Mark and Melissa Kauk serve in Haiti full-time, working with Many Hands’ Love in Action programs. Mark serves as the U.S. Lead for Leadership and Melissa as the U.S. Lead for the First 1,000 Days Program. You can read their previous updates here.

Melissa:

Friday, June 16, I had the privilege to walk with the staff of Jean Boule to four homes to deliver rice, oil, and pasta to homes in the community that need support during these difficult economic times. 

Once a week a team from one of our Many Hands departments is tasked to prayerfully consider five people or families that are in need of food through the Stretch Out Your Hand initiative. Much more than food is delivered. A song of worship is sung to give Jesus the Glory.

Prayer is offered after a discussion of concerns and health issues mentioned. My heart hurts from the poverty I witness, and yet my heart is filled with awe as I watched our staff love and minister to the ‘least of these’.

One of the stick and mud homes we visited is the home of an elderly paralyzed women named Madame Zaboulout. She had already lost her only child and just recently lost her husband who took care of her. We found her lying on a dirty sheet on the ground in need of a bath and clean clothes.

Our staff immediately had her lifted up to a chair, gave her a bath, someone in the neighborhood offered her a clean dress, and new bedding was laid out over her dirt floor. The food was given to a trusted neighbor to ensure Madame Zaboulout would receive daily food.

My head was thinking ‘this is just too much’,  yet at the same time ‘this is what Jesus would do’. My heart is forever changed.  

Mark:

Two leadership classes had special Celebration of Learning events this past week as we continue the training of the current staff. This time using a first time translation into Kreyòl of the Lead Like Jesus Revisited study guide. It was a time of joy, laughter, great Haitian food, and sharing what they have learned with others!

The Lead Like Jesus Level 1 course was again offered to thirteen more staff including Agriculture technicians, Mobility Cart managers, and more of the education staff. One main outcome of this course is to spend time creating a personal mission and vision statement and identifying four values they live by. It is exciting to see the hope that each have for the future of the country based on being salt and light for the kingdom of God!

 Thirteen pre-school and fundamental teachers and Director Micul Pierre completed the Level 2 leadership course meeting weekly for five months. The focus of this course is living into several Action Habits such as building community and encouraging one another. It also lays the groundwork for a model of training to equip leaders to move followers through four stages of learning: novice, apprentice, independent worker, and master teacher.

The definition of leadership that we use is “helping others move from where they are to where God wants them to be.” This develops a true servant-leader. Here you see the forces of Satan, the world, and our own sinful nature trying to divert a follower away from the path where God (Bondye) wants to lead them. What a high calling for all of us as leaders in every area of life!