“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4
Trinity HOPE school feeding programs are all about school children; they are the future missionaries in Haiti. Their Christian witness in Haitian Creole is far superior to anything that a ‘blan’ North American could say or do in their neighborhoods; ‘go and make disciples’ pertains the work that we are called to do and they are called to do. Most of the time you see the photos of the children studying, eating, playing and smiling and there certainly are a core of individuals whose importance sometimes get left in the background.
In the attached photo are two teachers at Bon Berger Lutheran School in Caredeux. I don’t recall the name of the teacher on the left, but the woman on the right is one of my favorite teachers at this school. She is Sylvia, Pastor Thomas Bernard’s sister and I can’t begin to tell you how delighted I was to see her a few months following the earthquake in 2010, and know that she and her family survived the quake.
Back in the day while living in Haiti one of my responsibilities was to travel throughout Haiti visiting schools. It was interesting to find that many of the teachers had returned to the small schools where they had attended as children to become teachers and principals after they received their teaching certificates. Their journey certainly provided a glimmer of hope to the students who sit in the class wondering about their future. They will prayerfully share the news of our risen Savior with the lost and perhaps return to their roots and also share their lessons of life with the next generation.
Teachers; my mom was a school teacher in Seward County before she became a farm wife and raised my sister and me, teaching us life’s lessons. When teachers go to Haiti on a mission team with me, it is always a comfort to have them along as they interact with the children so much better than I did or could ever do. And, they can do crafts. They share the love of Christ through songs and crafts and that leaves time for me to do the mundane tasks for Trinity HOPE, checklists and interviewing the children.
I never thought about interviewing the teachers in the same manner as the children are asked about their eating habits away from school, but hope to do that the next time if I ever am able to return to Haiti. Looking at the smiles on the teachers faces, it would seem that they could be your next door neighbor but their lives are much different. They too eat a Trinity HOPE lunch and are probably just as thankful as the children at their school to have a meal every day they are in school.
Thank you for your continued support of these programs. When you pray for the children attending Christian schools in Haiti, please remember to add the dedicated teachers, principals and feeding program directors as well to your daily petitions as they are an integral part of His divine work in the lives of the children in Haiti.
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