Not every Christmas is like this one. This Christmas was extra special for a lot of reasons. Our children and grandkids came home for the holiday, except for Kurt and Jen, our youngest son and his wife. They announced to us on Christmas Day (via phone) that Jen is pregnant with their first baby. We cheered and cried. This is an answer to prayer!
This also was the year of our MacGillivray family Christmas gathering. I was dragging a little from our trip to Haiti, but I wouldn’t miss it! Nearly 40 family members gathered at Mom’s house to catch up, have dinner, and celebrate the coming of the One who changed the course of our family. What a special time!
God gave us special gifts this past week in Haiti. Our team of five Americans and five Haitians hosted PPI’s Courses 4 and 1 in northeastern Haiti for around 240 church leaders. Everyone dove into the details of the training, and I was so moved to see the Lord using each of our team members in special ways. The Haitian team led most of Course 1 to enable us Americans to get back home in time for Christmas with our families. Watch highlights of our December training HERE.
With the generous support of the Christian Motorcyclists Association (Michigan Chapter) and New Life Fellowship’s men’s ministry, Pastor Isaiah was able to buy a much-needed motorcyle (complete with helmets for him and Celina). This is a HUGE blessing to Isaiah’s family and also to PPI as we continue to expand our training across Haiti. Donate toward 2024 pastors training HERE.
We hope all of you had a special Christmas, too, worshipping our Savior Jesus with the multitudes of heavenly hosts! Thank you all for your warm encouragement, faithful prayers and generous support. We’re looking forward to an extra special 2024 of training hundreds of church leaders across Haiti and beyond!
Besides a windy landing in Fort Lauderdale, we had good flights to Haiti on Friday and Saturday morning. Pastor Isaiah met us at the airport with hugs and smiles, and we took a taxi van to Ouanaminthe. Then we hit the ground running! We met with our Haitian team to catch up and pray – more hugs and smiles – then worked together into the evening to prepare for our courses, knowing we wouldn’t have time on Sunday. The guys loved our new team T-shirts! (Thank you again for giving toward them.) Isaiah, Jerry and I slipped out for an hour to visit Pastor Philogene, our long-time friend and host pastor for our two courses this week.
After lunch we drove to the Apostolic Church of Ouanaminthe to celebrate the very first graduation of the Evangelical Theological College. Pastor Jasmin Joseph, one of PPI’s key team members, established the college three years ago. He is a gifted leader and godly pastor, and we have made it a priority to encourage him and support this important effort. The Evangelical Theological College draw students from all across the North and Northeast Departments of Haiti. Our team enjoyed the ceremony. Jerry and Dawn spoke to the graduates, Brian took pictures and video for Jasmin, and Isaiah and I organized diplomas. I loved the opportunity to help Jasmin “behind the scenes” as he does so often for me. Pastor Jasmin thanked PPI and Jerry for our encouragement and support of the Bible College – a very special moment for us!
For the last three days (Monday-Wednesday), we have been immersed in PPI Course 4 – Make Disciples: How do we do it? Brian tackled registration and attendance with gusto, helped by Jasmin, Hebert and Dawn. Tony, Jerry, Ulrick and Michel organized our materials, and Isaiah and I set up our speaker and mics and led the training. Over 90 church leaders registered for the course, one came all the way from Port au Prince. They were excited and ready to learn and discuss!
Although I led this new course, I asked Tony, Brian and Dawn to speak at strategic points in the training. Tony shared his personal story, what the Lord used to move him from atheism to faith in Christ. He concluded with Isaiah chapter 6. After encountering the Lord, Isaiah responded to God’s questions, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” with “Here am I, Lord. Send me!” God not only forgives us, Tony emphasized, but also calls us to a life of purpose.
Haitian church leaders can’t wait to take “Kou 4.” They’ve heard about it, especially this year, and have asked when we will offer it. The time has come! In Creole, “kou” means “course,” and the word for 4 is “kat.” So “Kou 4” sounds like “coo cot.” Now you know more Creole. 🙂
In Sessions 8-9, we get practical, starting first with our own families. We’ll say, “If we allow God to humble us and grow us in discipling our own family, we can become strong, effective disciple-makers of others!” Then we’ll talk through simple, consistent ways to build up our spouse and children in Christ. In Session 9, we drill down on how to focus ALL ministries of our church on intentionally making disciples. We’ll study the Apostle Paul’s ministry pattern, and talk through what various church ministries add to making disciples (or not). Our final assignment (Assignment 11) leads pastors through an assessment of their personal and church disciple-making strengths and possible growth areas.
Q. Where can I buy a passport?
Q. What else do we get with the passport?
We’ve lived in our house for nearly 20 years, and it’s time for a face lift. We tackled the bathrooms first, and to save money, we’re doing a lot of the work ourselves. (Pray for us!) Time, patience, YouTube and the right tools make the world go ‘round when you’re remodeling a room in your house. Thank the Lord for cordless drills and trim nailers!
