy as the odor of rotting trash in near 100 degree F. heat wafts by. There are little or no government services of any kind, and other than a precious few mission clinics scattered throughout the country medical care is a scarce and often times a lethal proposition. To put this into some small perspective, Dr. Gavin McClintock of the Bethesda Medical Clinic, (the top rated in the nation) located in the OMS compound where we stayed related a tragic yet common event. A young mother and her dead newborn were found in a small house in town. The infant died on a dirt floor of umbilical hemorrhage shortly after birth. The new mother did not know to tie off the umbilicus, nor did she have the clean scissors and thread to do the job. The sterile kit to do this costs a little under 50 cents US.
Malnourished animals and refuse, breeding disease are a commonplace.

Disease, a harsh and rampant neighbor is born and bred in the open sewer trenches that line the streets next to homes, shops, and marketplaces. Among these are Malaria, carried by mosquitoes breeding in stagnate polluted water that abounds in both city and rural areas due to lack of structural planning. Dengi fever, an often fatal debilitating disease related to Malaria and also carried by mosquitoes, Yellow fever, Tetanus, Typhus, and a great host of parasites and other more common infectious agents. AIDS, is also a factor here. It is estimated by the World Health Organization that possibly 1 in 4 of the nearly 6 million Haitian people are infected, and with little or no education or government program in place to deal with the crisis the forecast for control of further infection is grim.
A typical food market on the roadside.


A main thoroughfare in the City of Cap Haitian.

The average house in Haiti is small. Sometimes constructed of poor grade concrete blocks and salvaged corrugated steel, more often of scrap wood and plastics they are not usually larger than 10 feet by 12 feet, and are with few exceptions without running water, bathrooms, or electricity. At one time as many as 16 adults and children may reside in a domicile, taking turns sleeping in shifts on straw, wood pallets or the dirt floor. In the cities of Cap Haitian and Port-Au Prince structures are built of low grade, iron reinforced concrete blocks, sometimes 4 or 5 stories high. There is no building code, no safety standard, and collapse resulting in death and injury are a consequence. Electric service is sporadic and unreliable. Most people obtain electricity by cutting through the insulation of high voltage lines that are connected to the compounds of the wealthy and the missionaries, and adding their own sometimes uninsulated and usually inadequate gauge wires to get power to their houses and shops. These are hazards for adults as well as children.
Streets are seldom maintained, travel is always precarious.


Without sanitation services, refuse is piled in the streets, sometimes burned.


A bridge over an inlet, waterfront in Haiti is toxic, polluted and a dangerous place to live.

By these images it is easy to see the ravages of poverty, the condition of a society with little or no structure of law and the inevitable downward spiral of the human condition without the hope of redemption. This is the result of evil in it's most simple and pure form. The Devil will always get his due, and the nation of Haiti is the proof.


A vehicle is a luxury most Haitians do not know. The 'Tap-Tap' (so named because when you want to get off you tap the vehicle to alert the driver to stop) is the second most common form of transportation after the foot. There are no seat belts, and loss of limb and life are a very real and frequent risk.

In the year 2004 the debt to the Devil was paid in full. Yet today three years later human sacrifices in Voodoo rituals are not uncommon, almost daily bodies are found mutilated in rural and mountain ritual Voodoo sites. In 2006 the interim president Boniface Alexandre rededicated Haiti as a nation to God. The long recovery of Haiti as a viable country, and the spiritual rebirth of it's people has begun but faces a legion of challenges. The predominant culture of Voodoo infused Catholicism is strongly ingrained in the adult population and in Haiti's cultural history. The restoration of the countryside from deforestation and erosion will take decades, and the sanitation issues of the urban centers will cost millions that the government and some of it's corrupted factions don't care, or don't have to spend. Violent gangs control most of the streets, commerce, and illegal drug trade, holding the rest of the population in fear. Many who see this scenario will close their eyes and feel the hopelessness of a nation of people lost, but the dedicated in Christ Jesus see a fertile field of souls ripe for the harvest. Over the next few weeks and possibly months I will continue to assault your sensibilities, and prod your Christian ethic to pray, feel and consider the soul of Haiti and her people, as well as our own. For all their poverty and disease they are brought closer to the need of Jesus for salvation, something we in our clean and grossly wealthy society place too little importance on past noon on Sunday.

In love in Christ Jesus, Mike.

