Sundouloi news May 2012
Photo Highlights J nu ry-April 2012 J nu ry January SMI sponsored a Women’s Confer.ence in Pignon
February Bellevue sponsored a Women’s Conference in Guitton.
April Hillside Covenant provided a new home for a family in Guitton.
April Zanj (Angel) (our new guard dog) arrived in Guitton.
8327 Haggard Ct. Martinsville, In 46151 317-281-7981 317-496-4622 www.smihaiti.org
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Upd te on Ch rlie
In America we take so many things for granted. In April, Charlie, our long time head of security, interpreter, and friend, contracted an intestinal infection that led to severe dehydration. He would have been quickly and easily treated in the states but because of the lack of accessible medical care in Haiti he came within 15-30 minutes of losing his life. Charlie eventually was able to get the help that was needed and is working again and rebuilding his strength. We need Charlie and are thankful that he is recovering well.
Volume 8
H iti Reflections by Fr nk Willi ms Nothing thrills me more than telling the stories to a church or an individual about what God is doing and the vision He has given us for the future. Recently Jeff Dahl and I both felt God was directing us to start a work in a little village called Nanwòch which is a few hundred yards away from our mission home in Guitton. God showed us stateside on Google Earth the very piece of property where we were to build a church. Not knowing anything about that area or the people, we went by faith to negotiate the purchase of property for the new church. The pastor of the Guitton church had a cousin who owned a piece of property in Nanwòch, and he took us there to see it. It only took a second to say yes to the property since it was the very piece of land God had shown us on Google Earth. Once again I found myself negotiating to buy with Zero dollars available for the purchase. We agreed on a price which was less than half of what they were askProperty at the end of February ing. God provided the finance through an individual and we purchased the property. We wouldn’t have that land unless someone else obeyed! I shared this story with the senior pastor of my childhood church, Graceland Baptist, and he responded with a very open heart and agreed to partner with us. Within a few weeks of standing on that property, we received a check to pay for the entire construction of a new facility. Graceland has never been to Haiti with us and knew nothing of this village or the need, yet they did understand that God was working and moving and they wanted to be a part of it. We took the money to Haiti and met with the Haitian workers who have helped us in the past as well as Church building in mid April some from the village of Nanwòch. We employed several local village people to help build their church. We did not interview them and assess their abilities; we just hired and began. I can testify that in all the years we have worked in Haiti I have rarely seen God’s hand work as quickly and specifically as with Nanwòch. In three weeks from the time we started, almost all of the concrete columns and block walls were completed. We have worked on churches that literally took years to get that far. Graceland Baptist is Church building in mid April sending their first team into Haiti on June 9th to help complete the final stages and dedicate the church building in Nanwòch. Nanwòch is a great example of what can happen when the people of God have faith to move forward and sacrificially give without having to see the need or direct the project themselves. When people trust God and are led by Him and give with a grateful heart, that seed falls on fertile soil and great things blossom out of the sacrifice. SMI is truly appreciative to all those who gave to make the new church building a reality. It is also good to understand that Nanwòch means “On Rock,” and Jesus said to Peter, “On this Rock I will build my church and the powers of hell will not prevail against it.”
