Truth Evangelistic Ministry, Inc.

Unless otherwise specified, all reports are from Brother Chuck

Today we had a lazy morning, because we didn’t have to be anywhere at any certain time. We had breakfast and then we went to a couple of beach areas about an hour from here to see where would be a good place to take the Rocky Bayou Christian School team for a day of fun. They are going to be here for 13 days, and I think this would be a good break for them. We found a great place that even has a volleyball area on the beach.

When we got back, we had lunch and began cleaning up the mission house and packing for tomorrow’s trip home. We have painted and done a lot of little things that will help us timewise when we return. Chuck G went to get some pictures of a man named Roman using a Proclaimer, which is a little black box that has the complete Audio Bible on it in Haitian Creole. It can be charged with electricity or solar, or you can wind it up. Faith by Hearing Ministry has given Chuck some of these, and they are great; I have brought several over myself. What is really interesting is that Roman is part of the voodoo village, and he is walking around everywhere with his Proclaimer, and people are listening to the Word of God, including himself. He also saw the Jesus film last night. We know that God’s Word does not come back void. I know there will be fruit in this voodoo area when God decides the time is right; we just keep watering the seed.

Tomorrow Chuck G will be leaving about 9 a.m., and I leave about 2 p.m to go home for about a month. We both will be returning on May 24.

As most of you know, we have been praying about land to grow food on to help TEM pay its teachers and pastors. I have told Pastor Do many times that I don’t want to be doing the same thing that we are now, 10 years from now. The Haitian people need to be able to be self-sufficient – I like to say God-sufficient. I would like to see us pay the first workers to work the land and take the harvest to the market, and put the profits back into the ministry to pay teachers and pastors. I don’t think that we should just continue to give. We need to help them learn about business and how to budget their money. There are ministries that have been here 30 years, and they just continue to give. I have even been told this will not work, but I know God can do anything if we believe.

We would also like to build a clinic on this land–not just another clinic, but one that will have a surgery room, where we can bring American doctors, and they can save lives. People die here from hernias and other minor conditions that are outpatient surgeries in the States.

We have made an offer for the land, and they have come back and said they will take $2,750 for almost 2 acres. To get the land surveyed and titled will be another $1,000-1500.  I told them I would give them an answer as soon as I could. If the Lord touches your heart to help purchase this land, please call or email me. And please be praying about this piece of property. It is very unusual that land comes up for sale here and, of all things, it joins the property that we already own in Jerusalem IV.

Thank you for all your prayers.

Unless otherwise specified, all reports are from Brother Chuck

Today was a busy day. We got up around 6 a.m., grabbed a quick cup of coffee, and headed for Port au Prince. I needed to get the oil changed at the Ford dealership, and it seems I never have time when teams are here. After dropping the Ford off, I had Jojo, a good friend, pick us up and take us on a little sightseeing tour of the Palace and other earthquake areas. (We are blessed to have Rocky Bayou Christian School joining us in June, and we want to show them more of Haiti than just Z’Orange.) We also drove up to the Baptist Mission, which is past Petionville, where most of the more well to do people live. There are many beautiful homes on this plush mountain, and the temperature is actually cool. We think this will make a good outing for one of the days that the team is here. It will be an all-day trip, if nothing else because of the traffic through Port.

We got back to the dealership about 12:30 and picked up the Ford. Chuck G wanted to go look at some side-by-side ATV’s, but we couldn’t find any. We do have a phone number to call tomorrow where there may be a Polaris ATV. Not only has the Lord laid on Chuck’s heart to show the Jesus film all through this valley, but since he has been distributing water he has seen the need to help the elderly. God’s vision for him is to take water to the elderly here who can’t come and get water–some of them can hardly carry the heavy buckets. With an ATV, not only could he take water to the elderly, but he could also take the Jesus film, with a generator. We are praying that God will provide for this vision – there is no doubt in my mind that He will. He never gives us a vision and then doesn’t provide for it. If you would like some of this blessing, just let us know. As you can tell by the photos of people lined up to get water, the well is such a blessing. We can’t even imagine not having water, and if we had to carry it in buckets we would be complaining, but they are praising God! What a blessing it is for us to see the joy.

