To be effective in our work, we all need time to “sharpen the saw.” Conferences, courses, workshops, on-site studies – continuing education comes in many forms. I’ve benefited most over the years from 1) deep dives and 2) kicking the tires. In 2021, for example, I participated in the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) national conference in Fort Worth, Texas, the focus of which was “wealth and poverty.” (I’ve been a member of ETS for many years.) For three days, I soaked in sessions that explored wealth and poverty biblically, theologically, historically, economically and socially. A deep dive!

Deep dives are good, but we have to come up for air and make it practical. Kick-the-tires times (aka ministry visits) help me do that. Some years ago, for example, I arranged visits with three Michigan churches that seemed to be doing missions well. I took our then missions pastor along to kick the tires. We asked questions such as, What is your strategy for global and local missions? How are you working it out? What has been effective for you in getting your congregation involved and committed? These kick-the-tires visits helped us assess and improve our church’s missions vision and strategy.

Last week, I traveled to Medellin, Colombia with Grady Davidson, a regional leader with Timothy Two Project International (TTPI) (www.timothytwo.org), to assist him in leading a training workshop for 12 Colombian church leaders. I planned the trip with two purposes in mind. First, I wanted to “kick the tires” with another international pastors training ministry. This was a continuing education trip for me. Second, I intended to explore a cooperative relationship with that ministry. Like many other ministries to Haiti, TTPI’s efforts there ceased with the onset of COVID-19 and rising gang violence. I have encouraged TTPI leaders over the last two years in ways they can return to Haiti to help encourage and equip church leaders there.

Mission accomplished – and more! I was encouraged by our study of the attributes of God and refreshed by the many conversations with Grady and our host couple. Justin and Jaimie Smith (pictured) are young missionaries with Mesa Global, formerly United World Missions. They’re helping pastors plant churches in communities around Medellin and beyond. What a joy to hear their heart and learn about their work in church planting. 

Before moving to Colombia nearly two years ago, Justin and Jeimmy served in the Dominican Republic for three years. They told me about the sizable groups of Haitians in the DR, the discrimination against them, and their need for encouragement and training. They’re in the process of recommending PPI training to Haitian church leaders they know in two cities in the DR. The Lord is opening the way for our training there. Please pray for our upcoming training in Haiti (update below) and for future training of Haitian pastors in the Dominican Republic.

** UPDATES **

December training

U.S. flights to Haiti are suspended until (at least) December 12 (READ MORE). However, Missionary Flights (MFI) has obtained two 1-day waivers from the FAA, allowing them to fly cargo and passengers to Cap-Haitien and Pignon. Thanks so much for praying! On their latest approved flight on Monday, MFI was able to carry 30 diploma covers to Pastor Jasmin. We purchased these for the ITEPHA Bible College graduation in December. Praise God!

Please pray for additional waivers for MFI that will allow us, at a minimum, to ship Thompson Bibles and all our training materials to our Haitian team no later than December 12. That will enable our team to lead Course 1 in Hinche and Pignon on schedule, which they are more than capable of doing. Ideally, MFI will get a waiver for December 12 allowing me, two other American brothers and our materials to fly to Pignon as originally planned.

Spread the Word 2024

Our Spread the Word 2024 challenge kicked off well! As of Friday, PPI friends and supporters have donated a total of $9,315, which will be matched dollar for dollar. Many thanks to all of you who have given so far! We’ve had a great start!

That means we need $10,685 in contributions between now and December 31 to reach our goal of $20,000 and use all the matching funds. Would you help us fund the purchase of 2,024 Creole Bibles by the end of this year? GIVE HERE

The Sunrise Side Coffee Tour is back – and better than ever! Buy a Passport HERE We introduced the Tour last fall as PPI’s only annual fundraiser, and I explained then:

Most nonprofit organizations like PPI have a side gig. That is, they have committed support partners – like you! – yet they typically organize an annual fund-raising event to top up monies needed by the ministry. Golf outings, gala dinners, sponsored 5K runs or bike rides – these are a few examples of mission fund-raisers Rena and I have participated in through the years. Read that entire post HERE

The Sunrise Side Coffee Tour is our side gig.

Our first year went well. A total of 19 local coffee shops participated in the Tour. We more than covered our expenses, and word about the Tour began to spread. Individuals and families used their Tour passports to explore coffee shops all across eastern Michigan. Groups of friends made it their mission to visit the coffee shops featured in the passport. Some folks in West Branch formally organized a Coffee Tour group, and one coffee-lover visited ALL the shops on the Tour. (She’s getting a cool T-shirt and next year’s passport. Her story to come.) Fun!

NOW FOR YEAR TWO

This year 26 local coffee shops have joined the Tour – from Port Huron to Rogers City and all points between.  Each shop has a unique vibe, good coffee and other drinks, and enthusiasm for this year’s Tour. We have this year’s Tour passports ready to go! Buy a Passport HERE

The passport includes the name, location and highlights of each participating shop AND offers a significant discount on drinks to passport holders. Check out example pages of the passport below.

Tour passports cost $20 each, same as last year, and shop discounts are active until October 1, 2025 (next year!). ALL proceeds benefit PPI. The tagline of the Tour is Have coffee. Help others. The passport introduces people to our ministry and encourages them to learn more about the need and opportunity to train church leaders in developing nations.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

1. Pray for this fundraiser to be successful for PPI and for participating shops! Sales of the Tour passport provide extra money for our ministry efforts in Haiti and other developing countries, and we want it to be win-win for small businesses, too.

