God’s Grace (and Subwoofers)

Exuma's speakers ready to pump out the Gospel.

Exuma and his friends study the TLT manuals at Bethel Christian Assembly

Two things that rarely go together for most North American believers are God’s saving grace and subwoofers.  But in Haiti, they are like two sides of the same coin.  Why?  One way churches can attract non-believers is through engaging and animated worship.  In Haiti that means electric keyboards, microphones, guitars, and, above all else, big speakers.  Just like non-believers in the pews, good quality sound equipment is hard to find during Sunday morning services in Haiti.  Evangelical churches are known as much for deafening speaker-feedback as they are for their ear-piercing hallelujahs.

Enter Exuma Exinord and Timoth Leadership Training (TLT) in Haiti.  Exuma recently worked through the TLT manual “Caring for God’s People” and was convinced that God gave him and his fellow church members at Bethel Christian Assembly the task of visiting three lapsed members whom no one had seen for many months.  Exuma quickly learned good pastoral care practice from the manual and began the visits with his friends.  Two of the lapsed members responded positively and re-engaged with their faith.  Moreover, in the process of the pastoral visits, five acquaintances of the lapsed members came to faith in Christ.  The love and care shown by Exuma and his friends convinced them of Christ’s gracious love for them as well.

God, however, was not finished using Exuma and TLT for the good of Bethel Christian Assembly.  While studying the second manual in the TLT series “Christian Stewardship,” Exuma and his friends became convinced that God was calling them to raise money to purchase new speakers for the sanctuary.  After many months of hard-nosed saving, Exuma’s church purchased a new set of speakers for 37,000 Haitian Gourdes (about $600 USD).  This may not seem like much to a North American, but for a Haitian this is a princely sum.  Eighty percent of all Haitians live on less than $2 USD per day.  That means that Exuma and his church saved the equivalent of nearly a year’s worth of income to enhance the worship of Christ at Bethel Christian Assembly.

It is truly a blessing to see how the TLT material that we use in Christian Reformed World Missions’ ministry in Haiti can bring both spiritual and material blessings to God’s people.  Pray for Exuma and the many young people like him whose lives are being transformed by the Gospel they encounter in the TLT program.