Month: April 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! God is so awesome and gracious beyond all comprehension. It is so beautiful how He allows us to be part of His perfect plan and continues to stretch us past all of our boundaries. I pray that I will never feel worthy of all His grace and mercy. I thank all of you for your prayers and thoughts as we continue the great work in Haiti. It never ceases to amaze me how I feel the sweet spirit of Jesus when I am serving in a place where hope is totally dependent on the promises of God. It is easy to get distracted by things that we have no control over and find ourselves depending on man for all the answers.

Once again GMSM worked along side Truth Evangelistic Ministries (TEM) under the guidance of their lead servant Chuck Martindale. After arriving in Port Au Prince and having a good night sleep at Dottie’s we headed off to the real world, the village of Z’Orange. This is an area where we continue to build relationships with local people, pastors and voodoo priests. One of the primary goals of this particular mission trip was to lead a conference with some of the islands pastors. These men need so much prayer and encouragement. Most of these men preach without a salary and they work very hard at what they do. We had three pastors from our area lead the conference, Sean McMahon, Chuck Poplin and Ken Loubriel along with several lay ministers. The pastors received a certificate at the conclusion of the conference and had pictures taken. Also, they preached a revival that went on for four nights. The worship in a Haitian church can be so pure at times, it was truly special.

In Addition, we were involved with food distribution and I took several teams out to do hut to hut evangelism. Along with the hut to hut evangelism, we visited some of the voodoo villages. The hope is that by keeping these doors open one day many will step out of the darkness and into the light. I went to John Wesley’s house on several different occasions to talk and share the truth and hope of Christ Jesus. As most know, John is a voodoo priest that I have been ministering to for about two and a half years now… I never grow tired of sharing with him, although I do grieve for his salvation. I know I have done all I can do and that I am not responsible for his soul, but just knowing that he has been exposed to the truth and is still so confused by the empty lies of satan , it just makes me want to continue to try that much harder. I must always understand that God does know “the plan” and all he wants from me is obedience.

We also went up to Jerusalem II to see the new church and visit Pastor Fani and his wife. The church is progressing nicely. They are almost finished with the building. This church is being built by unpaid local people who have limited tools and the work is so fantastic! I think the “boss” might draw a very small salary. These people love the Lord so much and make many sacrifices to serve Him. No budget committee, no building committee, no building/ grounds committee and — praise God — no finance committee! Their only desire is to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Most of the team went back down the mountain except for Jimmy (the interpreter) and I who stayed behind to visit a while and ate a late lunch with Pastor Fani and his wife. This family is one of the most loving families that I have ever met. They hold a special place in my heart and I love them so much. During this visit I was able to give Pastor Fani the bullhorn that we bought for him. It was worth a million dollars to see the joy in his eyes when we gave it to him! It will be of great use to him and his ministry.

In closing, I would like to thank TEM for allowing GMSM to work side by side with them as we continue to live out God’s call on our lives. We must always remember that kingdom expansion (mission work) is not an option for a Christian but a mandate from God. Please continue to pray for me and my family as God grows His ministry through Give Me Shelter Ministries. May God’s grace, mercy, love and peace continue to be with you.

Kenny Phillips
Lead Servant
Give Me Shelter Ministries, Inc.
www.GiveMeShelterMinistries.org
Hebrews 6:10

Only God knows what is in store for me on this trip back to Z’Orange and Columbeea. This is the first time coming down that I have not had some clue as to what is going to happen. I only know for sure that God teaches me so much while I am up on the mountain with pastor Fan and his wife.

It will be quite different than D’World. Though it was good to spend quality time with the family. I met pastor Ken Loubriel and his wife at the airport along with Pastor Shaun of Cinco Baptist Church.

We will meet the team at the airport in Port Au Prince and stay at Dotties guest house tonight. This is cool having the lap top. Sitting on the plane and starting my journal. Tonight I plan to log onto the net and watch the Final Four.

I cannot wait to give Pastor Fani his bull horn. The bull horn will be used to communicate with folks on the other side of valleys. That may make things a little easier for him. I also brought some GMSM t- shirts to give to him and his family.

I am here with a group of pastors for a continuing pastor’s conference with the local Haitian pastors. They need so much encouraging. In the morning we will be traveling to the valley and then up the mountain. It will be a good week. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Kenny