The Twentieth Year Begins

Twenty years ago, Jim Murphy and Stephen Sandoval joined us in Haiti. They were our first "team" and Stephen preached at our first conference. The services were held under a tarp spread out over Pastor Bauvais' front yard. We borrowed benches from somewhere for the event.

That first night, I stayed home to finish cooking dinner for the "team". The next day I started dinner earlier, but alas I still didn't make it to the service that evening either. In those days I was cooking over charcoal on a little grill that stood about 8 inches off the ground. I remember making hamburger helper - minus the hamburger. The fire just wasn't hot enough to get the water to boil.

Electricity was a rarity in those days. We all slept on air mattresses that week, as we didn't have any "real" mattresses at the time. I'll always remember those days, going to sleep on a fully inflated mattress at night and waking up on a piece of vinyl on the concrete floor in the morning. Oh the pain in my hips each morning!!!

This week Pastor Wanleatha Baker and Allison Ware joined Pastor Lex for our 20th annual conference at the church in Thozin.

3 meals a day (that I didn't cook!) were prepared for them. They slept on actual beds and had fans running all night. We are all so grateful for progress!

People traveled from around the country to participate in this year's conference. The services were full of rejoicing, instruction, encouragement, and fellowship. Lives were impacted by the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of the brethren.

Here are some pictures from the conference:

Twelve people were baptized this morning in the ocean in front of MOHI's missionary compound.

Dr. St. Leger is a Haitian American who has a beautiful home and mango grove located between the missionary compound and the main road. He has been visiting Haiti at least once a year since before we moved into the area and would often invite our family to dinner when he was in town. He has a great love for the people of Grand-Goave. He would bring Christmas gifts for the neighborhood children in Petit-Paradis each January and offer a medical clinic to the area, as well.

Dr. St. Leger is visiting his home in Haiti right now. At the age of 95, he made a point of visiting Pastor Lex during our conference. He told him he wanted to see him before he dies and to thank him for carrying on his work in Grand-Goave. Manno took a video of the end of their visit and it just brought tears to my eyes, as Angela is singing such a powerful song while they are saying their goodbyes. Take a listen...

It's so special to be able to watch the Lord at work moment by moment. In Haiti and in Massachusetts, too. Just like you, where ever I go HE goes with me and HE makes HIMSELF known to others through us. I encourage you today to be a missionary where ever you find yourself!

Have a blessed week!