Mission: Haiti 2009

Emergency Mission Trip Report

By Gary Fallesen
President, Climbing For Christ

The primary purpose of our emergency mission trip to Haiti was to “share the love of Christ (be His feet and deliver Gospel Truth while preaching against voodoo).” At every turn, missionary Miguel Rubén Guante would confirm that we (Josh Carroll, Miguel and I) were indeed sharing the love of Christ.

Whether it was speaking to people about God’s healing of lightning victim Donya Jean Riska, witnessing to voodoo chief Dieu Martin in Malasi, delivering shoes to schoolchildren, worshipping with the church at Piret, visiting with farmers in Malasi and Gentilhomme, or sharing with pastors and church leaders in our seminary.

At the end of the trip, Miguel said it was “very, very good. We went from Santo Domingo to Malasi and Gentilhomme and back to Santo Domingo with no problems. God is blessing us very much.”

We had no vehicle problems (a first) with “the God truck” — a 2005 Nissan Frontier that the Lord provided — and few problems at the Dominican-Haitian border. Some highlights from our eight days in Haiti and three days in the Dominican Republic:

“How can I thank God?”

Donya (left in photo with her cousin) made her first return visit to Malasi since being evacuated more than five months before with third-degree burns on her left arm and lower body. Donya was injured September 2008 in a lightning strike that killed five people, including Donya’s husband and child. We found her during Mission: Haiti 2008 in December. Her evacuation was expected to lead to skin grafting, but God healed Donya and no surgery was required. She has been living with Miguel’s family in the Dominican border town of Jimani.

When Donya asked Miguel how she could thank God, he told her: “By praying and going to church. If Miguel healed you, you thank Miguel by doing something for him. What can you do for God? You can feel God in your heart and praise Him.”

The Truth shall set you free

Dieu Martin was animated and boisterous when we met him. He was standing in his son’s field, almost challenging us (but in a very non-threatening way). I asked Dieu, through Miguel’s translation, if he knew about Jesus Christ. He said he did. His wife and sons attend the Monté Pou Kris (Climbing For Christ) church at Malasi. But voodoo is a side job for him and he doesn’t want to ruin his business by confessing that Jesus is Lord and voodoo is powerless. After our conversation I asked if we could pray for him and his demeanor changed. He shuddered and slumped and accepted our prayer. A few days later, on our way out of Malasi, we delivered a Creole New Testament to him. He acknowledged that God could make clean his heart. But that can only happen if Dieu is willing to surrender. It is our prayer that the Lord will put this practice of voodoo out of business.

Shoe time

The Scripture verse that sent us off to Haiti was from Isaiah 52:7 (“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news”). The feet that await us on the mountains often are bare or poorly protected. As part of this trip (and for our next delivery to Malasi and Gentilhomme), we carried 69 pairs of shoes. These were given to the schoolchildren. We could not carry enough for all the feet in need. But more will be taken. In addition to serving this physical need, we provided for the spiritual need, too. We carried 60 Creole New Testaments to be distributed in four villages: Malasi, Piret, Gentilhomme, and the Dominican border town of Jimani (where Miguel is based).

Surveying churches

God has burdened my heart with the desire to build churches in Malasi and Thoman. We have been working in Malasi since late 2007, when the church there became associated with Climbing For Christ. Malasi has a church, but it lost one of its four walls during the summer of 2008, and the other three are shaky. Short term, we are rebuilding the fourth wall in June. But long term, we have a location high on a hill over the village where a new church will be built. Pastor Vilcuis Verite of the church at Malasi is a man of God who wisely shepherds his church and the people in the village. It is a privilege to work with him. Pastor Luterne Polissain of Legliz Nazareyen (the church at Thoman) is a similar leader. Pastor Luterne’s church is located in a government-owned building that is open to anyone in the community for any use (including voodoo). Pastor Luterne and his church’s leaders are patient and understanding, knowing that we want to help them. And we will — in God’s time.

Other churches also are waiting on the Lord, and potentially Climbing For Christ. They include Subiendo Para Cristo (Climbing For Christ) church at Jimani, D.R, as well as several in Haiti’s Chaine de la Selle — Piret, Nicola, and Soliette. While worshipping with the church at Piret (photo above), I told them their temporary structure was not the church; they (the people) are the body of Christ. The apostle Paul referred to the people as “God’s household, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15).

The harvest is plentiful

We visited many farmers in Malasi and Gentilhomme. Spring rains (it rained on us every day during our 11-day mission) are producing lush crops. Seeds we have delivered and fertilizer we are providing should result in a good summer harvest of black beans, white onions, potatoes, and corn. The banana and coffee plants we delivered in 2008 are also growing well and prayerfully will yield crops that our farmers will be able to sell for an income they currently do not have. Again, it is through God’s provision for the physical needs of His people that we are able to address the spiritual need as well. Farmers who still practice voodoo (whether they claim to be Christian or not) will be taught that it is the One true God, Creator of heaven and earth, Who is responsible for their blessings. God has promised, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease” (Genesis 8:22).

God’s will be done

Pastors and church leaders from 10 villages (Dubois, Fond Verrettes, Gentilhomme, Jimani, Malasi, Nicola, Peniel, Piret, Soliette, and Thoman) are now attending Climbing For Christ’s monthly seminary. This month’s study was on prayer, and praying according to God’s will. Some of our pastors understand this (like Pastor Luterne, at left, speaking with Miguel in photo); others are still looking for their own desires. We see the hearts of these men at the seminary and in our visits to their villages. We use these times to teach, encourage, and prayerfully help those in need. It is God’s will for our work in Haiti that we pursue, wholeheartedly.

Posted June 1, 2009

CLICK HERE to read about the start of Climbing For Christ Dominican Republic.

Evangelic Expeditions

Mission: Haiti 2009

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