Churches Helping Churches

On Sunday we dedicated our first completed church in Haiti.

What an honor to join Pastor Ernst Joseph and the congregation of L’Eglise de la Derniere Heure, the Church of the Final Hour, in Carrefour, Haiti for this intense and emotional service filled with heartfelt gratitude to God.

There was praise. Dancing. Servants of God on their knees in prayer. More than 1,000 people turned out to worship together under the new structure.

After a message, prayer and thanksgiving, we celebrated. We recognized 43 church members who poured weeks of full-time labor into their new building. Their contributions were marked by excellent workmanship and impassioned discipleship. Every morning, we began with devotions. ”Work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men” (Col 3:23). “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Mt 6:20) Jesus’ words saturated their hearts in prayer throughout the day.

On one occasion, I was 25 ft. off the ground, drilling screws in the rafters with Wesmond, a young follower of Christ. Since our arms and legs were awkwardly placed, I was entirely focused in the moment. Then Wesmond suddenly paused, closed his eyes, sighed, and gently whispered, “Amen.” I saw his lips moving as he was praying. In another instance, Redgi, one of the crew leaders, was walking across the worksite to get a tool. Midway through, he raised his fists in the air and shouted towards the sky at the top of his lungs, “HALLELUJAH!”.

Every day, we could hear the prayer meeting at Pastor Joseph’s house nearly a block away as we worked. It was an environment of unceasing prayer and thanksgiving.

The church reminded me of Nehemiah, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and facing great opposition. Half of the people worked while the other half held spears, ready for battle. And of the half that did work, “every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” (Neh 4:16-17) In Haiti, our workers also faced great obstacles and setbacks. This battle was slightly different. When the tools came out and the building began, they labored on the work with one hand, with the other raised in prayer. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

And yet, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5)

The men and women of the Church of the Final Hour are rich in faith. They are heirs of the Kingdom. They live in a world in which they see the unseen. They seek to glorify God in everything they do.

And now, they glorify Him under the protection of a building that will house worshipers of the Lord Most High for generations to come.

Since we have arrived in Haiti, greeted by dozens of volunteers ready and willing to serve their church for weeks on end, I’ve been amazed at the crew God has provided for us as beams go up and our first church takes shape.

I recently asked one of our most skilled workers, a crew leader, what he does for a living — how he is able to volunteer for three full weeks?

“I don’t do anything,” he said. He wants to. He graduated from school and has been looking for work for a year. There simply has been no work.

In spite of the economy, in spite of the hardships they face, the men and women serving are passionate about serving God however and wherever they can.

Each morning we start with a time of prayer. Surrounded by my Haitian friends in hard hats and tee shirts, I’m reminded as their cries go up to the Lord that these are not just hard working men – they are men of great faith. Men devoted to serving and glorifying God. Men who pray with such urgency and passion – for the project, for the salvation of others, for safety – that they challenge me and those around them to consider how our lives are being used for the glory of our Creator.

This week, we visited the next nine church sites. We met with pastors, laying out building plans and finalizing our processes. Many of the buildings we will be working with are in much worse shape than we thought, and our timeline is extending. We hope to have the next batch of churches completed by Christmas, and the remaining churches finished in the first quarter of 2012.

We’re not disappointed.  This is a journey as well a destination. We are focused on building the churches well, not just building them quickly. Our meetings will continue through the week.

The prayers of those we work with, however – those will continue long after the church buildings are up and we have returned to the United States.

Every day at 6:00 a.m. and noon, several dozen members of our first church get together to pray. At lunchtime, we can hear them from more than a block away – voices lifted to Heaven in praise. Gratitude. Thanksgiving. Honesty. Brokenness.

God is moving in Haiti. What an honor to be here to witness it.

Pastor Ernst Joseph and the congregation of The Church of the Final Hour will soon be out of the heat and hosting services in their new building.

They’re working hard to get our prototype church completed, and their passion and enthusiasm for the project is astounding.

Volunteering for the project was a big commitment.  We asked church members to dedicate three full weeks of their time, hoping for 14 volunteers.  Instead, 31 people showed up ready to work – so many, in fact, that we’ve had to break the workers up into two shifts to accommodate everyone.

Many of these volunteers are construction professionals, including carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians and technicians.  But, whatever skills the church members have – all are being put to use.  Two of the volunteers are women.  One man is on hand just to pray.  One has a bad back, but is available to interpret full-time.  Three men will do any odd job that comes their way.  A handful of women prepare food and drinks throughout the day.   Everyone on hand is grateful to be a part of the project: excited to learn, excited to give back, exited for the opportunities they will have as a result of the certification they’ll receive at the end of the project.

In spite of overwhelming heat, the energy and enthusiasm from our volunteers is contagious. When the church’s first column went up, our volunteers shouted and cheered.  At the end of the day, no one wants to leave, in spite of the fact that the days are long and very hot.  We see constant leadership and initiative.  Men learn to build one column, and then want to build six more in tandem.

We have already visited our next nine church building sites and laid out the building plans.  These will be constructed simultaneously in November.  Our current volunteers don’t know it yet, but some of them will be supervisors for the next church building projects.

More and more, the construction is peripheral part of the story for our Churches Helping Churches team.  The bigger story is how people are being trained and sharpened.  How brothers and sisters are working together.  How people are learning to serve and sacrifice for their local church.  How this local church is being a light to the community.  And, of course, how great is our God.

Thank you for your continued prayers for the success of this project!

We’re having a heat wave in Chicago.  It’s hot and sticky and there is no relief except escape to air conditioning and avoid the outdoors.  Every time I’m outside, I think of Pastor Joseph in Haiti, and the hours he spends standing in a suit in heat much worse than this every Sunday.

Remember Pastor Joseph?  He tore down his church’s transitional structure to make way for their permanent building.

But then a few delays held up the release of some critical building supplies.  And though it seems we finally have everything we need to begin construction, it’s been several weeks since he blessed another congregation with his own temporary building.  And that means this pastor, and his congregation, have been meeting in the open air.  In the heat.  In the sun.  For hours upon hours every single weekend.

I can’t stop apologizing for the delays, regardless of the fact they are out of my control or his.  In a nation like Haiti, a bad infrastructure means these bumps in the road can take weeks.  Or months.

I apologize again.

He emails me and says:

“Don’t be sorry.  It’s the work of our father, and we need to remember that Heaven has its own schedule and things will happen when they should.”

As they wait, he tells me they can’t help but praise God’s glorious name and enjoy the experience as they wait.

How does he sign off?

“Ye hoooooooooo!  Be blessed my brother.”

Ye hoooooooooo?

If your pastor tore down your church and asked your congregation to meet for the next several weeks, or maybe months, in 100+ degree heat, would you not only do it – but do it with joy and thanksgiving?

As I make my way into our air-conditioned worship center this weekend, I have high hopes that I’ll celebrating the release of our container filled with the building supplies we need to get started on several dozen church buildings to serve congregations like the one led by Pastor Joseph.

But, if our supplies are still held up, I’ve been challenged by Pastor Joseph’s response to adversity.  I need to be praising God for his timing and provision instead of being focused on my own agenda – even if it’s a good one.

When you face a trial, whether large or small, is your first response to complain?  To ask for relief?  Or is it to shout out praises to our Father that end with ““Ye hoooooooooo!”

Be blessed, my brothers.