2. Buy – and enjoy – a Tour passport. Purchase your Coffee Tour passport HERE. If you like coffee shops and meandering in Michigan like we do, you will love this Tour!

3. Encourage friends, family, co-workers, companies and schools to buy Tour passports. Coffee Tour passports make a great gift – birthdays, Christmas, employee incentives, client thank-you’s, or school fundraisers. We offer 20% off the purchase of six (6) or more passports at one time. CLICK HERE for more info on quantity purchases. The Sunrise Side Coffee Tour is the only coffee event of its kind in Michigan and provides a unique experience to passport holders.

4. Support and thank the coffee shops participating in PPI’s Sunrise Side Coffee Tour. Local coffee shop owners are hard-working small business men and women. We want the Tour to draw tourists and regular customers to their businesses. 

Let us know if you have any questions about the Tour. Here we go – Year Two!

“It’s amazing how much we can accomplish if we don’t care who gets the credit.” Have you heard that before? Let’s align it biblically: “It’s amazing how much God can accomplish through us if we care that only He gets the credit.” From day one, Partnership of Pastors International has been committed to serving and serving with pastors associations in developing countries and also serving and serving with U.S. churches and other mission ministries. The mission Jesus assigned us is a great CO-mission, and we continue to experience the Lord’s favor for this commitment in so many ways! Here are some recent examples.

CLC USA

We buy Thompson Bibles, Creole Bibles and other pastors resources through CLC USA (www.clcusa.org), and have for many years. CLC USA leaders, Jim Pittman and Tim Hurd (pictured), and their staff pray for us, encourage us, work hard to get Thompson Bibles at the best price, then manage international shipping. That’s not easy in this post-COVID printing and shipping environment! As I write, we have 504 Thompson Bibles en route from France to Florida. We ordered and paid for 448 Thompson Bibles, and CLC USA generously donated another 56 to fill the shipping pallet. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to co-labor in Jesus’ mission with CLC USA!

Missionary Flights International (MFI)

Our Thompson Bible order will land first at MFI in Fort Pierce, Florida (www.missionaryflights.org). MFI will store and then, as we direct, fly Bibles and training materials when and where we need them in Haiti. In early December, MFI will carry 224 Thompson Bibles, all our training materials (~1000 lbs of cargo!) and our three American team members to Pignon, Haiti. We couldn’t do what we do without partnership with this awesome ministry!

Project Piti Pami (3P)

Project Piti Pami (3P) (www.3phaiti.org) is a medical ministry focused on community healthcare in Haiti. Since 2020, COVID-19 and increasing unrest largely suspended their efforts in Haiti. Tom Taugher, a young doctor in our church, co-leads this organization. In July, I introduced Tom to Pastor Jasmin, a key PPI team member and leader of an Association of 50 evangelical churches in northeast Haiti. After several conversations and much prayer, 3P is now helping the Association fund an innovative nutrition/health program for destitute elderly people in Association churches. We all are very excited about the initial impact and the great potential of this program! Tom will go with us to Haiti in December.

Timothy Two Project International (TTPI)

In November, I will spend a week in Colombia with Grady Davidson, a regional leader with Timothy Two International (www.timothytwo.org). TTPI is involved in discipling and educating church leaders around the world. This trip serves two purposes: First, it’s a “continuing education” or “ministry study” opportunity for me. Second, it’s an opportunity to explore a cooperative relationship with a good pastors discipleship/education ministry. Like many other ministries to Haiti, TTPI’s efforts there ceased with the onset of COVID-19 and rising gang violence. I have encouraged TTPI leaders over the last two years in ways they can return to Haiti. Grady expressed his desire to come with us to Haiti in 2025.

YOU are part of the Co-Mission!

As you take time to read these updates, pray for us and give to this work, YOU are part of the Great CO-mission. Thank you! Speaking of prayer, will you:

* Thank the Lord for Pastor Fritzner, a leader in the League of Pastors in Haiti. Fritzner attended PPI Course 1 two years ago and has been spreading the word about our training ever since! He will be part of our ministry team in December.

* Thank the Lord for our recent purchase of 448 Thompson Bibles from CLC France. Our CLC contact in the U.S. contributed another 56 to make the shipment a full pallet (a $1680 donation of Bibles). Praise God!

* Ask the Lord to guard our shipment of Thompson Bibles from France to MFI in Florida. We need these Bibles in Florida for partial re-shipment to Haiti in early December. We will use 224 Thompson Bibles in December as we offer Course 1 in two new cities in central Haiti.

*  Please pray for our team as we finalize details of our December training – travel and lodging in country, partnering with two host pastors in two new cities, etc.

*  Ask the Lord to give us full courses in December – 112 church leaders in each. Course 1 is typically full these days with a waiting list, but we will be closer to Port au Prince this time and security is more of a concern. I know of several church leaders planning to come to our training from Port au Prince. Please pray for safe travels and great blessing for them!

*  Ask the Lord to guide us in finishing and translating Course 5. Lord willing, we’ll offer this new course in February.

Thank you all and please let us know how we can pray for you!