Haiti March 28, 2013

Report by Chuck Poplin

It is hard to believe that it is already Thursday and the Pastors Conference has concluded. What a blessing and a privilege to have been involved in touching the lives of pastors in the area, and there were others attending besides pastors. Nearly 70 people were to receive certificates for having attended. There seemed to be a genuine appreciation on the part of every person there, and a commitment to return next year with others of their friends.

Our team returned to Daniel’s village 3 days this week. We had the opportunity to teach the gospel, encouraging people to believe on Christ. The medical team treated many individuals including men, women and children. The VBS team gathered some 20 children together to share the gospel with them. It is amazing to see the bridge of trust that Bro. Chuck has built with Daniel over the years, and the respect and appreciation that Daniel obviously has for the help that Truth Ministries has given them each year. Word of the clinic being there went out quickly, and people came to be treated. As they did, they had Christ’s love shown to them and prayers for those who so wanted. All this sharing of the gospel in the center of a voodoo village!

A particular blessing to me this week is being here with youngest daughter, Amanda, and seeing her love and serve others, building bridges with children and youth over which the love of Christ is shared. And I’m looking forward to returning with others of my family. Well, I must add that the mission house is really nice; what a difference over the former sleeping and showering arrangements!

It is amazing how such a diverse team of individuals from several states were brought together so quickly and a unity built by God’s Spirit to accomplish what He wanted. This has been a picture of the church as it should be, serving together to accomplish the Great Commission. What a blessing!

Because He lives, Chuck Poplin, Pastor, Shalimar Baptist Church

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Report by Jeff Davenport

This is my first trip to Haiti. To speak to you as honestly as I can, I truly have no way to articulate the things that I have been blessed to see here, but I’ll try nonetheless. It is true that I have seen poverty here in Haiti like none I have ever seen before, but I have seen a source of wealth that outshines any that you can imagine! There is hunger and disease, there are voodoo and demonic rituals, but there is something here that a person is not able to comprehend until they see it with their own eyes.

I have been blessed to preach the word of God to a group of people who have one desire of their pastor, and that desire is to hear more of the gospel of Jesus Christ their Lord. They literally hang on every word of God that pours out of your mouth. Their faith is overwhelming; it causes me to cry out to God for forgiveness. I have held hands with children who will forever hold a place in my thoughts and prayers. Their faces lovingly haunt my dreams. I can still feel their little hands so tightly squeezing mine, as they feel a fatherly love and embrace that they do not even know exists in the world.

The team that God has given me to work with is nothing short of miraculous. We work together as if we have been together for years on end. God’s Holy Spirit put this team together, and he gently leads us every day as we work here in Haiti. There is work yet to be done here – I believe that God is faithful to do it. The amazing thing is that He chose someone like me as a vehicle for His glory among the Haitian people.

To God alone be all honor, glory and praise! Jeff Davenport, Airway Baptist Church

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Report by Amanda Poplin

It has been 4 years since I’ve been to Haiti, and my memories from last time certainly did not do the experience justice. I had forgotten how much these people bless me with their joyful spirits and genuine yearning for the Gospel. It’s such a humbling experience, seeing these people who have next to nothing, yet it is rare that you find one without a smile on their face. The relationships that God has allowed me to build with the children and the mission team have been an incredible blessing. This team was no doubt divinely selected and put together by the Lord.

This week I helped out in the medical clinic, and we ended up being able to see over 400 people in all. The joy and pleasure that comes from being able to serve the Lord by serving the people here in Z’Orange is incomparable to much else. The thanks they show for simply receiving vitamins or medications that are items in every household in America is heartbreaking, but it is also uplifting to know that God is using us to serve them, physically as well as spiritually. As I write this, I can hear the children standing at the door singing “This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made,” and it is simply one more of the multiple examples of their desire to praise God and the joy they get from it. The thought of only having one more day with these beautiful children breaks my heart – I just want to put all of them in my suitcase and bring them back with me. Once you take a trip to somewhere like Haiti, the people will hold a special place in your heart forever. The Holy Spirit used this week to speak to me and remind me once again of the never-failing glory and holiness of our King.

Merci Saviour! Amanda Poplin, Shalimar Baptist Church