First Night in Our House

Last night as I climbed in to bed I commented to Robin, it feels good to be in our own bed in our own house for the first time in 5 months. Then the question came, “Why are we doing this?” Robin was not happy with that question and neither was I, but many times that is the burning question that we are asked by good friends, family and strangers alike. The answer is complex yet simple. It has two parts that are related but different. First is the call. The call of God to do something uncomfortable and sometimes out of character, but is always where we are the most content and happy. The call of God is not about us it is about doing God’s plan and seeing how we fit into that plan. God’s call is the rock that keeps you sure when everything around you is uncertain. It is the part with a promise, Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always.” God is with us because He has called us. God gives us strength because He has called us. God gives us peace and safety because He has called us. God gives us wisdom because He has called us. The second part is the need. Haiti is poor and in desperate need, that was before the earthquake that shattered the country and killed around 260,000 people. The need is not only desperate but complex. Right now, for many the focus is rebuilding, as it should be, but we cannot forget that need existed before the earthquake. The need for healthcare, the need for jobs, the need for education, the need for food, the need for clean salt free water, and the list goes on. I find myself sitting on an Island off of the main Island of Haiti. It is called La Gonave. It is where for the last 50 years the government has ignored except to send unwanted people. It is an Island of 300 square miles and a population of 160,000 people. The influx of people post earthquake has made it almost famine conditions. There are villages on this Island that are nearly unreachable do to the lack of roads. There are villages here that the monthly income is less than 5 dollars per person. This is where I sit and where God has called us. How do we help? How can we make a difference? Again the answer is simple but complex. Through the implementation of CHE or Community Health Evangelism we intend to touch every community and every life on this Island. CHE is a comprehensive development plan that uses local people and local resources to transform lives and communities. In two weeks we plan on starting our first Trainer of Trainers class. This is the beginning to change.
Pray for us as God uses us in this place of need. Remember us in your financial gifts because you are the ones that make it possible for us to be here and do this work.
Lowell