Haiti - Newsletter

Blessed Hope International Mission, Inc. & Chaplains for Christ International Mission Caribbean Mission Trip to Haiti The Call: By the grace of God we had the privilege to visit the country of Haiti between the dates of May 30 and June 5, 2009. It was an answer to an email received through our website, but not only that, we believe it was an answer to the call of God for us to visit Haiti. Brother Constantin received an email from a pastor with which there was no previous contact. Previously we made plans to go to El Salvador, but the doors did not open for ministry there. The Spirit of God in pulsed Constantin’s heart to go to Haiti. Introduction to Haiti: Haiti is located in the Caribbean on the island called Hispaniola and it shares it with a wealthier neighbor: the Dominican Republic. It is the most densely populated and the poorest country in the West Hemisphere. After Columbus discovered the island in 1492 it became a Spanish Colony. The hard work and new diseases brought by the Spaniards killed most native Indians: Arawaks. In 1697 it became a French colony and it brought more wealth to the French empire then India to England. Slaves imported by the hundreds of thousands from Africa did most of the work. The atrocious treatments of the slaves lead to a revolt that resulted into an independent country called Haiti in 1801. It was the first independent black republic. The revolution wrecked Haiti's economy and it was succeeded by years of strife between the light-skinned mulattos who had all the wealth and the majority black population. Later dictatorships and AIDS epidemic caused more havoc to the weak economy and specially the tourist industry. From 1904 to 1941 Haiti accepted U.S. customs receivership and the presence of US Marines brought stability. US left Haiti just to return in 1994 as the leaders of the UN keeping forces that reestablished democracy and peace. In 2000, the UN keeping forces left only to go back in 2004 during a full blown armed revolt. The revolt was followed by Hurricane Jeanne, which ravaged Haiti and killed 2,400 people. 2008 brought multiple hurricanes that destroyed parts of the country and killed hundreds. Literacy rate is less then 50%, 60/1000 babies die and people live on average 57 years. The Catholic population of 80% is decreasing with the Protestant believers increasing rapidly, but more than 50% of the country still participates in Voodoo practices.

Our Trip: We read in the book of Acts that the disciples of Jesus Christ acted as they received guidance and leading from the Holy Spirit. This is true today as it was at that time because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This trip to Haiti was a proven testimony that the Holy Spirit empowers, gives guidance to all that obey Him. In Acts 16 we read that Paul was led through a vision to go and help people from Macedonia. The same Holy Spirit that worked then, impulsed my spirit when I received an email from pastor Joseph Jules Jasmin who I never heard of or met before. I sensed in my spirit an urge that I need to go there on the day of the Pentecost. I did not understand all this guidance but by faith in God, I rushed to buy the tickets and made all the arrangements to arrive there before the Pentecost day. When I arrived at the airport on May 31st and our contacts waited for us in a 4Runner truck and we headed to Gonaives. We arrived in a city close to Gonaives around midnight and rested that night. On Sunday morning, the day of remembrance of Pentecost, we left early in the morning to reach the church service at New Covenant Christian Church in Gonaives, Haiti. The church was located in an area that was greatly affected by last year’s hurricane storm. Even the old church was demolished and now the church held a service in a rented home. The leaders of the church welcomed us and the pastor who speaks Creol, French and English, introduced us to the church and translated our message. The church was established and founded a couple of years ago. They were very open and sincere people. They worshiped God with all their hearts and know His Word but they did not have experience of the event of Pentecost, which means manifestation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. There we were on that special day to inspire them and teach them that the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit can be real to them as it was real for the disciples of Jesus in the upper room. There I could understand why God prompted us to go there on that special day because God knows their spiritual desires and needs. We prayed with them and asked them to seek the Lord’s face and not give up until the Lord Jesus will baptize them all in the Holy Spirit. The pastors and leaders were touched by the message and a fire burned in their hearts. After the church service, we went to the local prison from Gonaives City. The deacons had already purchased cold drinks, food and hygienic products for about 300 inmates with the money that we gave for that purpose from the mission. We arrived at the prison that was surrounded by United Nation police from Pakistan that was very friendly to us and to the local people. One prison cell had about 140 inmates. We ministered to them from the Word of God, prayed for them and encouraged them to seek the Lord; the only way, truth, and life. Some of them were very sick and laid down at the gate of the prison with wounds on their bodies which broke our hearts. We ministered to about 300 inmates and about 6 guards and gave

