Report from JT – July 2018
“Sharing Christ in the midst of chaos in Haiti: Recent riots in the country have put Haiti in the news again, this time with horrific scenes of violence. In the space of 24-36 hours, fire was everywhere – a raging tempest of fire, fueled by a furious crowd. The country was blocked everywhere, with people stranded and unable to move about or travel by road. The authorities could not do anything to stop the destruction – markets, international brand hotels, businesses, cars, homes, etc. When we witness such acts of vandalism and desperation it is very sad, and the Haitian Christians often wonder, “Who cares for us?” In spite of all this, we can see joy through our tears; as the psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” The joy the psalmist spoke of is an effort to keep on living when the going is rough; it is resistance against apathy and immobility. This is the kind of joy found only in Christ.
“From January through June we have had 338 baptisms. During the last 32 years our goal has been to bring the name of Christ where there is no church of Christ. With the determination and action of new workers now in the field the church continues to grow, and the kingdom continues to expand.
“We are very encouraged with the progress of our 52 new students at the Preachers’ Training School. As you know, we graduated 36 Ministers last December, and we are working now to encourage these graduates in their new ministries.
“One of our greatest needs in the next six months is to conduct a Preachers’ Seminar in the Dominican Republic. We have identified, with our Dominican brethren, 17 Haitians Churches in the DR who are begging us to come train and ordain ministers. We are praying for the resources to be able to fulfill this request, and meet this great need.”
