One of the Haitian churches we plan to build in the coming weeks recently disassembled their temporary structure to prepare for their new, permanent building.

A few years ago, the leftover wood might have gone to waste.  Instead, Pastor Joseph looked over the materials and carefully considered how they might bless another congregation instead of simply being thrown away.

He walked the path to another church, one he had never worked with before, and asked if they might be able to use the wood.

The church jumped at the opportunity to improve their meager worship space.  Now fully assembled, the new structure has been a tremendous blessing for the congregation of Église Maison de Dieu en Jesus Christ (“The House of God in Jesus Christ Church”).  The structure, which is substantially better than the one they had before, houses a community of believers who joyfully worship beneath a roof of makeshift tarps.  Fans are clipped to the ceiling to create a gentle breeze through the church.

The thought of Pastor Joseph so eager to share his church’s excess brought a smile to my face. It’s a simple and short story, but one that drives home the impact of our work.

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help causes of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”  (Titus 3:14)

Tags: HA02, HA03, Haiti, Haitian Church, Reconstruction