A Good But Hard Trip

Can I be perfectly honest? We had a great trip to the East Coast, but these two weeks have been hard for Isaiah.

We had good travels and great connection with present friends and supporters of PPI and also with potential partners. In total:

• Miles traveled – 2797
• States driven through – 9
• Churches visited – 7
• Friends contacted – Too many to count!
• PPI updates and presentations – 8
• Messages preached – 2

We enjoyed warm fellowship, fruitful conversations, hearty laughs and good food with brothers and sisters in Christ in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. We found church leaders open to – even enthusiastic about – PPI’s commitment to training church leaders in developing nations, and we’re excited about the possibilities of new partnerships with churches and individuals we talked with! We’re grateful to the Lord for these past two weeks.

BUT these two weeks have been very hard for Pastor Isaiah because of events unfolding in Haiti and in his own family. Just before Isaiah came to the United States, his brother and family came to live with him. Isaiah grew up in Port au Prince, the capital city, and many of his family members still live there. His brother, David, and family escaped Port au Prince, leaving everything behind, when gangs took over their neighborhood, looting houses and killing anyone in their way. Isaiah and Celina welcomed them into their home in Ouanaminthe and are committed to sharing their home, food and money with them. This is now stretching their limited resources to the breaking point.

We have been praying that, as promised, Kenya will lead a multinational security force in Haiti to help disarm the gangs and restore security and stability in Port au Prince, an action that will benefit the entire nation. But we read this week that Kenya pulled back on its promise. Isaiah said, “Now my brother will not be able to return to Port au Prince. And what will happen to my country?”

More family members have been affected by the conditions in Haiti. Earlier this year, Isaiah’s sister, Edlin, fled Haiti when gangs targeted her because of her position in a bank in Port au Prince. A pastor in Boston helped her escape to the United States. And just a few days ago, Isaiah received word that his cousin had been shot and killed by a gang. The cousin’s family is distraught because they’re not able to provide a proper funeral and burial for him because of gang activity in their area.

We thank the Lord for this trip, but our hearts are heavy for Isaiah’s family and for his home, Haiti.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Pray! Ask the Lord to provide for Isaiah, Celina and their family, especially now. Ask the Lord to help David with the (understandable) depression he’s experiencing. Pray that he and his wife will begin to earn some money to provide for their needs and take some of the pressure off Isaiah and Celina.

2. Consider a special gift to PPI toward Pastor Isaiah’s increased pay and help for his family. As of Sept 1, PPI is raising Isaiah’s monthly pay by 66%. (Isaiah has been PPI’s official representative in Haiti since 2019.) We planned to give him a well-deserved raise in January so we moved that up to September and increased the amount. CLICK HERE to donate.

3. Contact your U.S. senators and representative. Urge them to support a multinational security force in Haiti – now. This is the first step in a long road, but it’s desperately needed and supported widely by Haitian pastors and churches. CLICK HERE for more info on the current situation.

CLICK HERE to donate.