Each year for the past eight years, we have sent a team to Jacob’s Well Ministry Center to run day camps for the local village kids. It’s been amazing to see how much Jacob’s Well has changed and grown over the years, and to see how the Lord is using the ministry through its youth camp as well as its radio and TV station to spread the Gospel throughout northern Haiti.
I asked some staffers who’ve been on previous trips to Haiti to share a favorite story or a little bit about their experience. Here’s what they had to say:
Praising the Lord at Camp!
Every trip to Haiti has been a different experience. This past year, the Lord opened my eyes in many ways, from witnessing new things, building relationships with the Haitians, and seeing the Lord work throughout our stay.
Playing with the kids is my absolute favorite part about Haiti. They are such a joy, and they always bring a smile to my face. Singing songs and praising the Lord together is amazing. As we help with the day camp, it’s so cool to watch the Haitian counselors interact with the kids.
Revival in the Rain
The first few years I went to Haiti, the church building was little more than a tent, constructed out of poles and tarps. We’d carry our chairs over from camp and crowd in with the Haitian believers, eager to worship the Lord together. Rain or shine … it made no difference.
I have vivid memories of a revival that took place one night in the pouring rain. It had been raining all day, and our team spent a good portion of the afternoon trying to replace the tarps on the roof, since most of them had holes or caved in from the weight of the water. By the time the revival started, we were all soaking wet, and there was still water leaking through.
But everyone still showed up. The church was flooded with people by the time the revival started.
And we sang and sang and sang, while the rain pattered against the tarps, and drops splashed our faces. It was one of the most beautiful times I remember, worshiping the Lord with my Haitian brothers and sisters. Both singing in our separate languages and hearing the Word preached in our separate languages, but with our hearts united in praise.
Over the Years
The first year I went to Jacob’s Well, back in 2007, I didn’t know anyone. There was no church in the village of Tse Guinea. Believers were few and far between, and voodoo was prevalent everywhere you looked. Over the years, a church has been started, believers are growing, voodoo houses are packing up and moving away, and the name of Jesus is being proclaimed!
One vivid way we have seen growth is in the lives of the Jacob’s Well campers and staff. Several of the campers who came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ during the very first camp we had on the rural piece of property in 2007, are now leaders in the church choir, teachers in the Christian school, and are serving as counselors and staff for Jacob’s Well camp! It is amazing to see how the Lord has worked in and through them. They have a sincere passion for teaching the young kids the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had in Haiti, and I look forward to going back and continuing to serve alongside my Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ!
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Please be praying for the Haiti 10 team as they fly down in January! Stay tuned for updates on the blog. And consider donating to support the team and help send a Haitian camper to Jacob’s Well.