We got back to the mission house about 3 p.m. and had a late lunch, then Chuck began pumping water for the neighborhood. He was training Pastor John Renel, who will be distributing water to the people when we are not here.

After the water distribution, we loaded up the Jesus film and left for Daniel’s voodoo village. This is the first time we have shown the Jesus film in a voodoo village. Chuck had mentioned it, and I had thought about it, so last night I said let’s do it – where would Jesus go but into the darkness to shine His light? It’s a little different going into the village at night, as you can see by the photos. Most of the people had never seen a video before, and they were mesmerized. It started out with about 10 kids and rapidly grew to over 60. Now, not only have they heard the Word, they have seen the Word! I believe with all my heart that this village will one day be a Christian village. We planted a seed here in 2005, and through the many teams over the years it has been watered. I know my Lord will make the increase in His timing. I pray one day they will come to us and ask us to build them a church right over the spot where the voodoo temple is. The Haitians have a saying here: “stomp on satan.” This would be the ultimate stomp on him!

Please be praying for wisdom for TEM as we continue to shine His Light. We can do nothing without prayer.

Unless otherwise specified, all reports are from Brother Chuck

Yesterday was Sunday, so after breakfast Chuck G and I went to church. As we were sitting there listening to Pastor Do, two chickens came in the front door and walked around a bit. One of them stopped and stared at me for a while, and it reminded me how good chicken sandwiches are. After they hung around us for a while, they went right down the center aisle as if they were going to the altar. Finally, one of the ushers got up and showed them the way out the side door. No one seemed to care, and Pastor Do never missed a word of his sermon.

After church, Chuck and I came back to the mission house and had a sandwich for lunch – no, it wasn’t chicken! Then Chuck said he thought he would take a nap, and I thought that was an excellent idea. I think he got up around 1:30, and I got up about 2 p.m. We had talked about building an extra table for the Rocky Bayou Christian School team that is coming on May 30, so we decided to do that. Everything here is a process. First, you have to fill the generator up with gas. Then you take it outside and start it up and plug in your extension cord. That seems easy enough but, as usual, things self-destruct here. The generator kept throwing the breaker, so we checked all the breakers in the box and saw nothing wrong. Then we got a ladder and checked all the ceiling fans, thinking maybe a wire had come loose, but again we found nothing. Then Chuck reminded me about some wires outside that we hook the larger generator up to that one time were grounded out. Praise the Lord – that was the problem. (I guess some kids had twisted the wires together.) We now have them taped up really well. To make a long story short, we were able to start working on the table about an hour later. We finished the table, made another for the kitchen, then made all the tables we already had more sturdy. It was a good afternoon, and it was late evening when we finished. We ate some cereal for dinner and hit the bed.

On Monday we got up and had our coffee, then Pastor Do came and asked Chuck to pump water for everyone in the area. While he was doing that, I started to wash some clothes – it seemed really strange washing clothes in a real washing machine! I washed three loads and hung them outside on the retractable clotheslines I had brought over. Chuck pumped water for people for over two hours, and I can tell you he enjoyed every minute of it. I have seen few people come to Haiti who love the Haitian people the way Chuck does!

When we finished our morning chores, we drove up to Soto, where there are waterfalls. We went to see if it would be good to take the Rocky Bayou Christian School Group there; we both decided it would be. It is amazing that, just an hour away, they have all the water they need, and here the people are still hurting even though it has been raining.

Tomorrow we will be going to Port to take the Ford for an oil change, and we have some running around that we will do with the help of Jojo, who will be our chauffeur. Tomorrow night we will be showing the Jesus film in Daniel’s voodoo village, God willing.

