Day 3 – Tuesday, March 25
Tuesday morning, the group went to the coastal village of Royal. Our bus driver Richie was our interpreter, and almost immediately after breaking up into groups, a village lady and Caroline G. seemed to be drawn together, and they began talking through Richie. Even before Caroline could get to the salvation bracelets that we had brought, the village lady told our interpreter that she wanted to know Jesus. Caroline walked her through the salvation bracelet, and the lady prayed to receive God's gift of salvation right in front of her house.
We talked to several people up and down the beach, and almost every group allowed us to walk through the salvation bracelets and to pray for them. We told them that SMI was hoping to start a church in their area and to be able to help bring hope and opportunity to the area. Many people asked us to pray for them to have the opportunity to work. Aside from the group bringing in fish and cleaning fish on the beach, there was very little opportunity for work in the area. It was also interesting that several women that appeared to be in the 18-25 age range wanted us to pray for them to be able to find a good man to be a husband.
Tuesday morning, the group went to the coastal village of Royal. Our bus driver Richie was our interpreter, and almost immediately after breaking up into groups, a village lady and Caroline G. seemed to be drawn together, and they began talking through Richie. Even before Caroline could get to the salvation bracelets that we had brought, the village lady told our interpreter that she wanted to know Jesus. Caroline walked her through the salvation bracelet, and the lady prayed to receive God's gift of salvation right in front of her house.
We talked to several people up and down the beach, and almost every group allowed us to walk through the salvation bracelets and to pray for them. We told them that SMI was hoping to start a church in their area and to be able to help bring hope and opportunity to the area. Many people asked us to pray for them to have the opportunity to work. Aside from the group bringing in fish and cleaning fish on the beach, there was very little opportunity for work in the area. It was also interesting that several women that appeared to be in the 18-25 age range wanted us to pray for them to be able to find a good man to be a husband.
After lunch, we packed rice and beans into small bags to hand out over the next two days. In the afternoon, we went to the Cepres School and community. There is a very large tent that they have church in. Before we went over to the school, we distributed rice, beans, candy and clothing items to the 8-10 homes on the property. Most of these people said that they were believers, and several of them asked us to pray for them because they were being persecuted (physically and spiritually). Each of the small homes (about the size of medium size bedroom in the US) had 5-10 people living in it.
The church hosted a Bible Study in the tent on Tuesday night, and our Student Pastor was asked to share through an interpreter. During this time, our students played with the kids from the area. They played soccer, climbed trees, did crafts and coloring books, among other things.
We had a great sharing time at night, and rejoiced over the salvation of the lady in Royal, and prayed that God would raise up a church there in His timing.
The church hosted a Bible Study in the tent on Tuesday night, and our Student Pastor was asked to share through an interpreter. During this time, our students played with the kids from the area. They played soccer, climbed trees, did crafts and coloring books, among other things.
We had a great sharing time at night, and rejoiced over the salvation of the lady in Royal, and prayed that God would raise up a church there in His timing.
Day 4 – Wednesday, March 26
God plants a church (part 1)...
God plants a church (part 1)...
Wednesday morning, we went to a different small coastal village called Kamitan to hand out rice and beans and to bring other small gifts for the people. Kamitan did not have a church, but SMI had made 5-6 visits to Kamitan (starting last
fall), and the village now had a few believers. Pastor Alexandre Wolcking from the church at Nanwòch had recently started meeting on Thursday nights with a group of 10-12 believers in Kamitan under a mango tree.
SMI president, Frank Williams, stated somewhat nonchalantly as we pulled into an empty lot that this was the lot that they had been looking at acquiring for starting a church in Kamitan.
We visited several homes, distributing the food, a few pairs of flip flops, as well as some pretty colored loom bracelets. The bracelets went fast, as even the boys and men wanted to have one. The people there were very open to us praying for them, and they were familiar with SMI's hope to put a church there.
fall), and the village now had a few believers. Pastor Alexandre Wolcking from the church at Nanwòch had recently started meeting on Thursday nights with a group of 10-12 believers in Kamitan under a mango tree.
SMI president, Frank Williams, stated somewhat nonchalantly as we pulled into an empty lot that this was the lot that they had been looking at acquiring for starting a church in Kamitan.
We visited several homes, distributing the food, a few pairs of flip flops, as well as some pretty colored loom bracelets. The bracelets went fast, as even the boys and men wanted to have one. The people there were very open to us praying for them, and they were familiar with SMI's hope to put a church there.
Lot in Kamitan, Haiti After about an hour of visiting the small huts, giving gifts and praying for people, Frank had located the lady who owned the property that SMI was interested in. After walking the boundaries of the property, the lady had agreed to lease the property to SMI. We were all excited and praising the Lord.
As we visited more houses for another hour or so, we were able to share with them that a church body would soon be meeting on the property where our bus would be parked. At that time, no one but the Lord knew how soon the body would start meeting there…
The people were excited about the church, and everyone let us pray for them and their needs. Similar to Royal, there was a lot of despair and lack of opportunity in this village. The people were desperate to get some of the rice and beans we were handing out. By that time, Frank was discussing moving the tent from the church at Guitton (that had their dedication service for their new building just the prior Sunday), and it appeared that God was moving quickly. We left before lunch to go back to the mission house. One group worked on projects around the mission house, while another group made popcorn for our afternoon project.
As we visited more houses for another hour or so, we were able to share with them that a church body would soon be meeting on the property where our bus would be parked. At that time, no one but the Lord knew how soon the body would start meeting there…
The people were excited about the church, and everyone let us pray for them and their needs. Similar to Royal, there was a lot of despair and lack of opportunity in this village. The people were desperate to get some of the rice and beans we were handing out. By that time, Frank was discussing moving the tent from the church at Guitton (that had their dedication service for their new building just the prior Sunday), and it appeared that God was moving quickly. We left before lunch to go back to the mission house. One group worked on projects around the mission house, while another group made popcorn for our afternoon project.
Movie-time in Nanwòch, Haiti In the afternoon, our group walked to the church at Nanwòch. We walked through plantain fields, agriculture areas, and a dried up river bed on the way. We were going to show the Jesus Film in Haitian Creole to the kids at Nanwòch and in the surrounding area. We brought popcorn and candy. The kids were well behaved during the film, and although there was a good crowd, we had made a lot of extra popcorn. Midway through the movie, one or two of the kids went out the side door and immediately came back in the main (back)entrance to the church and grabbed more popcorn as they came in. Soon, entire rows were doing the same thing, and they thought that we didn't know what they were doing, but it was very cute, because they acted like they didn't know that we had the popcorn in the back…
While the movie was playing, Frank and some of the men from our group went back to Kamitan to check with the villagers who had agreed to help clear off the newly acquired property. They reported back to us that they were working hard to clear off and level the lot that SMI had leased, and that the entire community was excited that God was putting a church in their village.
I think that news solidified what was going to happen the next day. Stay tuned...
Shane Gibson
First Baptist Church
Cleveland, TN
While the movie was playing, Frank and some of the men from our group went back to Kamitan to check with the villagers who had agreed to help clear off the newly acquired property. They reported back to us that they were working hard to clear off and level the lot that SMI had leased, and that the entire community was excited that God was putting a church in their village.
I think that news solidified what was going to happen the next day. Stay tuned...
Shane Gibson
First Baptist Church
Cleveland, TN
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