Facilitating Ministry

In January, February and March of this year, many different teams of people came from Canada and the USA to Haiti to facilitate ministry.  Six folks came from Brampton, nine were part of a team from Cambridge, Woodland Christian High in Breslau sent twelve, eleven Woodland Alumni made their way here, fourteen folks from Rochester, and then another three from Cambridge rounded out the group in January and February.  Add to that in March a group of 14 from New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota, as well as a final group of nine from Strathroy, as well as Clare and Sandy Streutker from Cambridge, and you have a grand total of 86 people who came to Haiti for a week or more, to learn and to serve and to facilitate ministry.

While they were here, they did a lot of learning about history, about culture, and about contextualizing the gospel into a language, economy, and context that challenged them and helped them consider the meaning and power of the gospel here in Haiti as well as at home.  In preparation for coming, some of them read, "When Helping Hurts" and had discussions about the healthiest way to bring 'help' to those who could either be blessed or damaged by that help, depending on how it was extended to them.

One of the ways we at Sous Espwa (the North American Christian Reformed Church ministries in Haiti) have sought to facilitate this helpfulness is to work with Haitian-run partnerships and support them in the goals and objectives of ministry which they articulate and to come alongside them in projects which help them meet those goals and pursue the mission which God is entrusting them with.

 One of the partner agencies Sous Espwa has celebrated the growth of over the years is MDK:  Ministry Kretienne Devlopment or Ministry of Christian Development.  MDK provides training to Christian leaders to work within their communities.  MDK's training helps Christian leaders to work alongside leaders of other churches and of non-church entities to cooperate together for the betterment of their communities.  MDK's work is inspiring and tangible, rooting in the gospel and person of Christ, and empowered by the Spirit, I have seen physical evidence of community development in Community Associations, sanitation projects, water projects, literacy projects, and, since the earthquake, a ministry called "Give Me a Foot" which works with and for those who have suffered amputations as a result of the earthquake.

MDK hosts training at their offices in Tabarre, near the Port-au-Prince airport.  Over the years, because of the success of their ministry, they have needed an increasingly larger space.  This year, the teams mentioned above, came to add a large narthex and registration area for people coming to the courses.  Yesterday, today and tomorrow marks the last time that a training will be done without that space as the finishing touches on that space will be done before the next training sessions.  I went there yesterday to take some pictures of the training going on so that you could see the large number of people and so that you could see the way the registration process inside the training area is not compatible with having those in training focus on training.  Indeed, this week's training is a huge blessing, and the next training they run will be that much more effective as they are finally able to use the narthex area.

Below are some pictures, first of the nearly-finished narthex and registration area, and then of the training going on this week.  As you look at them, give thanks for the teams who came to build this, working alongside Haitians, and what they have done to facilitate ministry.  And even more, give thanks for the ministry of the Spirit who is calling and equipping these folks for ministry in Christ's name.

This is the newly painted main teaching hall and newly concrete-paved patio and parking lot leading from the newly installed main security gate.  To the far left is the new outbuilding housing the kitchen to feed all the students. 

This is the walkway to the narthex and registration area.  This was all dirt and a hole in the ground until June 6th when Clare Streutker arrived.  He and the teams he supervised worked alongside newfound Haitian friends in the hot Haitian sun to build this.  Only they and God knows how hard the work was, and only they and God know the incredible value of this form of encouragement and ministry facilitation this is for the Haitian Christian community leaders trained here. 

Almost finished!  The steps and wheelchair ramp are installed, the columns and walls are smooth and ready for paint and the spaces for the doors and windows await their metal occupants.  

From inside the new narthex and registration area, one gets an idea of how large this area is.  The open door straight ahead leads to the adminstrative offices of MDK and the double door to the left leads to the teaching hall.  

Looking out from the narthex and registration area, down the artistically configured pathway back to the outdoor entrance to the main hall.  

Early morning in the main hall, already 30 of the registrants for this weeks training are assembled.  As the day progresses, their number will swell to 70 leaders being trained!  Praise God for what he does in them these days and through them in the days to come to make a tangible difference in their communities. 

What about the bible?  While the training they receive is beautifully practical, it is also rooted in the person and work of Jesus.  A passion for his kingdom is fostered among all the trainees not only through their own personal devotions but through opening and sharing the impact of God's word through devotions and testimonies throughout the day. 

For the sake of understanding why the narthex and registration area construction was a necessary last piece of work, here is a picture looking back from the training area toward the door where people are registering.  Imagine metal chairs on ceramic tile in a concrete hall and the noise of voices at the back of the room competing for attention with the main speakers at the front.  All those involved in MDK's training are thankful that future training will be uninterrupted by this in the future. 

The training session commences.  Pastor Lemet Zafir, the Director of MDK introduces a variety of speakers at the beginning of the day who share their testimonies of how God is using the training they are receiving to impact their communities.