Haiti...cholera again!

In a  recent conversation with Gilbert he informed that once again cholera has begun to ravage parts of Haiti, resulting in the severe illness of several within his extended church family.  He asked us to pray for his country.

Cholera is carried in water and when the rainy season comes and the streets swell with refuse and  runoff, coupled with thousands of people still living in tent cities with inadequate facilities, cholera becomes the marauding invader, and, often, killer.  Small children are the most common victims.

The frustration is that cholera is preventable and treatable.  Medical facilities and sometimes medical supplies are not readily accessible and the biggest antidote--education--is not always available.

Let's continue to pray for the leadership of Haiti--especially pastors who are leading congregations and schools and seeking to direct their families to the source of hope and help in Christ, while at the same time educating them about the ravages of disease--both physical and spiritual.

WHY TLC in Haiti?

There are numerous organizations at work in Haiti.  Many seek to address the physical needs of medical care, housing, food, clothing and job creation.  Still others are motivated to respond to the educational needs through the financing of private schools, the supplying of trained teachers, the provision of books and materials, and the simple task of getting children to school.

All of these are critical to Haiti's recovery and reconstruction after decades of political unrest and instability and the slow development and response of the country's infrastructure in the face of the seemingly relentless assault of natural disasters.

But the most important component of Haiti's long-term rebuilding may be determined by how well she responds to the deeply-exposed spiritual needs she has experienced in the face of pain and poverty, as well as devastation and death.

To these special needs organizations have responded as well with churches across America, as well as from other countries, sending missionaries and work teams to be ministers of Christ's love as well as to lay a foundation for hope.

So why TLC?  Are we reduplicating what others are doing?  Are we intentionally meeting a specific need?  Have we consulted with Haitian leaders in developing a plan to meet these needs?  These are all great questions and worthy of careful response.

1.  Are we reduplicating what others are doing?
     It is our goal to teach and train pastors so they can utilize their God-given gifts to serve their people.  It is hard to believe that there could be too many people doing this--fulfilling a biblical mandate (Matthew 28:19,20)-- in a country of over 9,000,000 people.

2.  Are we intentionally meeting a specific need?
     Our goal is to connect pastors to trained servant-facilitators (we will train them) in a small group setting where they can be encouraged and equipped for more effective ministry through peer accountability and problem-solving dynamics generated from within the group.

3.  Have we consulted with Haitian leaders in developing a plan to meet these needs?
     Gilbert Jules, an important Haitian leader and administrator(our liaison there), has told us that the primary need of the pastors is biblical teaching and training.  The small group dynamic he has affirmed as essential to ongoing spiritual development in the lives of Haiti's pastor/leaders.

I am sure others are doing ministries that address some of the same concerns.  However, it is our specific purpose to "EnCourage Kingdom Leaders Worldwide" and Haiti provides a special opportunity for us to do just that though quarterly seminars and monthly small group meetings.

Pray for us as we continue to do what God is calling to do in Haiti.  We've only just begun!!!