Home from Haiti

Hey Family and Friends,  It is true.  I am home after an amazing 10 months of relief work in Haiti. God has done some truly amazing things.  My heartfelt thanks to my Haitian Brothers and Sisters that I was privileged to work with and to those whose families we were able to help.  This was the toughest and one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  I am forever grateful to all of you who have prayed and helped in any way you can both here and in Haiti.  I am blessed to be home with my incredible wife who, next to the Lord, has been my greatest help and source of encouragement through all of this.  There is a tremendous amount of hope in Haiti through the way the Lord has worked this past year and with the recent inauguration of the new President, Michel Martelly.  Pray for President Martelly and our Haitian Brothers and Sisters as there are still huge mountains to climb and lots of families to be reached.  Thank all of you so much for all of your prayers and the numerous ways you have supported us through this amazing adventure.  Suetta and I are blessed.  God Bless, Art

Drs. Duncan and Myricks in Haiti

Dr. Ron Duncan, General Director of Church of God Ministries and Dr. Chuck Myricks, Chief Operating and Development Officer of the National Association of the Church of God came to Haiti to meet with the National Church of God leaders, see the work that has been accomplished, and thank all of those who have truly worked together in this Kingdom effort of helping build homes for families that have lost their homes in the devasting earthquake of January 12, 2010.

CBH Taping in Haiti

Jim Lyon and John Walters from Christians Broadcasting Hope spent the past week (May 9-13) in Haiti seeing the devastation and interviewing people for upcoming segments of the English-speaking CBH broadcasts.  Pastor Jean Marie and Art were just two of the persons they talked to.  "Stay tuned"... :)

Political Update

Michel Martelly was inaugurated as the President of Haiti on May 14th. During his inauguration the electricity went off in the legislative chambers where his inauguration was taking place.  (That could be a "sign" OR it just could be the "usual happenings" of a day in Haiti).  :)  Anyway, the people of Haiti are excited for the change and are eager for President Martelly to bring about positive change.  He has no legislative experience and we need to pray for him.  I believe Haiti is at a historic crossroads.  The international community is ready and willing to help rebuild Haiti  but it will not happen with the status-quo.  Pray that President Martelly will seek God, hear Him and then follow Him regardless of what the pressures are on him.  2 Chronicles 7:14-15.

Memorable Anniversary-April 2011

Art and I spent our 38th Anniversary together in Haiti -- GPS-ing some of the cement block homes built in remote places in the southern pennisula. We traveled over some VERY ROUGH "roads" and I felt like either the truck or myself--or possibly both would shake apart!! One remote place we traveled to we came to the end of the "road" at a river--the water was low and we proceeded across to the other side, but there was no "road/path" in sight. We were instructed by the pastor with us to drive down the riverbed a ways and so we did until we saw a little path that went up the mountain before us... I was skeptical that it was wide enough for the pickup truck we were in, but the Haitian pastor seemed confident that we would be fine. It was the "bare side of a rough mountain"--nothing graded--just the vegetation cut away barely enough for us to pass through. What a ride!! We traveled up and down and around 3-4 mountains. I think we saw them from all sides and all the way around as well as up and down!! We rode for about 2 hours on a "road" like this until we reached the pastor's house!! This pastor was a tiny man--about my height. He had a toothless smile from ear to ear and exuded the joy of the Lord! His house and church had been destroyed in the earthquake and he was so excited for us to see where and what he had built. The DRC had helped him rebuild a block home and he had managed to get "something" up to worship in--woven sticks.  I asked him how many people worshipped there on Sunday and to my shock he said "250-300"!! I turned around in a circle and asked, "Where do the people come from? I don't see anyone else in sight ANYWHERE??!! He just smiled and said, "They come."  It was a very humbling experience and I felt a bit like we must be "standing on holy ground"... I had to admire this pastor and just ask God to bless this little man's efforts to share Jesus in this remote location. What a mission field he has!! 

(Left to Right) Pastor Hercule, who heads up all the pastors of the Church of God in the southern part of Haiti, Art, and the pastor I described above, standing in front of his church.

One of the block homes