Mission Accomplished on Latest Trip

The view was incredible, to the right a sheer drop down the mountain, to the left, another sheer drop. We were on a narrow road that snaked along the very top of the mountain. We had been climbing up mountains and descending into valleys with streams running through for several hours now as we explored a new area of Haiti, the northern Artibonite River Valley. When viewed from afar the mountains looked brown and inhospitable. We labored up the sides on rocky switchbacks, but what a sight when we looked back! There were green valleys and hillsides dotted with crops. Amazing! On one large hill our truck shuddered to a stop after hitting some rather big rock. Looking down, the last village was a long way away. Looking up, the next village was seven or eight miles. Ugh. We prayed, and waited, thinking of all the abandoned vehicles we had seen on our travels. The truck cooled off, and then started. Thank goodness, as there is no AAA out here! We never even saw another car or truck the whole way up this mountain, just a few motorcycles. Pastor Joseph did a great job driving, as we traveled with him for a week, visiting many of the churches he had started over the last 35 years. Arriving in Nan Paul, we spot a very pink house with a newer vehicle out front, and hope this is Pastor Sainvil’s home. We had met Pastor Sainvil in Naples where he is a pastor of El Shaddai church of Grace at Covenant Presbyterian Church. We were there to do a two day training in CHE for leaders from Pastor Sainvil’s church and also from Pastor Joseph’s churches. There were 53 in all, and they were really connected to what Ed was teaching. CHE stands for Community, Health and Evangelism, and is a holistic approach to third world countries who need the basics of sanitation and community development. After traveling with the Youth for Orphans group on Pastor Agones sailboat over to la Gonave, we headed up the mountain to check on Ti Palmeste. Things ok here after the passing of Pastor Amboiz, but the people seem sad. It was hard to lose such a popular leader. Pastor Gabriel took good care of us for the night and we have a good meeting with his CHE team. They are excited about the moringa tree and all that it can do to improve the health of the people, even starting micorbusinesses selling the powder in the market! They will make great trainers for the people over on the mainland. And Pastor Joseph had a great idea. He will send a team of four evangelists over to spend several days in Ti Palmeste visiting people and holding a revival. They need spiritual nourishment right now. In return, Ti Palmeste will send a team to Segur, Pastor Joseph’s home town to teach CHE. What an awesome exchange of ideas and resources. This is what CHE is all about, sharing of information so all may have a chance to learn and improve their communities. Meeting with Pastor Agones’s CHE leaders, we presented the plan to them about traveling to the mainland to Ste Michelle to train the leaders of Pastor Joseph’s churches there. As Pastor Agones said, ”Everyone on La Gonave knows about CHE!”