Three weeks ago, an earthquake devastated homes, churches and lives in southwestern Haiti, especially in the cities of Les Ceyes and Jeremie. A few days later, I suggested ways all of us could help and how we should think longer term about development in Haiti.  (You can read that post HERE.)

I have encouraging news and an opportunity for us to help Haitians help Haitians.

First, PPI board member, Tony deBari, traveled to Les Ceyes, Haiti on Saturday to serve on Samaritan’s Purse medical disaster response team. Many of you know that Tony is an accomplished orthopedic surgeon and has used his gifts all around the world to help those in disaster areas. Please pray for Tony and the entire medical team (pictured) as they work to help as many people as possible!

Second, Pastor Jasmin Joseph has rallied many believers and churches in northeastern Haiti to donate money for food, water and supplies for people in Les Ceyes and Jeremie. Pastor Jasmin is one of PPI’s key partner pastors and coordinators of our pastors training.

So far Haitian churches have given around $2000 USD – a LOT of money by Haitian standards! No doubt many Haitian believers will go without food in order to help others. This money will be distributed for basic needs through churches in and around Les Ceyes and Jeremie.

Pastor Jasmin asked me if Partnership of Pastors International would consider giving to increase that amount. YES! Yes, PPI intends to stay focused on our crucial work of encouraging, training and resourcing church leaders in Haiti. No, we’re not able to give to every need every time. But at times of major need, God wants us to show mercy, not overthink it, and do what we can to help. We’re convinced this is one of those times.

Will you help us help Haitians help Haitians? Pray about what God wants you to do, and when you’re ready you can GIVE HERE.

Thank you for standing with fellow believers in Haiti, helping them help their people in need.

You probably heard: An earthquake hit Haiti on Saturday. At 7:29am a quake registering 7.2 shook the southern peninsula of the island nation. Five more aftershocks registering between 4.0 and 5.0 followed, devastating the cities of Jeremie and Les Cayes. Around 1.5 million Haitians have been affected by the earthquake. Over 1400 were killed.

How can we help? A number of you have asked what we can do.

• PRAY for Haitian families and all those helping on the ground in the areas most affected by the earthquake. Our God cares for the poor.

Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people. Psalm 113:5-8

• GIVE WISELY to relief efforts. Missionary Flights International (MFI) says it’s best for relief organizations to buy needed supplies in Haiti in order to get them faster and to help the Haitian economy. MFI and Samaritan’s Purse are two trustworthy ministries involved in relief efforts in Haiti. Unfortunately, too many “charities” take advantage of disasters like this to solicit money that rarely benefits those who most need help. Be discerning and give wisely.

• INVEST LONGER-TERM IN REBUILDING the lives and communities of Haitian families. Emergency help is needed in southern Haiti right now, but what is needed a month from now?  Three months from now? A year from now? Behind-the-scenes ongoing gospel-centered work to rebuild the lives and communities of Haitian families is the real solution to the pressing problems of Haiti – and other poor countries.

That’s why we do what we do as Partnership of Pastors International! In a nation with little infrastructure or governmental organization, churches in Haiti have the opportunity to be “centers of life” in their neighborhoods – proclaiming the gospel clearly, discipling believers and leading efforts in nutrition, medical care, job training, etc. Involved churches led by godly, well-trained pastors are the answer to Haiti’s problems. 

The problem is, church leaders in Haiti lack access to good ministry training and they lack ministry resources, especially Bibles. That’s the need God has called PPI to do something about in Haiti. It’s the behind-the-scenes ongoing gospel centered work that already is making a difference for Christ in cities where we have trained pastors and provided them with Bibles, God-Pleasing Worship books, gospel tracts, Jesus film DVDs, and other ministry resources. Your investments of prayer and giving make our ongoing gospel-centered work possible in Haiti.  Thank you!!

If you’re not already, we invite you to invest longer-term with PPI in the spiritual and practical rebuilding of Haitian families and communities. Would you consider becoming a monthly partner to help us purchase Thompson Chain Reference Bibles (our main training tool) and Creole Bibles? Will you help us print course workbooks and provide good ministry resources for our pastors training conferences? This is the best long-term Kingdom investment we can make in Haiti! DONATE HERE

I have to tell you about this! Esau and I got back to Michigan late last night after a week of meeting with potential PPI supporters in the Mid-South. A good week. During breakfast, Rena asked Esau if his family and friends in Haiti could use other items. He mentioned backpacks for families.

After breakfast, Rena took Esau to our garden at my parents’ house – Esau is very interested in gardening – while I finished a presentation of PPI for a church we’ll be at tomorrow. Before diving into slides, I took a walk around our neighborhood to listen to worship music and pray. I trekked my usual route, around White Pine Middle School and past the dental and medical offices on Colony Drive. I noticed a pop-up tent and some people in the parking lot of one dental office, MI Smile Journey. 

“Need a backpack?” two young women called to me as I was walking by. “Wow! Cool, Lord!” I thought. I said, “No. But I know some people who do.” I told them about Esau, Haiti and PPI. Ten minutes later I was back with my truck, and Dr. Michael Thomas and his staff loaded 16 backpacks filled with school supplies into my truck.

A great big THANKS and shout out to Dr. Thomas and his enthusiastic staff for their care for our community and also for families in Haiti!

And a great big THANKS to our good, good Father who knows the needs of His children and answers our prayers even before we ask. Wow! Cool, Lord!

We landed in Detroit last Friday from Haiti and hit the ground . . . driving! Today Pastor Esau Paulema and I drove to Atlanta, Georgia. We talked about life, wedding anniversaries and all things PPI. We sang songs, napped a little (Esau), learned more Creole (me), and navigated I-75 traffic for 13 hours.

We will meet this week with a number of pastors and Christian leaders in the Mid-South to present PPI and invite them to partner with us in encouraging, training and resourcing Haitian church leaders. Here’s our schedule for the week:

• Monday – Drive to Atlanta, GA (check!)
• Tues-Weds – Meet with Haitian pastors in Atlanta
• Thursday – Meet with pastors and Christian leaders in Chattanooga, TN
• Friday – Meet with pastor in Glasgow, KY
• Friday pm – Drive back to Michigan

Will you pray that we will be an encouragement to all those we meet with? We’re excited to learn more about their ministries and how God is leading them right now. Will you also pray for open hearts as we talk about our recent training conferences and future opportunities? I woke up this morning thinking about the prayer of Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, in Genesis 24. As Eliezer traveled back to Abraham’s homeland, he asked the Lord to grant him favor with those he met with and success in his task. That’s what Esau and I prayed this morning as we set off for the Mid-South.

Today begins 127 days of full-time focus on inviting churches and individual believers to regularly support PPI’s investment in Haitian church leaders. From now ‘til mid-December, it’s pedal to the metal on meeting with potential support partners and inviting them to commit to supporting this vision financially and prayfully. We are trusting the Lord to grant us favor and success in this task! Please pray with us!