Making Room for More

Sunday, July 6, 2025 - [click here to support the continuing work at MOHI]  

Today's update is from Renée

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A Week of Celebration & Hospitality at MOHI

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back …” — Isaiah 54:2

This promise has echoed through our campuses all week. From fresh coats of paint on the walls to hymn-filled nights of worship, we’ve been stretching—preparing our hearts, our buildings, and our tables for the goodness God keeps pouring out on the island of Hispaniola.

Caps, Gowns & New Beginnings

Sunday in Thozin was a swirl of bright fabrics and even brighter smiles. Kindergarteners, proud and wiggly in their color-coordinated outfits, recited poems and “passed the torch” to the class coming behind them. Our high-school seniors—robes swishing, diplomas in hand—stepped into a brand-new chapter. Their speeches reminded us that every lesson, every meal, and every prayer you’ve helped provide is bearing fruit. “Children are a heritage from the Lord …” (Psalm 127:3).

Preparing the House

Graduation gave way to ladders, rakes, and very practical acts of love. For days, church members weeded the grounds, scrubbed sleeping quarters, and even butchered a cow so every guest would be well-fed. These unseen hours of service set the stage for something extraordinary—our 26th Annual Conference.

Twenty-Six Years of Hospitality

From Thursday night until this afternoon, l’Église Évangélique Mission of Hope overflowed with visitors from neighboring towns and distant villages. Worship spilled long past the scheduled benedictions; preaching ignited fresh passion; friendships were forged over heaping plates of rice and beans. Watching our congregation greet each guest as family, I kept hearing Paul’s exhortation: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:13).

Many years ago, the Lord blessed us to open a radio station at MOHI, Radio Tele Pataj 106.5 FM. It is incredible to see this resource used to broadcast the entire conference to millions of people across the country!

As I scrolled through the photos and videos of the conference, emotion caught me by surprise. I haven’t been able to set foot in Haiti for nearly four years because of the uncontrolled violence, yet the images brought me right back. Hundreds of believers poured in, unrolling comforters on classroom floors for three nights of worship, preaching, and fellowship. I watched the women—hair wrapped, brows glistening—labor over steaming pots to feed every guest, and then saw those same women, freshly dressed, lifting their voices in praise to Jesus. Their tireless dedication to the Lord and to one another humbles me. Though distance keeps me away, their faithfulness keeps pulling my heart home.

We wait all year long to experience the men at Eglise Evangélique Mission of Hope come together so energetically in praise together like this. There may be a bit of, "We can dance, too!" going on here.

Healing Hands & Daily Bread

Even amid the celebration, ministry never paused. Our medical and dental clinics treated patients with dignity and prayer. The START NOW team rose early to prepare nutritious meals for little ones whose tummies would otherwise be empty. A generous life really is a refreshed life—“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” (Proverbs 11:25, ESV).

Quiet, Steady Progress in the Dominican Republic

While I don’t have many photos this week, ministry in Luperón was humming all week. Second-year Bless Back Business Academy participants continued working on their final project, the community health promoter made her rounds, and START NOW and Hope Squad participants enjoyed their daily lunches. Your prayers and support knit these two nations together under a single vision of Christ-centered transformation.

How You Can Pray

1. Fresh strength for our Thozin church family as they clean up, rest, and return to everyday ministry.

2. Continued growth for our graduates as they seek God’s direction for their futures.

3. Provision & protection for medical staff, teachers, and volunteers serving in both Haiti and the DR this summer.

Thank you for stretching the tent with us. Because you give, pray, and come, people encounter Jesus—in classrooms, clinics, and crowded sanctuaries long after the lights should be out. May the Lord enlarge your capacity for joy this week as well.