“I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat” - (Matt. 25:35)

Dear NDI Partner,

A friend of mine said to me this week: “J.L., once the doctors and Patt gave you back your ‘flying wings,’ you have not landed yet!”  That’s pretty true—and I am profoundly thankful to be back on the ‘cutting edge’ where God is so mightily at work in the midst of spiritual and physical need and opportunity.  They always go together.  Great needs present us with great opportunity to minister in Christ’s Name.

The last of August and first of September, I spent 3 weeks of travel and ministry in Africa.  This time in Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya—which I will soon report on in segments.  Then almost immediately I left for 10 days of travel and ministry in both Haiti and Freeport, Bahamas.  And since I leave for Haiti again this Friday, that impoverished and storm-ravished country will be the focus of this brief report.

MINISTRY TO THE ELITE

Little could I have realized when I was invited several months ago to speak to a gathering of Haitian elite businessmen and women, that it would be at a time shortly after Haiti was devastated by 4 successive tropical storms and hurricanes.  Haiti is always a mind-blowing experience of stark contrasts in so many areas of life.  None is more dramatic than the chasm between the extreme rich and extreme poor.  The elite of Haiti are a thin veneer of wealthy and successful people who live at the top of the economic pyramid there.  They have been able to stay and somehow prosper under all of the political regimes from Papa Doc to military dictatorships to Aristide to President Prevail.  And while many are nominally Catholic, few are truly “born again” in the Biblical sense of the word.  So they constitute one of the largest unreached people groups in the Caribbean.  Since the church has grown so explosively in Haiti among the peasantry, the elite largely associate evangelical or Pentecostal Christianity as something relevant only for the poor and powerless.  Thankfully that is changing—slowly but surely.  And this gathering was a positive thrust into the elite world of Haiti.  Ultimately, you have to reach the powerful in order to be able to help the powerless!

It was held at the new Karibe Hotel and Conference Center, which is an international “5 star” facility and “state of the art” in every way.  The facility is beautifully built, posh, opulent and on several acres of flora and fauna reminiscent of a tropical paradise.  It is literally a hint of what Haiti once was as the “Pearl of the Antilles” and the “Paris of the New World.”  And it is fully owned and operated by one of the elite families of Haiti.  I was invited to speak on the subject of “The Priority of Relationships over Riches.”  And my message was followed by a Question & Answer time of lively interchange.  The full event was also shown on national television.  God wonderfully blessed and several people gave their lives to Christ.

Another very exciting thing for me was the fact that this entire event was envisioned and funded by a successful Haitian business woman, Madam Monique Guillaume.  She was assisted in this by my long time friend and partner, Pastor Edner Jeanty, Jr., who invited me in her behalf.  He is now starting a new church for the specific purpose of reaching out to the elite community.  And he will be helping to follow up on those who made decisions for Christ that night.  Do be praying for both Madam Guillaume and Pastor Edner as they continue to partner together to reach the “movers and shakers” of Haiti for Christ.

 

FOOD DEPLOYMENT TO GONAIVES

After the Saturday night outreach to the elite of Port-au-Prince, we left early Sunday morning for Gonaives—a city virtually under water from the hurricanes.  Before leaving for this trip to Haiti, a cousin of mine sent me $1,000 with the commission to “feed some hungry people in Haiti ravished by the storm.”  So with that “seed money,” we begin to buy up as much rice, beans, cooking oil, spaghetti noodles, tomato sauce, spices and sardines as possible.  But because of the extreme inflation in Haiti right now, we were not able to buy as much food as we would have liked with that money.  So, by faith, I borrowed another $2,500 to buy more food supplies.  If we were going to make the long trip to Gonaives, I was determined to take as much food as we could carry in our large truck.

We had been told the day before that no cars or trucks could make it through to Gonaives because several of the major bridges had been washed away by the floods.  But we decided to try anyway since that Sunday was our only window of opportunity.  It was a long, hot, dusty, bumpy, bone-crushing trip that took over 5 hours.  We were turned away at several check points manned by the police and UN.  But God gave us favor with them when they saw we were carrying food and relief items—so they let us through.  Fortunately, our truck was high enough that we were able to forge the raging rivers.  We were also able to get through the several road blocks set up by local thugs trying to rob and intimidate.  God used the prayers of friends and partners like you to help us successfully reach our destination. 

I trust that the following pictures from our food deployment in Gonaives will be a blessing and encouragement.  Thanks also to those of you who have responded financially to help us with this relief effort.  Please continue to give as you can since I hope to deploy another truck load of food this coming weekend when I return to Haiti.

Haiti 2008 Photos

Ministering Relief in His Name through Your Partnership,

P.S. Please click on the brief video I made at the Eben Ezer Mission in Gonaives last week.  You will be challenged and moved by what you see.  I will be sending out another report on Haiti after I return from my trip there this weekend.  Please be watching for it.