July 9, 2012
I returned from Haiti Saturday around midnight (July 7) after a week in Haiti with a wonderfully rambunctious group from First Baptist Church, Rayville, LA. This group included ten guys, most of whom were in their 20’s or 30’s. They have known each other since childhood. They love God, their families, their church, and each other. And they love to work!
This group: (1) built two houses in two days, including the roofs (2) put floodlights in the breezeway, (3) affixed razor wire to part of the security wall, (4) organized the pharmacy, (5) preached in two different churches, (5) showed the “Jesus” film three times and saw 30 people profess faith in Christ, (6) repaired the air conditioner in the ladies dorm, (7) organized the storage room, (8) put a light in the storage room, (9) went to a tent city in Port-au-Prince to interview 10 families to move into our houses, (10) went to the Peruvian UN compound, (11) and a million other things. I thank God for this great group of Christian men!
The men from Rayville, LA at the front gate of The Hope Center
Laying block
The walls coming up
Farmer from Rayville examining the local corn
Rayville team walking through tent city in Port-au-Prince >
Sharing the Gospel
As mentioned above, the group from Rayville, LA showed the “Jesus” film 3 different times last week in 3 different locations. The film was adapted with the Haitian Creole language and is a powerful tool in sharing the life of Christ and the Good News of the Gospel. It was so exciting to see 30 people come to faith in Christ when the invitation was issued following the showing of the movie. Two of the showings were in churches and one was outdoors.
Setting up projector to show the “Jesus” film<P?
Big News: Land Cleared For Orphanage
This past Saturday we began clearing the land for the orphanage that is being built by First Baptist Church, Pensacola, FL. The orphanage will consist of four buildings: two dorms that will house 20 children each, a home for the caretakers, and a building with kitchen, showers, bathrooms, and dining area.
The well drilling organization called Healing Hands came to our property this past week and confirmed that they will drill the well for the orphanage later this month as well as a well in a neighboring village. They may also drill a well for us in a mountainous region about an hour away where we have been helping. Please pray especially for the well in the mountainous region since many of the people walk miles to get water from a river.
Land being cleared for the orphanage
Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic
We learned several weeks ago that it costs only $25 per year to send a child to school in one of the neighboring villages. We also learned that many children do not attend school because they cannot afford the annual $25 fee. Upon learning of this, one Christian businessman told me to get the names of ten children that he would sponsor for school this September. As I was getting the ten names last week, one of the men from Rayville, LA overheard what I was doing and said to me, “get twenty names and we will provide scholarships for an additional ten children.”
I am extremely excited that 20 children will begin receiving an education this fall. Their lives will dramatically change as they get to go to school each day and receive the basics of an education. Even in a place like Haiti, an education is absolutely critical if a person’s life is to improve.
If you would like to sponsor a child for $25 per year, you can donate onlineHERE or send a check to: But God Ministries, 1440 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39202.
List of 20 Children Receiving Scholarships this Fall
Medial Care from Meridian to Haiti
Since my last email, we had a wonderful team from Highland Baptist Church that conducted a medical/dental clinic (June 9-15). Dr. Dale Touchstone (cardiologist) and Dr. Britt McCarty (pediatric dentist) lovingly treated hundreds of patients, including a mobile clinic in the mountains one day.
We have two more medical clinics this month. One is a women’s clinic July 15-21 with two OB-GYN’s and one is a general clinic July 21-28. The medical needs are great. I met a little girl last week who was described to me as being mute. She cannot hear and she doesn’t speak. The parents said she has never seen a doctor. I have invited them to bring her to our clinics this month to see if there is anything that can be done to help this precious child.
My son, Adam, holding this beautiful child who can neither hear nor speak
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Whether you live in Houston, Honolulu, or Haiti, you need a job. You need income to support your family. One of our primary goals includes job training and job creation.
We took a small step in that direction with the team from Meridian. One lady on the team called me a couple of weeks before they left on the trip. She said that she was an artist and had been praying for three years that God would use her skills to help poor people around the world. So, we decided that during her week in Haiti she would train 6 ladies to paint. Those ladies could then sell their paintings to our visiting teams each week since there are few, if any, opportunities for our teams to purchase souvenirs.
In addition, Barbara Gladney of the But God Ministries team decided to teach an additional six ladies to make ornaments, nativity sets, and crosses out of clay.
Well, it worked! The past two weeks our teams have had the opportunity to purchase souvenirs from these ladies. It’s a win-win situation! We get souvenirs and they receive income. If a woman in Haiti can add $100 per month to her family’s income, then their lives can be greatly enhanced.
One of the ladies earning income from painting
Two Things
If your church or organization is interested in taking a mission trip to Haiti in 2013, it’s not too early to reserve a date. In fact, you don’t want to wait too late and miss the date you want. The rest of this year is almost full and we already have three weeks taken for next year. Click HERE here to see the 3 step process for reserving a date for a mission trip.
We continue to be amazed at the progress that has been made the last year. It was only about a year ago that we began construction. Through medical care, dental care, clean water, job creation, clothes distribution, education, and the sharing of the Gospel, lives are being changed for the better in Haiti.
If you believe in the work we are doing and if you trust us to use your donation wisely, we would welcome your contribution. It takes significant resources to accomplish all that is being done. We would love for you to become a monthly contributor ($25, $50. $100, or any amount you choose) or to give a one-time gift. Click Here to give online or simply mail your gift to: But God Ministries, 1440 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39202. May God bless you greatly as you continue to serve Him.
Can’t Wait To See What God Does Next,
Stan Buckley
Executive Director
But God Ministries
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