Reflection on Haiti: Part 1

Now that I've been back for a few days, I thought I would take a few posts to try to reflect upon what I learned/saw in Haiti last week. As I stated in my last post, I was amazed at the number of churches I saw there. There were over 20 Baptist churches just within the network we were working with. Our primary ministry was to go to different locations where churches gathered and distribute food, clean up rubble from damage to their church buildings, play with the kids, and share the gospel. However, what I found very quickly was that these churches had heard the gospel several times. Both adults and children were able to affirm the basic beliefs of the gospel. Since we were really in each town for only a few hours, I found it best to try to encourage them while I was there. I didn't share in every town because I was not the only pastor on our team, but when I did get the chance to share I wanted to put before them the hope of eternal joy in Christ. I felt, at that point, that we were there more for strengthening the church rather than focusing primarily on sharing the gospel (although that did take place in every place as well). With that being said, the church in Haiti needs much prayer. They need to find and preach hope in Christ alone. They appear to have a joy that is clearly not of this world (since they do not have much in this world), and that was both encouraging and convicting. Not only does the church in Haiti need our prayers for the gospel to go forth, but the church in America needs prayer to make sure our lives line up with our hope being in Christ alone and not in the things of this world.

Below is a picture of us distributing food in one of those areas.



This one is of Brandon Dees, Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, NC, sharing at one of the church locations.