What We've Been Up to the Last Six Months

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” This encouraging triad has a powerful meaning for us. We will be returning to Haiti on February 10. The purpose of our last six months in the United States is twofold: to give a report of our ministry to our supporters and to prepare ourselves for the years of ministry to come. Every Sunday and many times throughout the week we have been sharing our ministry with churches and individuals. The second aspect, preparation, consumes quite a bit of time as well. Our family has had to work in three years’ worth of doctor’s appointments. Zachary and Sharon have been taking classes and doing continuing education projects (Sharon took a class in Old Testament and Zachary began a Ph. D. in Biblical Studies at the Free University of Amsterdam). We also enjoyed a “pastor’s tour” to Israel and the West Bank to visit the Biblical sites. In the course of our last six months, there have been some surprises too, like Sharon’s car accident in September and the resulting months of physical therapy.
When we return to Haiti we will launch ourselves back into the ministry and our children will return to Quisqueya Christian School in the middle of the school year. Please pray for the adjustments that will have to take place. We are looking forward to focus even more on training and developing Haitian leaders who will press the claims of Christ’s kingdom throughout their society and nation. There will be a lot of repairs and logistics to be handled which have been piling up the last six months of our absence. We know that our first few months back in Haiti will require a huge amount of patience and prayer!
What about the future of our work in Haiti? Paul’s injunction to be joyful in hope is very applicable. So many people ask us, “Will Haiti ever change?” The answer is, “Yes!” We know that God is raising up people to be witnesses of the Gospel in Haiti. We also know that we have a role in preparing those people for that important task. It has been our experience in Haiti that being witnesses of the Gospel is a challenging (but rewarding) task. What is needed? Three things: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Hope in a future filled with God’s grace. Be patient in a present where our faith is being tested. In all things, cry out to our Father in Heaven who hears our prayers and responds to all our needs.