The Haiti Team is in the middle of their trip and work. A few will be returning on Saturday and a few more will return on Monday the 9th. We want you to know that it is a privilege to represent Quest on this effort to minister to both individuals and the entire community of Anse-a-Galet on the island of La Gonave that sits in the middle of the Bay of Port-a-Prince and bordered by the Canal de La Gonave and the Canal de Saint-Marc.
It is a very unique place. In the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere this island is known as the “poor of the poor” and the “forgotten of the forgotten”. Yet, when you get there you are reminded of our shared humanity. You see the reality that the human spirit universally desires to have meaning and purpose for life. You see that every person on planet earth needs to be loved, to give themselves in love, and to deal with the brokenness of the world around them as well as the world within them. The needs of the people on this isolated island are immense. Their daily life in many ways is hard for us to comprehend. Employment is difficult to find. Food is limited. Mortality rate is high. Medical help is rare and inadequate. Resources are limited. Corruption is common. Teen pregnancy is rampant. The gospel is badly needed both in Word and in deed.
That is what we are doing, giving the gospel in Word (Pastoral Leadership Institute) and in deed (building a home for one widowed woman). Our efforts are limited. There is only a little we can do for now. But what we can do we ought to do, so on your behalf we will do it the best we can do it. We will greet them in the name of Christ and His people who gather together in West St. Louis County. And remember, or you may not be aware, that the history of St. Louis and the entire region of the US west of the Mississippi River and up to the Rocky Mountains is tied to the history of Haiti. I will fill you in on this connection at a later date but ‘google’ Haiti and the Louisiana Purchase if you have the time. It is fascinating.