Author: GMSM

After a good night’s sleep we headed back out to the church/ school to continue work on the shower and finish with the church leadership mini conference. We had a few new faces and a few people who could not attend the second session. The church conference was an absolute blessing to all. Harry has a fairly young church and most are so hungry for the word and so eager to serve. We all learned a lot from each other. Continue reading “Haiti, August 7, 2012”

After such a great Sunday with Harry’s family and church, I was not sure if today could come close to the awesomeness of yesterday. I was totally wrong. Today was another special day in Haiti. It all starts with the heart and the selfless acts of grace and mercy. Yeah, the kind that Christ showed us while hanging on the cross. That heart beat comes from a holy spirit-lead team which is exactly what God has given us.

Today’s agenda was to help begin construction on the shower and do a mini conference on the roles of the pastor and church. When we arrived at the church Jeanette was there. What a wonderfully cool lady she is. I have known her since I’ve been coming to Haiti and she will help with the team. She is a gentle spirit and a very giving person. She hit off perfectly with the team, as I knew she would, but especially with Holly.

To my surprise, Junice, our 3rd grade teacher, was there and he ended up working all day long. He busted his butt with the shower crew. Debbie, Kevin and I met with the church workers about the biblical model of the church and pastor. Most of these folks were in their late teens or twenties. As we began teaching I realized maybe they should be teaching us. They were so kmowlegable and receptive to God’s word and seemed to cling to every word we said. It’s been a while since I’ve witnessed that kind of hunger. We were all feasting on God’s word. Totally amazing how the holy spirit works in a way that is pleasing and understandable even through a language barrier.

The work was started on the shower, and as with most Haitian projects, it was like, well let’s just say slow. Which is cool in a way because it forces you to be patient and open your eyes more. After carrying many blocks, mud and sand the team pulled together and started some yard work around the school and church. It was totally beautiful to see all just jump in without hesitation.  Harry was so excited which made me very excited. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM

GMSM / Passion Missions Haiti Mission Trip 8/5/12
Guest blogger

An atypical Sunday.

I rose at 6:30 and covered my every inch in bug repellant. My first sunrise in Port Au Prince. Breakfast began lazily at 7:00: pineapple, watermelon, eggs, and coffee as dark and thick as molasses.

A bumpy ride in a colorful tap-tap took us to Pastor Harry’s church. A cool morning. An overcast sky. Random drops of rain quieted the dust.

We were welcomed to a pew in the front, a seat of honor. All of the men, young men, and even little boys were dressed in suits and ties. The women adorned their heads with lace.

An atypical Sunday.

The pastor’s voice reverberated off cement walls and metal roof. Flower garland hung from wooden ceiling beams. The sky opened and thunder claps joined in praise. Pastor Harry’s right hand man walked to the pulpit and addressed the congregation,

“What are you doing with the time God has given you?”

Bibles were opened, pages thumbed through. Prayers were lifted with heads quietly bowed. A visiting church group of teenage boys performed a song of praise and dance with an accordion as their backbeat.

I broke bread with brothers and sisters I’d never seen before. Our hearts knit. I shook hands with Haitian warriors of the Lord. I understood few words, but the Spirit spoke clearly.

Thank You Jesus for atypical Sundays.

Peace,
Holly

John 10:10

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. We are back again with new friends and a new adventure. I met up with our Austin, TX buddies in Atlanta to take them on what I hope and pray will be a new chapter in their missionary lives. Continue reading “Haiti, August 4, 2012”

Today was one of these special days in Haiti that would not happen if you did not have a man like Harry. So far in Haiti we have only come across one individual that was impossible to work with. I count that a blessing because there are corrupt hearts all around this world. Anyway, Harry had a surprise for me today. He’d been telling me for five or six days now that he had something special for me. Harry and I have grown to have deep respect and trust for one another and I count it a pleasure and blessing to call him friend.

