On any given Sunday morning you will find Pastor Brousseau shaking hands and greeting people at Primitive Christian Church.  The church, located near the Port-au-Prince airport, had to be repaired after the earthquake which killed one of Pastor Brousseau's daughters.  His wife has a big smile on her face and is giving a hug to each of the children.  Parishioners file in and sit close together as the whole building is filled.  After that, the benches and chairs set up outside are filled.  When the chairs run out, people stand in the small courtyard.  Every available space is used.
 
Worship rings out and prayers are lifted with great confidence and praise.  Pastor Brousseau delivers a fiery message and at the invitation the front is packed with people.  Two accept Christ and are ready for baptism.  Two mothers bring their new babies forward to be introduced, followed by a prayer of dedication and thanksgiving. Others want to offer praise to God for things the church has helped them with.  There is a feeling of happiness and community as people file out into Sunday School classes before the next service begins.  There is so much heartache, but hope prevails and gives new breath to these people who demonstrate such incredible faith. 

Ilana Julien, a 47-year-old Christian lady from Thoman, a village up the mountain from Fond Parisien, came to our clinic for help. She was suffering from a large wound in her right foot. Since she is diabetic, it was not an easy case. The doctors were opting for an amputation.  Healing did not seem to be in sight. But Mrs. Polene Alexandre, the head nurse, advised that they let the staff help her try to heal.
 
Ylana had already spent what little money she had at different clinics in search of treatment to no avail. It was then that she decided to give the HCM clinic a try. It was the right choice. She was in our hospital for two months. Every now and then, I would go to her bedside to find out how she was doing and pray with her. Betty and the other ladies at the kitchen would bring her food. Patiently waiting, she was recovering slowly. Deliberately she determined that she would not leave without satisfaction just as the Old Testament story tells that Jacob did at Bethel (Gen. 32:24-28).

Today the wound has almost disappeared. She is happy and we are happy. Everyone gives thanks to God for such a complete recovery in a case that was nearly desperate.
 

While in Haiti earlier this month, it was my pleasure to meet Jean Gregory Talleyrand, the assistant pastor and school director in Drouillard.  Gregory grew up right there in Drouillard and was sponsored through the mission.  This past spring he graduated from Windward Islands School of Evangelism on the island of St. Vincent where a number of other young people connected with HCM have also attended. That is where he was the day of the earthquake.
 
When our medical team arrived in Drouillard to hold a mobile clinic, Gregory greeted us. He had the village organized and ready to go.  It wasn't long before the pride he felt for his people began to shine through.  He asked me to take a tour.  We walked back through the houses and past the public watering hole.  Everyone had a smile and a word of greeting.  He pointed out different houses that had been damaged by the quake.  We walked up onto the porch of his family's home where I met his 96-year-old grandmother.  She is crippled and blind.  The family does everything for her.  Each morning they carry her to the porch where she lays all day.  I asked him if he would like the doctor to visit her.  "Oh yes, but we can't get her to the church to be seen."  Dr. Emmanuel made a house call before we left.
 
After introducing us to his family, he shared that they had lost his 20-year-old sister, Natalie, who was at school in Port-au-Prince the day of the earthquake.  They never recovered her body.  "It was very hard for all of us.  It was so hard for my parents."
 
Before the earthquake, the church was building a new facility.  The unfinished building was completely destroyed by the earthquake.  The old building was also damaged and is in need of repairs, but they are making do for now.  They are currently running 600 attendees on a Sunday and are packing people inside and out on benches.  Kingsway Christian Church of Avon, IN offered to rebuild but Gregory and other church officials in Haiti requested that the money be spent on the people who so desperately needed it.  The old building could be repaired and they would wait for the right time for a new building.  "We are so grateful for all the support Kingsway gives us."
 
Gregory went on to share that his church had planted two new churches.  One was celebrating its anniversary and had 50 members.  It was established not too far away in an area called Jonc.  The second church plant, he explained, was in an area saturated with the voodoo religion.  "We went and preached the gospel.  The people responded and now we have had 25 converts there in four months.  We praise God for this."
 
What an amazing young man.  Not only had he moved home to work and preach but was also helping to spread the gospel through church planting.  This young man is also working with the people to try and help them make a way economically.  He teaches English and computer skills.  We will get to go back and visit him in December.  We are planning a Christmas party for the school of 200 students and will also provide medical care to the people.  "We will be waiting for you!" Gregory said as we pulled away and waved good-bye.