SEPTEMBER 28, 2012
They . . . Have . . . Done It!
The people. The ones who moved from the tent city into our houses. They have done it. They have planned. They have toiled. They have taken the initiative. They have planted their own gardens. And it’s a big deal. A really big deal. The have planted corn, plantains, melons, beans, millet, aloe, and a few other items. We didn’t tell them how to do it or when to do it or what to plant. They simply did it on their own.
A beautiful garden that belongs to a man named Frenel
Her name is Gina and she is pulling weeds from her garden
This is what I love about our work and our philosophy at But God Ministries. All we did was provide the opportunity and the people did the work. These wonderful, hard-working people just needed a chance. Through God’s grace and the work of many of you, they got their chance and they are making the most of it.
His name is Erleus and he is creating a charcoal-making mound
This garden belongs to a dear lady named Rosalene
From the start, our vision was to create a sustainable community. The key word is “sustainable.” We did not want the people to be dependent on us, or the government, or any other group. Thus, we have insisted that the people grow their own food. The following is part of an email from our missionaries who live in The Hope Center.
“Here is a picture of Maquil Geoffroi – one of the men that lives on the hill with his family. He and his wife have five children. They have planted a rather large garden in front of their house and they have made a charcoal heap behind their house to make charcoal for cooking. Maquil is working on making a brick oven for cooking and they have set up their kitchen on the side of their house with their stove. All of their children have been coming to VBS. They are a GREAT family. They are working hard and seem very happy. He is a hard worker and loves his family. They are a joy to have as neighbors!!!”
Maquil Geoffroi in front of the mound where he makes charcoal for his family
Pastor’s Conference a Huge Success
This week we held our first-ever pastor’s conference. God blessed greatly as over 30 Haitian pastors showed up Monday-Thursday. The conference was led by several pastors from the Jackson County Baptist Association of Pascagoula, MS.
On Wednesday of this week I received the following report about the conference: “The American pastors said that the conference went GREAT today as far as pastor participation. When Esther arrived with the food, Pastor Mathurin asked if they were ready to break for lunch and they said no and wanted to keep talking. 45 minutes later, he asked again and they said no and wanted to keep talking. Finally, by about 1:15, they stopped and ate. They are now asking if we could do it again soon and maybe even go two weeks!!”
The Haitian pastors with their certificates of completion for the 4-day conference
The American pastors praying for one of the Haitian
Three of the American pastors leading a
Orphanage Almost Complete
Construction of the orphanage is almost complete! All four buildings have roofs. A container shipped from Ft. Lauderdale has arrived in a port in Haiti and should be delivered to our place this Saturday. The two churches building the orphanage, First Baptist Pensacola and Hillcrest Baptist of Pensacola, sent the container that holds most of the materials for the inside of the orphanage: materials to build bunk beds and cabinets and everything else that will be needed. I am flying in with a group this Saturday, Sept. 29, and we look forward to unloading the container.
Preparing to put the roof on the 4th and final building of the orphanage
Putting the trusses on the final building of the orphanage
Clinic
The team from the Jackson County Baptist Association in Pascagoula, MS not only conducted the Pastor’s Conference but two nurses on the team also helped with the medical clinic.
Sharing the gospel with patients before they see the nurses
Nurse Tony West seeing a mom and several children.
Matching Gift
At the beginning of September I announced the wonderful news that a Christian businessman has agreed to match up to $50,000 for gifts given to But God Ministries during September and October of this year. This is an incredible opportunity for us to double our donations during this time and to continue making a huge difference in the lives of hurting Haitians. I am excited to share that so far we have received slightly over $30,000 towards the matching gift.
Something New
We have had numerous people ask how they could sign up to give monthly. So, on our website we have added a feature that will allow someone to automatically give each month. Just click here to give each month ($25, $50, $100, $200, or any amount you choose) or to give a one-time contribution. You can also mail your gift to: But God Ministries, 1440 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39202.
As you can tell from this email, God is doing a mighty work in our sustainable community in Haiti. And yet, there is so much more to do. So many more needs to meet. So many more opportunities to provide. If you would like to join us in making a very real and tangible difference in the lives of hopeless people, we would love to partner with you. If you believe in this work and if you trust us to use your donation wisely, we would welcome your contribution.
Can’t Wait To See What God Does Next,
Stan Buckley
Executive Director
But God Ministries
They . . . Have . . . Done It!