Haiti blog intro

As promised and a long time in coming, I begin my account of my missions trip to Haiti. Over the past few months I have thought a lot about the experience, how God used me and the humble work of the hands and hearts of our team for His Kingdom.
Even more dominating in my thoughts is how mightily He blessed us by the tasks that were provided, and how we are humbled by the awesome faith of the people of this island nation, the poorest in the western hemisphere. I hope through the next three blogs,( it will take that many at least!) that I am able to impress upon you the vastness of the gulf that separates the wealth and faith, joy and sorrow, hope and despair in the existence of these amazing people, and the comparably tragic state of the soul of our own nation in regard to our mutual faith in the same God, and the same Saviour.
I also hope to goad you to spiritual self examination, as I was by the reality of what I saw, and maybe even exhort you to action in your faith in Christ beyond Sunday service attendance, weekly giving, and an occasional Bible study. I do not condescend, the scathing tone is for myself as well as for the comfortable Believer. Since I have been home I have settled into the familiar comforts of running hot and cold water, adequate clothing, shelter, medical care, and abundant food quite easily. This is natural for the average American Christian as we know little of hardship, and are prone to whining when the price of gas jumps higher than we feel we deserve to pay, or our favorite ice cream is out of stock on a given day.
while these things may sound trite, it is the truth. We are a spoiled and wealthy beyond reason and the soft, easy life God has blessed us with in this season is not the reality for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Or for most of the rest of the world for that matter.
The next blog will be uncomfortable I promise. I will attempt by the Grace of God to rip you from your emotional and spiritual comfort zone with images and words that are the daily truth of life for millions less than a days' plane flight away from your home. My only sorrow is that I can not transfer the feeling of the heat and humidity, the smell of burning garbage and human waste, and the desperation in the voices of children begging as a way of life.
The second post will be on the natural beauty of the island and the potential God has put there. Despite the wreckage of most of the land there is the breathtaking glory of The Lords' love of good things to be seen, this will be soothing ice for the wounds your eyes will endure just before.
The third will be on the hope of Gods' people in that land, the work being done in faith by the hands of full and part time missionaries for the glory of His Kingdom, and stories of perseverance in the field, and in the face of kidnapping, human tragedy, Voodoo and death, all of which took place in and around the week we were there. It is my fervent hope that you will be moved to tears, feel the heat of shame, be overcome with the need to reach out and take action in your commitment to Christ to some degree. Weather that is to sponsor a child in Haiti or elsewhere, donate money, goods, time, or heed the call of our Saviour to go into the world and proclaim His Truth in person to people you have never met is between you and Jesus. Be assured however, that it is between you and Him if He is your Saviour, and the call sounds every day in the life of a Believer. We have only to pry our attention off of ourselves for a moment and it is easy to hear.

In love in Christ, Mike Z.

In preparation

I have been absent from posting for some days now, and it has been some weeks since I offered a new post here.
There is good reason. In eleven days I will be embarking on my first missions trip, and I am excited, and preoccupied with all this entails.
Originally we were scheduled to to go to Haiti in August of last year, but this was not God's plan so the date was moved. While this felt disappointing at the time, I looked to the future with anticipation. Now the future is, and there is much to do. Meetings and prayer, finances for the trip to arrange, inoculations, packing, supplies, and the collecting of all I can to bring to the people I will serve and witness to in Jesus name. The team of dedicated Christians I will be serving with will be doing a variety of tasks, assisting in the field clinic ministering to the physical needs of the poor, who may get the only medical attention they will see all year there. We will be hand pouring concrete and laying cinder block walls for a seminary school in 90 degree heat and 100% humidity. We may work at assembling working computers from spare parts, paint, teach and most importantly witness by word and deed of the love of Jesus for His people.
Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere with 80% of it's population living in abject poverty. Violence and crime is a daily occurrence while the specter of disease and starvation looms ever present in the lives of the Haitian people. Kidnappings of foreign nationals, and missionaries in particular are a fact of life here. We have been told to expect anything.
As I do what I can to prepare, I consider that all the material things I can bring to help these people will not last for long. I am packing minimal clothing and personal items, all of which I will leave there, I have ransacked my apartment for hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and soap, I am gathering my daughters outgrown clothes from her guardian family, and their neighbors. My fishing buddy builds computers as a hobby and I hope he will donate chips, hard drives, and processors for the missions school. Today I am going to buy socks, underwear, towels and facecloths, as much as I can afford, and hopefully my employer will donate over the counter medicine and first aid items to contribute to the missions clinic.
I am struck with the gross wealth all around me, and am doing my best to pack as much as I can into two 50 lb. suitcases and one 40 lb. carry on. My heart is beginning to break with the realization that all this will be less than a drop in an enormous bucket.
Yet with this in mind every morning I pray and thank God that He has called me to this task and given me an excited heart to do his will, and serve His Kingdom. While I despair in the smallness of my ability to give, and the weakness in my flesh that I know will feel the shock and shame of exposure to a society of the truly materially destitute, my spirit soars and I am brought to tears of joy and humility, that Jesus would choose such a worthless sinner as myself to share the witness Christ has given me, and allow me the privilege to labor for His Glory.
Now that you know where I have been and where I will be going, I need to ask you all to pray for the team, and for me. Please ask The Father for safe travel, protection from disease, and that He will give us great strength of body to labor, and an even stronger heart and spirit to witness to and serve the needs of our brothers and sisters in this poverty stricken land. It is my fervent hope that we will willingly give all that He has provided us to this calling, and that the people of Haiti will see Christ in us, and praise His Name for the helping hands and humble witness we bring by the will of God.