In the right place at the right time!

God's Blessings to those who love Haiti,

I would like to start by thanking all the Congregations, schools, Bible Study Groups and individuals who made our Haitian Pastors feel so welcomed last month as they visited our country.

Pastors Isaac and Pastor Marky Kessa (President of Evangelical Church or Haiti) spent a very full week visiting MANY Chicago area Lutheran Organizations. They shared information about their Ministries, how some of the orphaned children came to them, school construction progress and the Faith that gets them through daily life in Haiti.

One of the most moving stories Pastor Isaac told while here was about the newest orphan, Saintilove, who he has taken into his home (number 23). Pastor Isaac was visiting one of his village congregations (he rides his motorcycle as far as he can and then walks over rough terrain to get to the village). He and one of his Lay Pastors were walking through a wooded area toward the village when they heard a strange sound in the distance. Pastor stopped to listen, heard it once more and then started to walk in that direction. There, lying in a pile of trash was a 4 year old girl near death,(this is where Pastor began to sob) a wild pig had begun eating her leg. Pastor chased it away and picked up the unconscious little girl and held her until he felt her breathing. He then fed her some wine he had carried in his travel bag and sent the Lay Pastor back for his motorcycle so that they could get her to the hospital in Jeremie. Pastor then went on to explain that this little girl's parent were both dead and she was being raised by her grandmother. Her Grandmother had no food for the little girl and knew that she would die soon. Because she did not want to watch the child die she put her in a trash heap in the woods. We all cried.

How desperate people in Haiti must be to abandon their children so as not to watch them suffer. How good our loving God was to put Pastor Isaac in that place just in time to help one of HIS children. He could have kept walking when he heard the sound and he never would have found her. We can keep walking and also not help those needing us because we think someone else will do it. How good God is that he is letting you read this message.

Pastor Isaac did tell another story that stuck out in my mind. The day before Easter one of his lay pastors came to him and said he could not attend Church on Easter Sunday because he had no shoes to wear (The Haitians dress very respectfully for Church). Pastor Isaac told him he had 2 pair of shoes so he could have the other pair which made the man very grateful because he could now attend church on Easter. The next morning as Pastor was dressed in his suit ready to preach at the Easter morning service he told his wife he could not find his shoes and she said that the day before a member of their congregation had come to the house and told her he could not go to church on Easter because he did not have any shoes so she gave him Pastor's extra pair. We laughed.

Those that have so little are so much more willing to share. We have so much compared to those living in Haiti yet we are so reluctant to share what we have even though God tells us to do just that. Please Lord make me less selfish!

Many of you expressed your thanks for the Pastors visit as it made your support more personal and meaningful. I hope that feeling will stay fresh in our hearts and remind us of our blessings.

Although this was not meant to be a fund raising visit many new hearts were moved and through Lutheran Church Charities we were introduced to a wonderful business that donated the money Pastor Isaac needed to purchase a car. Just when I think, this is too much of a project to handle, The Lord comes through with an answer. When will I ever learn?

Again, thanks to all who shared this experience.

It was truly a team effort and we appreciate all of you.
Susan Gross

Haitian Lutheran Mission Project

Christ Lutheran Church, Orland Park, IL