“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Several years ago, perhaps even a decade by now, John Hall and Keith Logan returned from Haiti where they had conducted a Trinity/HOPE workshop for feeding program directors in Port-au-Prince (PAP). Trinity/HOPE has been constantly trying to track former students and see what they are now doing now and this is not easy because the population is so mobile and once children leave school they often must leave the area to have any chance of finding employment. John told me that on this trip they made a connection. Pastor Thomas Bernard and the PAP feeding program director team had been asked to bring a potential candidate for the part time feeding program director that would need to be hired to accommodate the expansion of the programs to four new schools.
He was a young twenty-four year old man who had lost his dad and home in the earthquake and he is in the attached photo. His name is Enoch Berus and he was one of the boys in the photo from yesterday’s devotion. He, his mother and three brothers and sisters and a cousin were living in a plastic tent which gets so hot during the day that the family has to leave and spend the day anywhere they can but he was totally impressive. He and his mother support the family with his part time teaching job ($44 per month) and her buying and selling bread (about $2 on a "good day"). When he was asked where he went to school he said, "Good Shepherd." John asked him if he had been a student there and received meals that Trinity/HOPE provided. He said, "Yes" and that he often wrote notes and gave them to his principal thanking us for the good food and telling us that when he grew up he hoped he could work for us.
John asked him if he had kept up with his classmates and he said he had with several of them. Some were now working in the university and had become young adults. John asked Enoch if they were still Christians and he said, "Yes, of course." Trinity/HOPE hired Enoch and rejoice in being blessed with such a quality person, celebrate that this family's income will now go to a "livable level" in Haiti and look forward to his being able to connect us to more former recipients. “Blessed is the one who trusts in Jesus.”
“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word; just to rest upon His promise, and to know, “Thus saith the Lord!” Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more! Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust His cleansing blood; and in simple faith to plunge me ’neath the healing, cleansing flood! Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more! Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more! I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more!”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay