East Bayou Baptist Church sent the first team down to visit Petit Trou Baptist Church in Southern Haiti. They came on a ‘mission’ of sorts; to try on the RMI Sister Church Program and a partnership with Petit Trou Baptist Church on for size.
The team was excited as they drove into town. A brigade from the church had come out to greet them. They met the team with a banner, musicians and a parade through town. The team marched along, smiled, laughed, took pictures and some of the folks (although they tried to hide it!) even cried. They were touched at the way the church at Petit Trou had welcomed them with such open arms.
The team from East Bayou had a busy week getting to know their new surroundings and their new brothers and sisters in Christ. They had a week full of activities with meetings, programs, and satellite church church visits, and just hanging out, getting to know one another. Sunday afternoon they met with Pastor Solva and his wife and daughter to get to know them a little better and to have some more personal conversation with them. They also met with the youth and at the end presented them with a soccer ball, with which they immediately set up a match in the yard! Sunday evening the team assisted in an open air service out in the community. Monday morning they went and visited a satellite church at which they greeted the church and presented the congregation with a message. Monday afternoon they met with the kids and taught them (with help from Marie France) how to sing “This Little Light of Mine” in Creole and they made puppets and had lots of fun! Monday evening they met with the deacons to find out more about the church and it's needs and ways they can be praying for Petit Trou and to share how Petit Trou could be praying for them. Tuesday morning they had a bible study with some of the men from the church and that afternoon the women on the team held the traditional ladies tea for the the ladies of the church which even included a hand massage for each lady present to thank them for all the hard work they do with their hands. Wednesday morning before leaving, they visited some of the widows and shut-ins at the church, taking the boxes of rice packs and praying for each person they visited.
At the farewell service Pastor Solva thanked them for all they had done during the week and he asked the team, “If you could stay longer, would you??” After a nod from Amy letting them know it was OK to say yes, (they hesitated ONLY because they were afraid of making a promise they couldn’t keep!), they all raised their hands high and said, “WI! Yes!”
It was a great week of activities, no doubt. But it was also a great week building relationships between the two churches, getting to know about one another, playing with one another, eating together, worshiping together and just doing life together.
Please pray for the team (and all the members of East Bayou) as they reflect and pray through all that they experienced as they determine God’s design and plan regarding their involvement with RMI and Petit Trou as a Sister Church.
All the pics from the week can be seen here.
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