The people. The ones who moved from the tent city into our houses. They have done it. They have planned. They have toiled. They have taken the initiative. They have planted their own gardens. And it’s a big deal. A really big deal. The have planted corn, plantains, melons, beans, millet, aloe, and a few other items. We didn’t tell them how to do it or when to do it or what to plant. They simply did it on their own.
A beautiful garden that belongs to a man named Frenel
Her name is Gina and she is pulling weeds from her garden
This is what I love about our work and our philosophy at But God Ministries. All we did was provide the opportunity and the people did the work. These wonderful, hard-working people just needed a chance. Through God’s grace and the work of many of you, they got their chance and they are making the most of it.
His name is Erleus and he is creating a charcoal-making mound
This garden belongs to a dear lady named Rosalene
From the start, our vision was to create a sustainable community. The key word is “sustainable.” We did not want the people to be dependent on us, or the government, or any other group. Thus, we have insisted that the people grow their own food. The following is part of an email from our missionaries who live in The Hope Center.
“Here is a picture of Maquil Geoffroi – one of the men that lives on the hill with his family. He and his wife have five children. They have planted a rather large garden in front of their house and they have made a charcoal heap behind their house to make charcoal for cooking. Maquil is working on making a brick oven for cooking and they have set up their kitchen on the side of their house with their stove. All of their children have been coming to VBS. They are a GREAT family. They are working hard and seem very happy. He is a hard worker and loves his family. They are a joy to have as neighbors!!!”
Maquil Geoffroi in front of the mound where he makes charcoal for his family
Pastor’s Conference a Huge Success
This week we held our first-ever pastor’s conference. God blessed greatly as over 30 Haitian pastors showed up Monday-Thursday. The conference was led by several pastors from the Jackson County Baptist Association of Pascagoula, MS.
On Wednesday of this week I received the following report about the conference: “The American pastors said that the conference went GREAT today as far as pastor participation. When Esther arrived with the food, Pastor Mathurin asked if they were ready to break for lunch and they said no and wanted to keep talking. 45 minutes later, he asked again and they said no and wanted to keep talking. Finally, by about 1:15, they stopped and ate. They are now asking if we could do it again soon and maybe even go two weeks!!”
The Haitian pastors with their certificates of completion for the 4-day conference
The American pastors praying for one of the Haitian
Three of the American pastors leading a
Orphanage Almost Complete
Construction of the orphanage is almost complete! All four buildings have roofs. A container shipped from Ft. Lauderdale has arrived in a port in Haiti and should be delivered to our place this Saturday. The two churches building the orphanage, First Baptist Pensacola and Hillcrest Baptist of Pensacola, sent the container that holds most of the materials for the inside of the orphanage: materials to build bunk beds and cabinets and everything else that will be needed. I am flying in with a group this Saturday, Sept. 29, and we look forward to unloading the container.
Preparing to put the roof on the 4th and final building of the orphanage
Putting the trusses on the final building of the orphanage
Clinic
The team from the Jackson County Baptist Association in Pascagoula, MS not only conducted the Pastor’s Conference but two nurses on the team also helped with the medical clinic.
Sharing the gospel with patients before they see the nurses
Nurse Tony West seeing a mom and several children.
Matching Gift
At the beginning of September I announced the wonderful news that a Christian businessman has agreed to match up to $50,000 for gifts given to But God Ministries during September and October of this year. This is an incredible opportunity for us to double our donations during this time and to continue making a huge difference in the lives of hurting Haitians. I am excited to share that so far we have received slightly over $30,000 towards the matching gift.
Something New
We have had numerous people ask how they could sign up to give monthly. So, on our website we have added a feature that will allow someone to automatically give each month. Just click here to give each month ($25, $50, $100, $200, or any amount you choose) or to give a one-time contribution. You can also mail your gift to: But God Ministries, 1440 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39202.
As you can tell from this email, God is doing a mighty work in our sustainable community in Haiti. And yet, there is so much more to do. So many more needs to meet. So many more opportunities to provide. If you would like to join us in making a very real and tangible difference in the lives of hopeless people, we would love to partner with you. If you believe in this work and if you trust us to use your donation wisely, we would welcome your contribution.
Can’t Wait To See What God Does Next,
Stan Buckley
Executive Director
But God Ministries