them goods and food. In the afternoon we visited pastor Jasmin’s family and gave them a love offering. In the morning, we visited the part of the city that was very devastated by the hurricane. Families that lost their homes or had their homes with many feets of mud lived there in less damaged homes. We prayed for them and encouraged them to seek the Lord who can help them and keep them healthy. We see the youth’s desire and need to have a school in that community but we could not accomplish that need. Instead we prayed for them and asked that God would supply them with a school because many of them were completely illiterate. They looked at us as an answer to their needs but we told them we are simply messengers to show them that God cares for them and loves them. At night, we had an evangelist service in open air outside the church and invited all the people in the area to come. Over 100 people and children attended and listened to the messages and worship team. Tuesday morning, we had a seminar where we presented the chaplains for Christ materials for inspiration and information about jail ministry to provoke them to reach people in the prison. Also, another part of the seminary was a presentation of the Holy Spirit baptism and manifestation. The purpose of this was to ignite the fire in them and especially in the leaders and pastors that they might continue the ministry with passion and full of the Holy Spirit. After the seminar, we visited pastor Jean Inera’s home and prayed for his family. We had an evangelistic meeting at night at the church of Marose where Jean Inera is pastor. It was a blessed night where God presence manifested in that crowd of adults and many children. They were singing to God with all their heart in the same way that the crowd was singing when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Jesus said, “...Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise?” [Mathew 21:16] Early Wednesday morning, we drove to visit the prison of St. Marc in the state of Artibonite, Haiti. There we went from cell to cell to minister to about 250 inmates and guards. We purchased about 148 bibles and distributed to them along with other necessary products. The guards and director of the prison were very friendly and invited us to come again. There were a few inmates that committed to change their life. One of them was a young boy and he stayed there for 4 years and now they want to release him but there was an amount of money to be paid and I asked the director of the sum and if it was true. He answered, “If $60 can be paid this inmate can be free today.” And so we freed him. A former chaplain was also incarcerated for another sum of about $2,800 but we could not honor that and the director said the sum is only to set him free sooner, and not a requirement. This reminded us about our salvation, we were all prisoners of sin; deserving eternal punishment, but Jesus came and paid the penalty for the wages of sin. We don’t have to suffer the consequences of our sin, because Jesus has paid for it so that we can be free and whom the Son makes free, is free indeed. “For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever” [Psalm 49:8] After this we headed to the capital of Haiti, Port Prince. At Port Prince, George and Fanuel Greab lodged at a hotel built by an American Missionary. I continue my trip to Jacmel, Haiti. In this area, brother Ionel Negrila from

Sacramento was involved with R.A. Ministry in helping churches this area. I met with him in 2000 when he told me about this mission. Now the time came and I remembered that his heart was moved with compassion to help churches in Haiti. In my time of preparation for the Haiti mission, I contacted him and he gave me some contacts in Peredo, Jacmel but he did not have the names or phone numbers. So we contacted the local pastor from Jacmel and he researched for us and found the women pastor (that was about 60 years old when brother Ionel Negrila was involved) was still alive. The church was named by Ionel Negrila “The Remnants of the House of David” and is still in function today. On the way over there I encountered road problems due to the mountain area. Our car broke down just before reaching Jacmel. Pastor Sanon Medid of Agape Church from Jacmel answered our call and came with a mechanic and towed our car. On that night pastor Sanon brought us to his home where we had dinner. After dinner, Pastor Sanon engaged himself to bring us to Peredo (a village in the mountains). The road was flooded just before we reached Peredo and we got stuck in the water around midnight where I told the pastor to turn around. Unfortunately, we could not see the church in Peredo for which purpose pastor Ionel Negrila gave a love offer of $200 to help the orphans in that church. But I gave the money to pastor Sanon Medid and he was going to go back when the weather permitted and complete the task. Early in the morning around 4 am, we left Jacmel now with Pastor Sanon Medid our driver to Port Prince where our flight departed at 11 am. His car broke down on our way to Port Prince and we had to hitch another ride to catch our flight. A small caravan vehicle stopped and took pastor Jasmin and I to the airport. I arrived there just in time to check in and the other two team members came at the same time from Port Prince where they stayed overnight.

Conclusion: The results were worth all of this effort. Our Lord said in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. Although the rest of the world may view the poor as the least among us, they are precious in God’s sight. Psalms 138:6 says “Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar”. As we look upon the needs of the poor in Haiti and around the world, the size and scope of the problem appears overwhelming. But there are those who do not forget that we serve an all-powerful and sovereign God. We know His heart and passion for the “least” among us, and we simply need to follow Him and trust Him for the results. He has provided the means; it is our job to act. And, we look forward to great things in the days ahead as we witness the fruits of our obedience to “make disciples of all nations”. Please join us in our support for Haiti and remember that “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19:17)

Impact: Letter from Gonaives “Hello Rev. Constantin Greetings from Gonaives, Haiti. Today, I am very happy to write you and tell you : your visit in Haiti is a blessing from God for my country Haiti, specially the City of Gonaives. After your visit, last Sunday, 5 people added to the Church in Gonaives. We appreciate the work you and your group have done in Haiti. Before I started the church in Gonaives, I did work in Church called: Dessalines Church of Christ .The leaders of this church don't believe in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, they even says: someone cannot be baptize in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Sometime they get confused among them. That was one of the reason l did oblige to leave them. Now I can tell you that, it is God by His Holy Spirit who lead you to come in Haiti to help us to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in Gonaives, Haiti. Since you came in Gonaives I feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit in my heart who give me a big desire to go and reach people to the Jail and everywhere for Christ. I would like you pray and continue to pray the Lord for me and my church and so that the Lord can continue to be with us, help us to live a Holy life and make a difference in the Community of Gonaives, Haiti. Also, I would like my Church become a part of your Pentecostal Church because me Pastor Joseph I believe in the day of Pentecost. I would like to learn more about the word of God, specially the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the day of Pentecost .In this case, if you know any kind of seminaries or trainings who could be good for Pastors or Preachers, please, if it is possible, help me to have them and so that I could have enough to share to the Church of the Lord and to the others. I send Hello to you and all your family and to all Blessed Hope International Mission team. Thank You! May God bless you and continue to bless you and mission team. Sincerely in Christ: Pastor Joseph Jules Jasmin