We went to the church and hung out for a while. Nadege, Harrys wife showed up with some home made Haitian soup. It had goat, potatoes, carrots and all kinds of stuff that I’d rather not know about in there. The broth was incredible. This stuff was killer. That was my surprise, praise God a hand made gift from the heart. Most would think, what’s the big deal, but trust me this was a very big deal. That was a gift that is shared between folks that share a deep affection. The Haitians eat this often but I’m not sure how often foreigners get a chance to eat it. There is much more to Haiti than rice and beans. I think when people start trying to truly build relationships built on the principles of Christ, that’s when we will start seeing a difference. So this was a very special day and Harry’s family made my stomach “not flat”. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM

I remember one time when I was feeling a little down because things were moving slowly for GMSM. Giving was down, partnerships were scarce and people just did not seen to be interested in what we were doing. I recall asking God why His work with us was stagnant. He let me roll around in my self pity for a few days, then brought me down hard. I went to our P.O. Box and there was a substantial gift for GMSM. As I was praising God for this he let me know it was not my self pity that brought the gift but the very fact that God is never stagnant, He is always moving.

With that said by some missionary standards today may have seen like a lame day in the field. The only thing I really had planned was to interview two potential hires for the upcoming school year. We are looking for a new first grade teacher and a fifth grade teacher. Sounds like a boring day until you start hearing testimonies and experiences of two Haitians you have never met. Yes the first thing I ask them is if they have a relationship with Jesus ( are you a Christian ) and ask them to tell me about it. Being a Christian is not necessarily a make or break deal with us, but we do teach Bible classes and we want our students to be around people who are solid in the Christian faith. On the other hand we can also be a witness to a non believer teacher. But I will say, Pastor Harry prefers believers. So it was not a stagnant day , it was very fruitful . The little things carry as much importance as the big stuff. I prefer the little stuff because it’s hard to find people who are comfortable to stay in the shadows. Once again no pics out of respect for the local people. Once we hire our new folks we will have pics of them in action. Praise God for whom all blessings flow.

Kenny
GMSM

I had a little time to kill this morning due to Harry having to do some things in a office downtown. As the world started coming alive around the guesthouse I observed a young man beginning to tote concrete blocks in a wheel barrow. As he made his second or third trip I decided to follow him and see where he was going with the blocks. He was preparing a work area for the day, which is something I can totally relate to being in the construction business for 30 years. The best I could tell they were preparing to lay block for some outside showers. It never ceases to amaze me how things are done here. The labor is intense. You have to get your sand, get your mortar, get your shovel, get your water, go get more water, start the tedious work of mixing up your concrete on the ground. I know they exist but I have only seen one concrete truck in PAP and I’ve been in and out of here for at least 6 years.

So as I observed this young mans routine I just kinda fell in and started helping him. I guess my gift is not being afraid to do hard work and always wanting to lend a hand. Anyway this dude was puzzled at me wanting to help him. Soon the boss showed up and made sure the mixed concrete was to his liking and started laying the blocks. They do such precise work with very little resources, totally amazing how accurate their work is without any modern tools. After a while of me just watching the boss I decided they were due for a break. I bought each of us a coke and they were stoked. They were so appreciative. Coke is like the universal ice breaker. We drank our coke and they got back to work and I went on my way so they could continue to do what they do. I love the Haitian people. I did not take any photos of them working out respect to them. I hooked up with Harry and we a a day of cyber cafes, talking to one of our interpreters for a future team coming and lining up some meetings with potential teachers for the up coming year. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, another good day in Haiti.

Kenny
GMSM

Continue reading “Haiti, July 10, 2012”

Praise God all is good in the hood, a.k.a. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Was a total school day today. Harry had many things to deal with concerning the church and I looked over the school real well compiling a wish list. Windows, doors, new chalk boards, desks, finish the stucco inside and out, paint, I think that about covers it. Continue reading “Haiti, July 9, 2012”

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. What a glorious day of renewal it has been since yesterday’s, all hell breaking loose. I struggled all night wondering how I could have prevented yesterday’s events from happening. I could only come up with one conclusion, I could not have prevented it. If I knew that would have happened we would not have gone. So I refuse to let Satan have one ounce of satisfaction.

I went to Harry’s church this morning and what a beautiful service it was. I hope all our visitors can visit a service at First Baptist of Santo 25. The worship was rocking and the message was right- on. Talked about sin, ouch! The people were so sweet after the service. So many came up expressing how sorry they were that we had to deal with the junk of yesterday. They also told me that that can happen anywhere, not just in Haiti. They pleaded for me to stay the course and God will show us what to do. I really needed that encouragement and it was special coming from my Haitian brothers and sisters. I refuse to turn away from them, I will carry on towards the prize.

Kenny
GMSM