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.

Where is Pastor Isaiah? Grace Fellowship Church in Kinston, North Carolina, was the final stop on our East Coast travels. Last but certainly not least! Grace Church partnered with PPI in 2019 – our first supporting church – and has greatly encouraged us. We stayed with our friends, the Kecks, who now live in New Bern, an hour’s drive from the church.

On Sunday, we set up our PPI info table before updating the congregation and preaching in Grace’s two worship services. Listen to Ken’s sermon, “Make Some Noise,” HERE. After church we enjoyed lunch with Pastor Kent, his family, and a number of Grace friends. On Monday afternoon, we joined Pastor Jason on his Encounter Grace podcast to talk about Haiti and PPI’s work there.

Thanks again, Grace friends, for your warm welcome and faithful partnership!

Where is Pastor Isaiah? Answer: Visiting an amazing ministry partner you need to know about! On Thursday, we headed to Philadelphia to visit our friends at CLC International. CLC focuses on printing and distributing Bibles and good Christian literature around the world. They serve as PPI’s main resource for French language Thompson Bibles and other ministry resources for church leaders in Haiti. We couldn’t train pastors without them!

As we put together our East Coast travels some months ago, we made plans to spend time with CLC leaders in Philly. We’re so glad we did! The CLC staff welcomed us warmly and provided a guest apartment for us for two nights.

On Friday, Director Jim Pittman and Tim Hurd explained CLC’s operations and gave us a tour of their warehouse. I knew God was using CLC to provide Bibles and good Christian literature around the world, but I didn’t realize to what extent! CLC oversees the printing and revision of Bibles and books, launches and manages Christian bookstores across the world, provides mobile “bookmobiles,” develops extensive web resources, and even provides logistical help for a Christian business in a closed Islamic nation.

And they do all this with excellence and passion for making disciples around the world. Jim, Tim and their staff pray regularly for PPI, work to get the best prices possible for us, and have even given to PPI’s work. They’re visionary, faith-filled and hard-working friends to PPI and to me personally.

We wanted you all to know more about this wonderful ministry partner. Check out their website HERE. Please pray for CLC International and, as the Lord leads you, consider giving to their work. They well deserve our support!

Hint: The area of Ken’s first church after graduation from seminary. If that didn’t help you, these clues will: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps. I’m sure you have it now! We’re in the NYC metro area – visiting present and potential partners of PPI.

On Sunday we updated and preached for Fardale Trinity Church in Mahwah, New Jersey, one of our supporting churches. Pastor Lee and Colleen went out of their way to welcome us to the church and into their home. We enjoyed our time with these committed servants of God and with the Fardale mission team and congregation. Thank you all!

With Fardale as home base, we visited visited five more potential partner churches and met with pastors/members of three of these churches to share PPI’s vision and ministry. The Lord gave us wonderful connection with brothers and sisters in Christ. We were excited to learn more about their ministries, and we sensed kindred hearts for the need to encourage and train church leaders in Haiti and other developing nations. We’re grateful for the Lord’s work among us and look forward to partnership in the gospel going forward!

First Baptist Church of Peekskill, New York, was the fifth church we visited in the NYC area. The Lord planted this active congregation in the picturesque Hudson River valley. (Rena and I have wonderful memories of boating with friends in this area.) Pastor Mike Brubaker serves as the interim pastor, guiding the church through the transition from a long-time pastor to their next season of Kingdom ministry. FBC Peekskill is strongly committed to missions and encouraged us greatly after our presentation on Wednesday evening. God has His people everywhere!

We couldn’t leave the area without taking Isaiah into New York City. We rode the subway, visited the Statue of Liberty, the 911 Memorial and walked among the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan. These were “firsts” for Isaiah – a Haitian pastor experiences NYC!

Now it’s time to leave the Big Apple and head to Philadelphia. Thank you for your prayers for us! The Lord is giving us good connections with believers and churches as well as safety and health as we travel.

Enjoy the pics below.