We would not be here in Haiti if it wasn’t for God, our friends, family, and our church family at LifeTree Fellowship in Rochester.
We quickly realized how much our church family meant to us as we started to miss them almost right away. We, fortunately were able to watch the weekly church service online and that helped. We also went to a few of the churches here in Haiti that our children and caregivers go to. While we are getting better in the language, we are far from understanding all that is said in a Haitian church. Our home church culture is quite different from here as well. We were missing the community that comes from a church family.
About six months ago we met a missionary family that lives here in the Jacmel area. They work with an organization called FGIM, Future Generation International Mission. This organization also started a church here in the area that often speaks both Kreyol and English in their worship and preaching. We went to check it out and immediately felt comfortable, welcomed and elated that we understood what was going on! We stayed and talked with some, and left feeling like we may have a home. We attended a few more weeks and we are still there. We love the pastor and his wife. They also run an orphanage and come to find out some of our teen girls know quite a few of theirs through school. Our girls asked if they could go with us one Sunday and we ended up with 14 of them going to our new church home. They are getting involved with the youth group there as well. This is an answer to prayer.
We continually pray for connection with the kids and God has been showing us ways. Randy and Denise had coffee with Lorphine, the pastors wife. She has an amazing story of forgiveness, grace and the strength we have with Christ on our side. She shared her testimony at a Bible study Denise has been doing with our teen girls. Powerful stuff! They asked many questions of her and look forward to getting to know her better. Together, with the girls at her orphanage, we will be sharing opportunities to serve our community.
We ask you to continue to pray with us and our new Haitian church family. We have had discussions about Randy and Denise working in some way with marriage ministry and of course, Denise has had discussions about working in the area of women’s ministry…..