Haiti Bound

In great shock I watched the events of Tuesday January 12, 2010 unfold before my very eyes. The news channel announced that an earthquake had devastated the country of Haiti. The first reports highlighted the impact of the destructive force of nature as it uprooted the capital city of Haiti, Port Au Prince. As I listened to the reports I was grief stricken and I considered the lost of life that would forever affect that country.
A few hours later I went to church to teach in the weekly bible study. As I led the group in prayer I heard the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit saying to me that I was going to Haiti to comfort and help the people there. For the rest of that evening I contemplated the inner impression, the knowing in my spirit that I had heard correctly from God that I was going to Haiti. I wondered to myself what could I offer. What skills did I possess to make a difference? As I wrestled with the commission the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that I was a pastor, an author and a witness. As a pastor I was gifted to feed the people of God and love them as Christ loved me. As an author I was gifted to write and tell stories that others would read. As a witness I was to go to the ends of the earth declaring the purpose of God in my words and deeds.
Content that I had heard God speak I wondered how He would make this trip happen. I had never been to Haiti and I didn't know anyone who had connections or contacts in the country. But God had it all worked out and the plan would unfold over the next few months.
On Sunday January 17 I received a text from my friend Pastor Kenneth Duke of Miami. He informed me that his church, New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist church of the city had become a distribution center for relief in Haiti. New Jerusalem had a large number of Haitians in its congregation and the community that surrounded the church had many Haitian living in it. In the text message that I received Pastor Duke asked for basic necessities to ship to the country and for financial contributions. I shared his information from the text message with the congregation and some of the members readily responded. But a plan was forming in my mind, a plan of what God wanted us to do for Haiti.
A few months past and I learned from Pastor Duke that he had been to Haiti and had identified one of the villages that was in great need of help. I asked him could I travel with him the next time he went and he readily agreed. The date was set for June and preparations began.
I informed the congregation of what God had placed in my heart and His call for me to travel to Haiti to comfort and help the people there. I outlined our plan of action to be a blessing to the village of Petit Guave in Trou Chou Chou county. As a congregation we would set aside a sacrificial amount each day over a period of two weeks for the people of the village and bring it to church and present our offerings to the Lord as a sacrifice. The occasion that we would bring our sacrifices would be a worship of song headlined by a tremendous gospel artist named David L. Wilson Jr of Danville Va. The other worshippers participating will the New Mine Creek Praise team, True Praise, the Tucker family OF Gretna Va. This event would take place on Saturday May 15th at 6:00.
The congregation along with myself have received this open door that God has set before us to give long term help to the people of Petit Guave. May God be glorified in our efforts and may His people in Haiti be blessed.
I will be sharing more information with you concerning this new phase of ministry that I am entering in. Please Pray that God gains much fruit through me in Haiti.