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“What We Have Proclaimed”
Basis for the presentation during |
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Our mission group consisted of 5 five persons (2 pastors and 3 lay persons) representing 5 separate congregations (4 Disciples and 1 non-denominational). The six full days in Haiti were extremely busy and we can be assured that the National Spiritual Council of Haitian Churches (CONASPEH) and its programs are stronger because of our time with them. Our group provided financial and physical support for the building of a roof on the Collage D’Andre, which houses a school (K-12), a medical clinic, a nursing school and a seminary. We provided the $5,000 needed for the construction and two of our group members worked with Haitian workers for two of the days we were there. Our group provided encouragement and support for social and religious justice for Protestant Christians. At the National Congress of CONASPEH, Michael read a document concerning “The Separation of Church and State in the United States” and our group participated with the National Congress in a political demonstration (march) to and around the capitol buildings in Port au Prince. CONASPEH organized this demonstration for the purpose of calling national attention to the inequality endured by the Protestant Churches of Haiti under Haitian laws. The paper Michael read has been adopted as an official document of CONASPEH, and has been forwarded to President Preval and the Department of Cults (the government department that oversees religious affairs). Our group provided resources for the enrichment of the Christian Marriages of CONASPEH pastors and the people of their churches in three ways:
Our group provided additional educational support for the Seminaire Theologique D’Andre. A member of our group, Pastor Louis St. Fort, taught a preaching class. He also distributed textbooks to the students. Our group provided substantial financial resources for the continuation of CONASPEH’s “Food for Learning” Program. This program is a free school lunch for the 160 elementary school children that attend Collage D’Andre. We made a donation of $13,100, which will feed the children each school day for about 7½ of the 10-month school year. Our group was a unique blend of the U.S.-born and Haitian-born Christians that provided a new kind of Christian witness to our brothers and sisters of CONASPEH. Two members of our group were Haitian-born. One of them, Louis St. Fort, became the unofficial interpreter of the National Congress of CONASPEH. Our group’s congeniality and servants’ hearts were a witness to our solidarity with and our inclusiveness of Haitians (it was a small but powerful expression of what the Kingdom of God can be like). Our Haitian-born group members added a depth to the richness of our experience through their open sharing about Haitian culture and the Creole language. Our group left an undesignated donation of approximately $1,000 for the leaders of CONASPEH to use wherever their need is the greatest. We want to thank all who donated supplies, or money, or your prayers to support this trip. The mission group was a humble extension of your ministry! Michael is available to speak to church groups concerning what Global Ministries is doing through their partnership with CONASPEH in Haiti. Michael will be planning another Mission Trip to Haiti in February of 2010. The number of participants will be limited to eight persons. If
you have an interest in going with him or simply want to be included in the
information as it becomes available, please contact Michael at |