Blessed Hope International Mission &

Chaplains for Christ International

Newsletter
www.blessedhopemission.org

Mission Trip to Haiti

April 13 – 19, 2010

Praise be to our Lord through whose help we were able to return to Haiti for
a short but fruitful five day trip. Our planned trip for
January 12 did not materialize just to see later on all the
media the disaster that came over this already
impoverished country. We were planning a follow up trip
to our 2009 mission trip in order to encourage churches in
seeking the power of the Holy Spirit and exploring options
to get more involved. After the earthquake, God’s call to
be partakers in the Haitian’s people suffering became
stronger. Because of the great need in Haiti we involved
multiple people and churches. The unity created enabled us to have a
bigger impact. There were people from three churches in Chicago,
specifically from Golgotha Church: Constantin Lupancu, Pavel Sav, and FG;
from Gethsemane: Pastor Aurel Balici, Radu Vlad, Vasile Rodila and from
Elim Pastor Pavel Murza. Pastor Ioan Blaga from Seattle
and Viorel Gromic from Portland also came. We were
grateful to have Pierre Gelinas who help a lot with
translating, and Haitian Pastor Serge Demonsthenes.

The first part of the trip was revisiting New Covenant

Christian Church in Gonaives pastured by Joseph Jules
Jasmin. The big school bus shook and rumbled on the
80 miles road to Gonaives from Port-au-Prince but we
got there in about 3 hours, which was good considering
the 6-hour drive we did last time. Our host was Pastor John a friend of Jasmin
and the leader of a church in the vicinity of Gonaives. The roads, poverty,
and heat were a shock to our group but greater was the joy when in open air
we were able to worship with our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
 For two nights we had worship
services in open air because the
house used by the New Covenant
Christian Church was too small to
hold all the attendants, which came
from all the area around. It was a
great joy to see the children singing so loud and fully hearted, to hear their
prayers and see their thankfulness even in the face of such harsh life. The
church had multiplied since last year and nylon covers were put over the
yard so services can be held there. A girl whose parents practiced voodoo
was brought and she was shaking and screaming
infernally. She loved coming to church but her parents
always try to stop her or send her to buy something at
the market when time to go to church was. We prayed
for her and after a long while she became calm as dead,
barely the pulse was beating. The pastor was to follow
up with the parents as they probably influence her
state.

We also held a seminary regarding the Holy Spirit. The

church did not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit but they received our
teaching with gladness and some people started praying for God to send the
power and gifts of the Holy Spirit over them. Part of the group went to buy
food for the poor families in church or whose children came to church. The
church leaders arranged the distribution at a safe location. We also
searched for land so we can help New Covenant build a
church but were not able to complete a transaction. We
pray God will open the door and give the necessary
resources so the church can have a building where they
can worship. On our way to Port au Prince, we stopped
for a couple hours and visited the prison of San Mark
city. We delivered goods and bibles to the inmates and
also ministered to them.

Our next destination was a town in the mountains called

Jacmel. To get there we had to go back to Port-au-Prince, change our school
bus to some smaller vans and drive 2 hours on the wavy road up and then
down the mountain. Here the air was clean now and there
was well-watered vegetation, almost jungle looking. Town
after town we can see the effects of the earthquake: housed
destroyed, schools in rubles some still with the dead inside,
 big cracks in the road, landslides, and
tent camps. We got to Jacmel just in
time for a church service, held at a
rented location in Orangers. Pastor Medit
Sanon started this church about a year ago and now it
was packed with people of all ages praising God. The
frequent electrical outages, bad
sound system, or dire heat did not stop anyone from
coming before the throne with all their hearts. In Jacmel
we had similar activities as in Gonaives: worship
services, seminar, and food about 200 families. Pastor
Medit had a list with the very poor of around the town
and part of our group visited them. It is hard to
describe in words the poverty but we did what we could
materially and spiritually.

Our time here was less than two days but by God’s grace accomplished
much. One of these things was baptizing 10 people.
Pastor Medit had been planning for this and the 10
young boys and girls were ready to make the
commitment to serve God their entire lives. Pastor
Aurel Balici and Pavel Sav performed the baptism in the
ocean. It was a time of celebration for both us on earth,
and the angels in heaven. There was a piece of land
Pastor Medit showed us that he wanted to buy for his
church. The person selling the land was not in town but
we asked for a sign from God, that
if its His will to buy this property for things to work such
we will be able to buy it. The old man selling the land
was afraid to sell it so fast and was worrying about
having $4,200 on him. Also he was not willing to
negotiate. God worked in his heart and by the end of
the day sold the land to Blessed Hope Mission under the
signatures of Constantin Lupancu and Aurel Balici.
Praise Be to God!

From Jacmel we headed back to Port-au-Prince where

Pastor Serge used to live. This is where the bulk of the
destruction took place when the earthquake happened.
If the poverty in the rest of the country was shocking
the situation here is indescribable. Every street in the
 city was affected. It seemed like someone had decided
which house to destroy and which to allow standing.
The stories of the survivors are amazing. We stopped
by the ruins of one church. It was in full service and
was holding about 500 people when the earthquake
happened. The building collapsed but none died. A
similar story took place at the church where we attended two services. The
1,000 people cathedral collapsed yet everyone ran out before the building
fell. Now it was just a nylon-covered yard where people still came to worship
by the hundreds. Believers come here every day of the week at 4 am and
pray for two hours. It was frustrating because their prayers awoke us. At the
same time, it was somewhat embarrassing to think how little effort we put
into prayer services at home. The part of the building, which housed classes,
the kitchen and bedrooms, did not fall and our hosts were kind to let us sleep
there. It was one in a lifetime experience to hear the
voices of 1,000 worshiping God without songbooks,
projectors, or electricity, yet loud and clear. Heaven
came close to earth, and God gave grace in the time of
such trouble. Many of us encouraged them to stay close
to God and
reminded them they are
not forgotten by their
brothers in the United
States.

The church seemed like the only

organization in Haiti that still had some
structure to it. People were able to come
together and clean the ruble, or even go
to other town in mission trips. Classes were held in the church “tent” since
the schools were destroyed. Bed sheets were the only walls between the
classes, the school supplies few, but those young minds were eager to learn.
The Pastor took us through tent camps where we helped many poor families
from church. In one tent lived a 90-year-old lady in close to 100-degree
heat, limited water, nowhere to wash, and restrooms (if you can call them
so) that were not meant to service so many people. Yet there is still hope in
every person eyes that something will change and God will provide.

Many missions and governments took it upon themselves to go help in Haiti,

and it may come to our mind that they are getting enough help. Yet as we
saw the need there is so great that much more help is needed. Much of the
resources available do not get to the person on the street and that’s what we
did there. Our help was little but if we put many put their little together it
becomes much. As the disciples asked Jesus why the tower of Siloam fell on
18 people we look and ask why such destruction came upon the Haitian
people, such that 250,000 of them died. Simplistic answers are given such
as the disciples gave. Only our God cannot be fit or understood in our little
mind. If He were then He would be human, or we would all be gods. “For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”
God is doing something more complicated and greater than we are; yet He
gave us good instructions for what we have to do “Seek the Lord while he
may be found”. As you finish reading this article, seek the Lord and sense
what He is directing you to do with your life!