Unless otherwise specified, all reports are from Brother Chuck

The Pastors’ Conference was a huge success, as always! The pastors are already asking what the dates are for the next one.

This morning I took Lane, Pastor Sean and Pastor Mark to the airport. God willing, they will all be home tonight.

I would like to thank everyone who prayed and gave for the 6^th Annual Pastors’ Conference. I know that you will be blessed. I would also like to thank The Christian Crusaders Sunday School class (1^st grade – 5^th grade) of Carrabelle, FL for their gift. These children are learning to give at an early age, thanks to Darlene Bryan.

Without your prayers and gifts we could not be here. We are blessed that TEM (God’s ministry) truly portrays the Body of Christ, because His children work together to get His work done.

Unless otherwise specified, all reports are from Brother Chuck

Entry by Sean McMahon

It’s Friday. Our last full day in Haiti. The last day of the annual TEM Pastors’ Conference. More than fifty pastors and church leaders blessed us by sacrificially giving themselves to learn more about serving our Lord. These men, women and even teenagers have been so attentive and engaged, and today was the culmination of four days of teaching. Every Friday of the conference is the “Question and Answer Day” – the time when they can ask questions about biblical doctrine, practice, and how Christ desires His church to be. It is the highlight of the week. Even in this, my fourth pastors’ conference, I never lose the anticipation of what may happen during this time. For two hours the questions came non-stop. What a blessing to be part of a group who has such a desire to learn more about serving our Lord!

It has been ten years since I first came to this impoverished island, and this is my tenth trip. In the early days, working under the umbrella of another ministry, the focus was on building buildings. That had its place. Without it Jerusalem Baptist Church would not have the building they have, and quite possibly both Wright Baptist Church in FWB and TEM might not have the connection they have with this community. But I am so thankful to be part of TEM. The focus has consistently been to build people – especially church leaders – and the blessings have been too numerous to count. This week’s Pastors’ Conference is a perfect example of this, and I thank the Lord for the privilege to be part of the ministry of TEM in Haiti.

As we look around and witness the ways God is working – both in this village and in TEM specifically – it reminds me of two realities: (1) Never doubt what God can do, no matter the situation, hardships, or human limitations; and (2) Never doubt what God can use you to do. The transformation of this area around Jerusalem Baptist Church in Z’Orange over the last eight years is nothing short of remarkable. The mission house and transportation God has provided TEM to have for the work of ministry here rivals anything found anywhere in the world. One can almost feel guilty because we no longer are “roughing it” on the mission field. And yet, I see this as another way God is providing for people who might not be able or comfortable in a traditional “rough” mission setting to come be part of His working in a third world country. There is so much yet to do, and with what God is providing, virtually anyone, regardless of age, experience, or limitation, can potentially be part of it.

Last July, when God moved me to a new ministry, Bro. Chuck asked me to pray with him that God would not move me away from the work with TEM in Haiti. I am so thankful that God answered that prayer affirmatively, and provided a way for not just me to be part of this week, but enabled me to bring along a pastor I serve with in the Florida Baptist Association. I have been incredibly blessed, and have seen God do a great work this week. It is so good to reconnect with the wonderful people of this church and village, to pray and share with my dear friend, Pastor Dorleon; to spend time with my Haitian friends Simon, Wisney and Ginette (our interpreters and cook); to visit my friend Daniel, the voodoo priest I have prayed for and witnessed to for eight years; to work alongside my comrades Mark Mercer, Lane Thompson and Will Tiller; and to meet a new friend, Chuck G (who, like John Mark to the Apostle Paul, has become very valuable to Bro. Chuck’s ministry).

But more than this, the privilege and blessing God has given me to work once again with Bro. Chuck Martindale reminds me that every once in a while God brings someone into your life who makes an impact which lasts beyond moves and ministry changes. Thank you Lord for doing this in my life, and for the privilege to be part of this week, this ministry, this work of God. I pray I was one percent the blessing that I received.