There is nothing like Haiti…we love the country and the people so much. There is such beauty in the eyes and hearts of these beloved people. It’s always refreshing to return to this amazing Caribbean island. Our
goals for the trip were accomplished:
- We had two events while there. A Christmas celebration with almost 300 youth attending and a
luncheon for our staff and volunteer leaders. Both events were successful and a blessing for all. - Targeted our attention on our 5 staff and 15 volunteer leaders, encouraging and supporting
them in the extraordinary work they’re doing. We also reviewed the ministry’s daily details,
plans and visions for the future. - Dave did some carpentry and electrical work on our facility, customizing it to better meet the
ministry needs.
It was exciting to see a huge crowd gather for a Christmas celebration and finale of the talent competition. (In the Haitian culture, it is very common to have talent competitions, showcasing their extraordinary talents). Two finalists were left, and this portion of the evening was “American Idol style” with a panel of judges giving comments and at the end naming the winner. The competition was also an outreach because each contestant invited their family and friends. The gospel was shared through skit and word, joined with guest musicians sharing christian music.
Our luncheon with our staff and volunteer leaders was truly a cherished time together. It was fun to watch these Haitians enjoy the food (there was plenty and they filled their plates more than once). However, the most blessed part of this intimate time together was that one by one (not asked for, but from the abundance of their hearts), the leaders shared how Jesus had changed their lives in the past 3 years since attending New Life Discipleship bible study and learning leadership skills through the training CIDM’s provided them. Each life story greatly encouraged us in the amazing work God is doing through CIDM and lives are truly being changed. You will read their testimonies in this and future newsletter/blogs. It was the first time we had been in Jacmel since we had moved into our new facility. It was exciting for us to see and experience how the new facility is being utilized for the glory of God every day. The large meeting room is capable of seating at least 400 people and is used for the group to gather for worship, bible teaching and prayer. Moving forward the large room will be used several times during the week for additional bible studies, classes and more. A “perk” in having our own facility is that it’s become an “after school hang-out” for many of our bible study youth. They have a place where they belong, have purpose and enjoy godly friendships. The “Upper Room”, our office facility, is used to aide our staff with efficiency and room for administration, study, training, storage and more. We are so thankful to God for His provision of our leased facility. We’ve now had it for 6 months, see fruits it’s brought and look forward to how God’s going to use it to change lives for Christ.
Dave couldn’t wait to get his hands dirty and accomplish some much-needed work, customizing the facility to best meet our needs. He, along with Mardoche (who quickly picked up on woodworking), built a stage and he and Didi (our former foreman) did electrical wiring.