The Memorial Lutheran Church team has watched Scripture come alive this week as they walk among the people of Haiti. In pointing out the many contrasts he sees, Eric Dalthorp describes the responsibility of the Church to the world around us. Keep reading to see how the team is learning to bless others with the blessings they have received.
To read yesterday’s blog, click here.
Haiti Blog.
What bible story where you reminded of today?
The first day in Haiti, a few hours after our arrival we went for a walk around the community to meet some of the neighbors of the MH4H campus. Within moments of leaving the campus children surrounded our group and wanted to be in our company. Several of the children were fascinated with a button of a DC-3 on my backpack. Another girl was infatuated with my watch and for much of our walk kept staring at it as we visited several families and homes.
There were many children from all over the neighborhood and some of them fully dressed, some ran naked, some had shoes, others ran around barefoot through the dirt & rock filled path. Some children looked healthy, others looked malnourished.
Some of the homes the children came from looked completed, others incomplete likely because the family ran out of money to purchase supplies or hire workers. Many of the homes were small, with big families sharing tiny spaces.
Instantly in our trip I was reminded about one passage and I don’t recall the exact phasing but it’s where Jesus speaks about clothing the naked, feeding the hungry and providing the shelter to the homeless -and doing so in his name we would be blessed those words weighed heavily on my mind early in our journey.
In doing the Lords work all of us have been blessed. Through his grace we were able to provide clothing to families in great need and because of the generosity of others in donations of clothing that we could distribute.
With financial donations to MH4H we were able to purchase food from local vendors, by purchasing locally we also help keep those family’s financially stable. When we meet with a family to deliver the gift of food also pray with the receiving family asking the Lord to multiple the blessing of the gift by providing much needed nourishment and good health.
In another home we worked with Haitians hired by MH4H to help with concrete floor for a family that had been sleeping in the dirt. With this blessing the family now has a much safer and more secure home to eat and sleep in.
There are so many blessings bestowed upon us each and every day and it’s easy to take them for granted. However, it’s easily to see God’s love and grace through a child faithfully reading the bible at a worship service or a beautiful smile in receiving a small handmade toy made by someone in love many thousands of miles away.
In Haiti God is up to something fantastic – and through his guidance may we continue to be faithful servants.
Thank you for the update. May God richly bless and grow you as you interact and with his people in Haiti
I am happy to read your message. My thoughts have been with you all as you experience Haiti.