Parading and Proclaiming Christ in Haiti

On Sunday, June 27, Reformation Hope staff joined Pastor Jean Paul and the Souls Winning ministry team for the dedication celebration of our new church and school buildings. Also present for the inaugural service were Sam Haupt and Seth Wallace from Mission to the World (MTW), the mission agency of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) now partnering with us in Haiti.

This milestone event began at 9:30 a.m. with a parade featuring the boy and girl scouts, a marching band, local police, many Haitian pastors and church leaders, church members, neighbors, and even the local congressman and congresswoman for La Plaine. The procession actually traversed the same roadway once used by the Voodoo priests for their own demonic rituals. In this way, the celebration reclaimed the area for Christ and His kingdom.

The celebration march ended at the new church entrance for a ribbon cutting and official opening remarks by the chairman of the deacon board and also the building contractor, Pastor Jean Raphael Cean. A joyous worship service continued the special observance with hymns, prayers, praises, and preaching for more than three hours. Haitian tradition for opening a new church includes the recitation of King Solomon’s dedicatory prayer from 1 Kings in the French translation. In honor of the partnership between Reformation Hope, MTW, and Souls Winning ministries, the national anthems of both Haiti and the United States were played by the band.

The dedication of these new buildings represents much more than the achievement of RHI’s long-cherished plans and aspirations. It represents yet another Ebenezer or memorial of God’s faithfulness in providing for this ministry. It also represents the kingdom partnership between believers united in fulfilling the Great Commission and in bringing real hope to those who once had no hope at all. With the completion of these two projects, the mission in Haiti rises to a new level and thus calls us yet again to envision what God intends to do next. We continue working together for spiritual and physical transformation in Haiti.

Development Update
from Rev. Martin Hawley, director of development

Now that Reformation Hope and its partners have completed the construction of the new church and the school, the focus for future development shifts to achieving the next set of crucial projects.

• Harvest of Hope Agriculture Project: Our farm machinery is now in customs in Port-au-Prince. We estimate that it will take $15,000 to clear all customs fees. An additional $10,000 is also being sought for a water pump for irrigation.

• RHI has the opportunity to purchase an additional 11.5 acres near our present ministry. Plans call for expanding the orphanage, developing a medical clinic, and creating a vocational-technical school. The estimated cost for the land is $100,000.

• In order to further our vision to equip the people of Haiti to be self-sufficient and entrepreneurial, RHI will recapitalize the micro-finance development program. As little as $500 is enough to loan as start-up capital for a Haitian small business.

Will you join us and invest with us in reaching these objectives? God has always provided for our Haitian ministry through the prayers and generous investments of believing partners like you, multiplying your giving ten-fold, one hundred-fold, even one thousand-fold in the lives of the Haitian people.

RHI Showcases Haiti Ministry at General Assembly

Almost immediately after the exciting events of the dedication of the new church and school, Pastors Jean Paul, Alan Lutz, and Martin Hawley traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to participate as exhibitors during the Presbyterian Church in America’s annual General Assembly.

This was an excellent platform for getting the good word out about all that God has been doing in Haiti for the orphans, the congregation, and the neighbors of Souls Winning in La Plaine. Many good contacts were made and RHI’s new brochures (Orphan Sponsorship, Timothy Project, and Investing in Hope) were extremely well received by visitors to the booth. Among the most exciting fruits to arise from this year’s General Assembly networking were two invitations to participate in missions conferences in new venues.

We thank God for the opportunities and open doors that He continues to give to our ministry.

Share RHI’s Ministry with Your Church or Civic Group

Forward this newsletter to others, download a printable newsletter to pass out to friends and encourage them to visit www.reformationhope.org to learn more about RHI's ministry to Haiti. Contact Rev. Martin Hawley about speaking opportunites for your civic organization, youth group or missions conference in the north Georgia area.