Thinking Outside the Box

The work of Baptist Haiti Mission is a group effort.  It is a gift to see the unique and oh so creative way God has designed the body of believers.  He has given each of us different gifts, passions, talents, etc.  Every facet of our life has been orchestrated by our creator.  The missionary staff of BHM are encouraged on a regular basis by the variety of people the Lord connects with BHM.  Last week BHM was privileged to work alongside a team from The Peoples Church, in Toronto Canada.

Mark, Geoffrey, Warwick, Brian, Ted, Tony, Christine, Uli and Kai arrived in Haiti with the task of building two houses.  While their days would be full of physical labor, their hearts were open to engaging and discovering the culture of Haiti.  The team was able to interact with the people in the area around their building projects each day.  They were able to share the love of Christ in a practical way by meeting the physical needs of two families.

Some of the team members had served alongside BHM before, and for others this was their first time in Haiti.  At the end of the week the team had successfully completed the two houses.

Each team held a "House Dedication" service for the family and community when the house was completed.  They sang a few songs together and spent some time in the Word.  The impact of the physical labor of this ordinary team from Toronto will remain.  However, there is more to the story...

The hearts of many of the team members were greatly impacted by their days spent in Haiti.  They were exposed to many aspects of a culture quite different than their own.  Throughout the week while building the houses the team began brainstorming about how they were going to stay connected with the Lord's work in Haiti once they returned to Canada.  What had the Lord given them a passion for that they could use to continue to assist the people of Haiti.

Mark Tenaglia, team leader, has traveled to Haiti a number of times and worked alongside us here at BHM.  He is a gifted photographer.  He has captured a variety of amazing pictures during his visits to Haiti.  Mark has been able to sell some of these pictures and donate the money to BHM!  He has also designed several graphics and brochures for BHM, absolutely free.

Ted, owns several restaurants in Toronto.  One of his restaurants is home to the "Haiti Burger."  When someone orders one of these burgers in his restaurant, some of the money is donated to Haiti.  Many people know about the "Haiti Burger," some people give money to Haiti at his restaurant even when they do not order the burger.

From this team of 9, this is only two specific stories of those who are taking the impact of Haiti back home.  There are many more stories where this came from.  Rumor has it, the team is brainstorming about a variety of ways they can raise the funds to return to Haiti and build a school in the North.  This is no small task.  The team is definitely going to be doing a lot of "thinking outside the box," to develop ways to raise the funds for this endeavor.  We are excited to see where the Lord takes this desire. 

What about you?  Have you served alongside BHM and are now using something your passionate about to share about God's work in Haiti?  Are you currently communicating the impact Haiti made on you with those in your hometown?  If so, we would love to hear what you are doing.  Tell us about it on Facebook, "Baptist Haiti Mission."