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I typically sign my name 345 times every time I travel to Haiti. Yes, you read that right – 345 times! On the final day of each PPI course, we conclude with a time of recognition and ceremony. Every church leader who successfully completes a PPI course receives a certificate of completion and a Thompson Bible (Course 1) or Creole Bibles (Courses 2-6) and other ministry resources. Isaiah, Jasmin and I sign each certificate and emboss it with our PPI stamp before Hebert letters each person’s name on his or her certificate. (Hebert has stellar penmanship.) We place each certificate in a plastic sleeve to protect it along with an official PPI letter describing our courses. Since 2019, we have signed and awarded over 3000 PPI certificates. Before 2026 ends, we will sign 920 more.

Church leaders are very excited to receive the PPI certificate of completion! For them, the certificate respresents three full days of study, discussion and assignments. They have worked hard in the Word! And many of them have overcome hardship and sacrificed significantly to attend a PPI course. Each one has a story. They express gratitude to the Lord for enabling them to take the course, and they rightly experience joy and accomplishment in completing it.

As I inscribed certificate after certificate in south Haiti, I thought more about what – and who – my signature represents. (This is how one’s mind wanders while signing hundreds of documents . . .) I sign the name given to me by my parents, Ken and Loretta MacGillivray. My name, Ken MacGillivray, represents not just me but them – my dad quite literally. They loved me and shaped my life for Christ. Without them, I would not know Jesus and certainly would not be serving in Haiti.

I also sign my name as the Directeur exécutif (Executive Director) of Partenariat avec pasteurs internationaux. In a real way, my signature on each PPI certificate symbolizes the encouragement and affirmation of our Board of Directors and, indeed, all of you as PPI partners and friends. Each time I inscribe a course certificate, I am saying on your behalf: “Well done! We congratulate you on your work in this course. We see the Lord’s hand upon you and are praying for you, your family and your church. We’re behind you as you go back to your community to serve and lead in Jesus’ name!” Even more, we represent the Lord’s encouragement and affirmation of each pastor. That’s very humbling – and motivating.

Thank you for sending Isaiah, Jasmin, Hebert and me to convey your blessing to church leaders in Haiti. We are honored to represent you and Jesus our Lord among dear brothers and sisters in Christ. We’ll sign our name to that!

God did an amazing thing the first day of Course 5 in Limbé. It had poured rain all night, so much so that it woke us up. Our team drove to the host church in a drizzle. We all thought fewer pastors would come. We had seen it before. When it rains like this in Haiti, many homes get wet and roads can be treacherous. And most Haitians ride motorcycles.

We of little faith. Church leaders came early and kept on coming! They shed coats or garbage-bag ponchos and lined up at the registration table. Eight church leaders had traveled for two days to get to the training. A total of 115 men and women registered for Course 5, limited only by the number of course workbooks we brought. We were amazed – and humbled. CLICK HERE to help us train pastors

I thought of times Jesus commended great faith. The centurion who believed Christ could say the word and heal his servant (Matthew 8:5-13), the Gentile woman willing to eat crumbs from her Master’s table (Matthew 15:21-28), the suffering soul who pushed through the crowd until she could touch Jesus’ robe (Luke 8:43-48) – all these examples of faith have one thing in common. They persisted through difficulties to get to Jesus. They refused to give up when it got hard. They didn’t care what people thought or said. For them, encountering the most amazing Person on earth was worth it!

I began that morning with Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.” I thanked the pastors for pushing through the rain and roads, and prayed that God would reward them, their families and their churches for their diligence in seeking Him.

We enjoyed three exceptional days together. Course 5 is our second course on church leadership (Course 3 is the other) and focuses on what Scripture teaches about 1) leaders for the church and 2) effective organization of the church. The pastors worked hard on the assignments and had a lot of practical questions! On our last day, they asked Pastor Isaiah and me to answer their questions during lunch. They wanted all the course time they could get! So Isaiah and I sat on chairs in the front of the room, snatching bites of food while responding to their questions.

Pray for these leaders, their churches and communities. I have no doubt the Lord will fulfill His promise to reward their rainy day faith. INVEST HERE in church leaders training

(PICTURES. Top left – The group of 8 church leaders who traveled for two days from Belladere to Limbé for the training. Middle – Two more church leaders completed all six PPI courses and received their diplomas. Total to date – 49. Right – 115 church leaders celebrate successfully completing Course 5 and our team with them! Bottom – Our team celebrated Isaiah’s 46th birthday in Limbè. We sang “Happy Birthday” in Creole (“Bòn fèt), English and Spanish (“Cumpleaños feliz”) and gave him a card and gift. The cake tasted good, though the frosting was super sweet!

Thank you for reading this post to the end. CLICK HERE to enjoy Haitian believers singing!

Passionate, pointed, boisterous, sometimes loud – these words characterize our discussions in Course 3, our first of two courses on church leadership. We led this course in two cities in central Haiti earlier this month, and 186 church leaders diligently studied and passionately discussed!

In Course 3, titled Leading Jesus’ Church – Mission and Strategy, we focus on foundational biblical truths about the church. In our study of key Scriptures, we ask questions to stimulate thinking and discussion such as:

• The church belongs to Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18), what did He intend His church to be and do?
• How would the 11 apostles have understood Jesus’ command to the church – “Make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).”
• What is a “disciple” according to Scripture?
• How does the Lord tell us to “make” them? What would the apostles have understood?
• What is Jesus doing now? (Yes, interceding for us but also leading His church.)
• What are good “tests” or “measures” of how a local church is doing in making disciples – again according to Scripture?
• How is YOUR church doing in making disciples? In what ways could your church be more effective in fulfilling the Lord’s mission?

We conclude the course with Jesus’ two “all” statements in Matthew 28 (“all authority” in verse 18 and “with you always” in verse 20) and two assignments. Assignment 11 guides pastors to write a specific plan for effectively making disciples in their church.

Then we ask church leaders to share thoughts and concerns about their churches with their study group and pray for one another. And, man, they pray! This final assignment is a highlight of Course 3, a time of surrender to and trust in the Head of the church. Church leaders hold hands and lift their voices together to God. After their amens, groups often sing, and we typically conclude this special time by singing a song of the Faith all together.

Paul writes in Romans 10:11, “Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.” The apostle draws this encouragement from a recurring theme found in Scriptures such as Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 22:5; and Isaiah 45:17. (By the way, “put to shame” is a good study in the Bible.) As we trust God and rely on His Word through problems, poverty and persecution (Haitian church leaders face all these things!), we won’t be disappointed. We will have no regrets. Our trust is not misplaced! Our hope is anchored in the right Person! That’s the encouragement and joy we see in church leaders as we conclude Course 3. That’s the encouragement and joy each of us can experience as we follow Christ and live for His mission.