“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
The attached photo captured just a few of the children attending school at Font Baptiste that is located high in the mountains in the Arcahaie District. The journey up the mountain is an adventure as the dirt and rocky road is steep and narrow and there are occasions when you need to get out of the vehicle and move rocks that have tumbled down out of the path so you can continue onward.
Font Baptiste is a rural community that stretches out along a dirt road in the rolling plains on top of the mountain that is nearly 4,500 feet above sea level. Almost every child in this school walks several miles to school every day. The small home of every child will typically have two rooms, one is their family bedroom and one is their living room, where they cook, eat, study and have fellowship.
Back in the day while living in Haiti, on my very first visit to Font Baptiste, Pastor Romulus, Joey and me left Merrotte before sunrise and arrived early in the morning and were invited to have breakfast with the Pastor there. In their small two room house each of us were given a cup of coffee, a warm boiled egg, a small piece of bread and a banana. My breakfast was a daily meal for the Pastor and his family, for the children at the school a plate of rice and beans was their daily meal.
Probably the most important lesson that I learned on that day in 2002 was that these children, whom our Heavenly Father created to do His work, fully realize how important you are to them. They recognize that “every good and perfect gift is from above from their Heavenly Father…and that NEVER changes.”
You have been helping to complete His work in these precious lights that are being shaped, molded and energized to go throughout the neighborhoods around Font Baptiste to share the Gospel message. Our work with Trinity HOPE is nothing to brag about or be boastful about the numbers of children in feeding programs. Rather it is all about Him who is accomplishing this good work through us and them, one life at a time, one bowl of beans and rice at a time.
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