a snapshot of my life and ministry

home from haiti.

This past week a team of 18 from Faith Promise Church went to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to work with two orphanages that FP supports.  The last six days have been a whirlwind experience that would take days to fully communicate in words, so I thought I’d share with you just a few moments of the Faith Promise Haiti Mission Trip that will be forever etched in my mind.

1. On our first morning in Haiti, we got word that a child at one of the orphanages was sick.  Turns out he had cholera, which, if untreated, is very deadly. Ryan Hargis, our resident EMT, took him to 3 different hospitals where the boy was denied care. Finally he was accepted at a small Cholera Treatment Clinic, and by the time we left on Monday, he was back at the orphanage with the other children.  Had he not been diagnosed by our team, he likely would not have made it.  God’s timing is amazing!
2. In case you’ve never been to Haiti…it’s really HOT…even in October! Most days the temperature reached above 95 degrees, but I was BLOWN AWAY by our team’s tenacity to interact with the children despite the climate. We spent most of our time outdoors, and the team treated each passing hours as if it was the only opportunity that they had.  The smiles on the kids’ faces were priceless as they got more attention and love in less than a week than they likely had ever received before!
3. While in Haiti we had the honor of communicating through a translator named Namarra.  His presence amped up our connection with the children and the culture, and it would not have been the same without him.  I was so proud to see our team give so generously to him on our last day…he took BAGS of stuff back to his home when we left!
4. On Sunday our team got to experience a typical, though not for us, Haitian church service.  We fumbled through the French singing of traditional Hymns and sweated through a non-air-conditioned two-hour service in packed house of 350. I had the unique opportunity of preaching that day, and it was humbling to hear how grateful the church was for our involvement in the orphanages. I pray that our relationship with those children grows even more as we continue to support them!

I want to thank Faith Promise as a whole for the continued support that has been extended to the children at these two orphanages.  We are making a difference in more than just food and shelter, but also in allowing these kids to see God as He truly is…the Giver of life and love.  Please check out this video to see the personal impact you are making in the lives of dozens of children in need. http://vimeo.com/fpstudents/haitithankyou