The earthquake struck just as the last bucket of wet cement was poured on the roof of Bwa Kayiman CRC. Bwa Kayiman is the fourth church construction project undertaken in Haiti in partnership with SON-BEAM International. Despite all odds, the steel jacks and fragile two by fours held the wet cement roof in place and the building was successfully finished a few weeks later. For many years the Bwa Kayiman church has been a hub of ministry in its community. The church offers the only theological and biblical training in its region in addtion to to a literacy and environmental awareness program. On April 11, Zach, Chris Meehan (a journalist from the CRCNA denominational headquarters) and a deligation of pastors from the CRC of Haiti participated in the Bwa Kayiman buiding dedication and the graduation of thirty-four participants from the literacy and environmental awareness program. During the service the literacy and environmental education graduateds read Scripture publically for the first time and were presented with sapling trees to plant. It was amazing to hear God's Word proclaimed by persons who had lived over fifty years unable to read a single word. After graduation, the pastors on hand participated in the dedication of the building, which is a very important event in the life of the church. Because of the presence of Haitian Voodooism (a religion based on the invocation of spirits and the possession of human hosts and other objects), the pastors prayed that the Holy Spirit would claim the building exclusively for the worship of God and the teaching of the Gospel. Zach preached a sermon on Ezra 3:1-13 in which he encouraged the congregation to "found their lives on obedience to God." Please see Chris Meehan's article on the CRCNA web-site for more information.
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