Zero by Fr nk Willi ms “May the LORD now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. 2 Samuel 2:6 My heart is overwhelmed with all the sacrifices that others have made to accomplish the work that we have begun in Haiti. I have had one of the greatest opportunities in the Kingdom that I could think of— taking what has been given to us and giving it away to bless others. SMI has taken hundreds upon hundreds of people to Haiti and most say the same thing, “I can’t believe all that you guys have done here in Haiti.” The reality is that all we have accomplished has been made possible by the Grace of God and the sacrificial giving of others. I remember speaking at one of the largest Haitian churches we are affiliated with and asking the Haitian people some very simple questions. The first was how many of them believed that I provided the tent they were sitting under. The response was almost unanimous with joy and agreement that I was certainly the one who provided the tent. The next question was how many thought that I provided and built them the new $300,000 school facility. The response was even louder and more adamant that I was the one who did that. I then asked about the homes that were built and the water tower and food, etc. The response was always the same – that SMI and I provided all they had. As I was standing in the pulpit it occurred to me how easy it was to take the credit for something that didn’t belong to me or the ministry. It also occurred to me that unless the Haitian people have the right perspective, they would never have a true understanding of the provision and mercy of God to them and their church. I continued to preach a little message of the Church becoming the Church and representing Christ to the dying world around them. Yet as I was speaking about them representing themselves properly, I stood in front of nearly a thousand people who had a misunderstanding of what or who made it possible for them to be the church. I began telling them the truth. We called the message “Zero.” I told them that I had stood on some rocks on that property with about fifty young people and had prayed for a church, school, and homes but that all the money I had added up to Zero. This dialogue went on for several minutes as I described every project that has been accomplished in the past two years, the hundreds of thousands of dollars that were spent, and the reality that I have Zero dollars. (The Haitians love the word Zero, probably because they can relate.) So if I had Zero dollars and it appeared that all that was built was done by our ministry, then where did the money come from? The easy answer (and a true statement) was and is that God provided. It is great to begin a project with no money and only faith and see God move upon His people and provide all that is needed. When this happens then God gets all the Glory! The more complicated answer is naming the thousands of people who gave to offerings or the thousands who donated supplies and the hundreds who came and worked. All who gave would most likely say, “If it weren’t for God I would have nothing to give.” But to really give an accurate answer, you would have to trace back to every church and every individual who gave to that church or to SMI directly and every business which donated and so on. I have found that, due to my position with the ministry and being the face of SMI to many people, I receive a lot of appreciation for the work accomplished. Yet there are many even in our own ministry working together to make things happen. All of us at SMI have made a certain level of sacrifice for the work, but the reality is that SMI exists only because of the sacrificial giving of others. I am afraid that sometimes we hide under the statement “God provided” to keep from really appreciating those who give. I know that without God none of what we have seen would have been. I also realize every good blessing comes from above and we do give God all the praise, but I want to tell each and every individual how much SMI appreciates them and the sacrifices that are made with finances, gifts, time, and prayer. Without your obedience to give and the sacrifices you have made, we have Zero.
Proposed Ch nges in Guitton SMI received an initial donation to help further our long term vision for the area of Guitton. The need for more space has increased as the school and our ministry continue to grow in Guitton. Plans are underway for the construction of a new church/school building. This facility will provide a larger facility for the church and room for additional school classes outside of the current mission house compound. Part of our vision for the current property at Guitton is to have a small clinic and pharmacy area that would allow visiting medical professionals to meet physical needs in the Guitton area. Other areas of the building may provide space for a food and clothing pantry where we can store items to be distributed as the need arises and a temporary shelter for young adults or single parent families in transition. The objective would be to provide a home while they are taught a trade or given skills so they can become self-supporting and be integrated into the Haitian society.
Guitton School Sponsorships We would like to express special appreciation to Heritage United Methodist Church, Living Water Lutheran Church and the Sunday School classes at Bellevue Baptist church which have all made significant donations towards the Guitton School this year. We also wish to thank each individual who has sponsored a student. Without the help of each one we would not have been able to provide schooling, textbooks, materials, uniforms, and meals for
New S nctu ry in Cepres (St. Ard) The new church building at Cepres is well on its way. A $5,000 donation has been received. The St. Ard church has raised an unheard of $10,000. and recently raised an additional $1,500 by holding a yard sale. We believe we need to raise an additional $75,000 to complete this sanctuary. The completed building will hold over two thousand people. Haitians from the church working at the site of the new sanctuary.
For more inform tion… inform tion
Current Needs
please visit our website at
We have trailers in Indiana and Tennessee that we need to fill and ship to Haiti. Items needed include tools, nonperishable foods, clothing, construction equipment and household furnishings. A more detailed list will be available on the website. We will also need additional finance to ship the trailers. Contact us at one of the numbers on the front page to make arrangements to drop off donated items. We hope to send the trailer from Indiana by early July.
www.smihaiti.org Bo rd of Directors Frank Williams Rev. Larry Poe Kit Brunson Jeff Dahl David Freeman Chris Brunson
Pres. Vice Pres. Treasurer Secretary Member Member
each of the students. In June when we begin taking sponsorships for the 2012 -2013 school year you will have the opportunity to renew your sponsorship. The cost for next school year will be $240 (or $20 per month). There were a total of 128 students enrolled in the school this year. We will be adding a fifth grade class so we will need an additional 20-25 sponsors for the next school year.
Th nk You… You We would like to express a special thank you to Bill and Stacy Skillman for their generous donation to the ministry.
