Haiti, June 26-July 3, 2012 | Blog 3.

David wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters” (Psalm 24:1-2).

I love serving a God whose heart is bigger than I will ever be able to contain. We get to spend our lives searching the depth of God and will not even begin to tap His sheer magnitude. One of the glorious things about spending time in Haiti (or any other context, for that matter) is that I get to see another side of God through a people very different from me.

We serve a God who is not limited to one culture, one style, one color, one flavor, one method, or one perspective. He can be found in and by all people.

The only necessary ingredient comes in the next verses (Psalm 24:3-4).

“Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.”

I dream of a day when our Church is in partnership with Churches all over the world. Not because this sounds biblical but because it is biblical. The body of Christ is larger than one local Church which means that each brings a necessary part. Imagine the strength that comes when these parts become unified, connected, and partnered. 

There is something for our Church in Williamsburg that can only be found in the Church in Haiti, China, India, and New York City. And the opposite is true as well - there is something we have for those same Churches across the globe. 

Strength will come as a result of partnership. Strength is not a result of ministry being done the same way but because the same Spirit is alive and active in what is being done (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). I am realizing that far less principles exist when it comes to the how compared to the what. I think to ask for God’s heart and then to not expect different could be entirely missing God’s heart. 

Know that you, Church are called to be involved in what God is doing in the whole world and in so doing, the Kingdom of God advances. Fulfilling the mission of God in the earth that is the Lord’s is the purpose that we all live for. 

Much love to you, CLC!

-Holly Aman

Haiti, June 26-July 3, 2012 | Thank you, SoapBox Soaps!

I was hardly in the doors of Wings of Refuge Children’s Home (much less into the country) before I was being asked for soap. Apparently, the kids have been waiting patiently for the soap we collected. Now, don’t worry - I am positive that a substitute was being used but no where near the quality or smell of SoapBox Soaps. 

Last time I brought soap, a few of the kids walked around huffing their hands for an entire day because they smelled so good. 

Our goal was to collect 100 bars of soap for Wings of Refuge Children’s Home. We sold over 163 bars of soap in 2 weeks and brought down over 225 bars of soap. 

Partnering with the Church in Haiti is not for a few who feel especially called or those who are able to travel there tomorrow. Partnering with what God is doing in the world is the call of every believer. 

So, you can’t head to Haiti on the next trip - so what?! Don’t let that keep you from becoming engaged with what God is doing here. Obviously, it goes a long way for the kids at Wings of Refuge Children’s Home. It means soap. It means clean little hands and healthy bodies. 

Thank you, Church for being a generous Church. You are simply glorious.

Thank you, SoapBox Soaps for partnering with us in serving the 21 beautiful kids of Wings of Refuge Children’s Home. They smell so nice, thanks to you.

-Holly Aman

Haiti, June 26-July 3, 2012 | Blog 2.

Mission trips are the best kind of vacations. I am so thankful to be here for a week in Haiti and so thankful to Pastor and Mommy-Pas for having us in their home. I love everything they’re doing down here and am so excited to continue our partnership between church’s. 

I absolutely love the kids at Wings of Refuge Children’s Home, every single one of them. Its amazing to see them act like one big family coming together. The Wings of Refuge children’s home changes lives. It gives the kids support, education, home and most importantly Godly role models. These kids have impacted my life far more than I possibly ever could. 

My athletic ability on the basketball court does not come from a natural ability from birth. It comes from me outworking my opponents. I have been raised to be a hard worker so when I got put up to the job of pouring cement for the construction of the new Wings of Refuge Children’s Home; I was going to try and outwork the people around me. I learned a very valuable lesson that day - you cannot outwork these Haitian men. I was so impressed with the amount of work we did in one day and how hard the men worked. 

Overall this mission trip has been remarkable and I challenge everyone to try and make it a priority to go and see all that God is doing in Haiti. He is up to good things.

-Joshua Aman

Haiti, June 26-July 3, 2012 | Blog 1.

Josh and I arrived on Tuesday it is now Sunday afternoon.  We are about to go back to church for a communion service, we were there this morning from 6 till 10ish for the morning service. We have spent the week partaking Haitian life with Pastors Wilson and Gladys and their family. We have spent time at Wings of Refuge Children’s Home and been loved on by the twenty-one little ones...Darvinsley, Angelina, Erinel, Bedechina, Naelka, Fadelin, Clifford, Adeline, Wilson, Sarah, Jovenesse, Keslourna, Renelson, Jean Widmey, Motha, Guirlene, Migelite, Islande, Adelin, Jaunisse, and Ketina.  Each child is so unique. On Thursday we spent the whole day playing at the beach and traveling to and from. The beach time with the children made the journey so worth it.  Josh and Holly had a work day at the site of the new children’s home....I opted to do beading with the children. On Saturday we had a chance to clean the church with Mommy Pas and then we all went out for dinner in Petion-ville.

That is just a brief overview of the week.....the harder part of writing a blog is to try and share with you, the church, the depth of what we have had the privilege of partaking in.  Last year I read Radical by David Platt.  The book inspired me to go on a missions trip out of my context. Haiti fits that description. The language is different, the climate is different, the city is different, the food is different, the transportation is different....so many things are out of my context. I sat in church this morning and a man shared the scripture that was to be preached. It was the story in Numbers about Balaam being told from the Lord to do something. I know God will send you when He wants, to where He wants, and to do what He wants. The challenging part is....will we go... and will we do as we have been asked to do. 

I have been studying the book of Jonah. Here is another man in the Bible who when asked to do a specific task from the Lord had to wrestle it out. Sometimes we hear form the Lord, we start to walk out what we are being lead to do and then it happens.....it becomes HARD. I love those moments because that is a time where my prayers get specific and God makes the seemingly impossible happen. In this process we stretch. Our context becomes bigger. Our faith becomes deeper. Our thanksgiving becomes fuller and our love becomes richer.   

Our partnership with this church family in Haiti will add to us a beautiful depth that if we stay in only our city we would miss out on. The beauty of this exchange is that we get to bring back that compassion, thankfulness experience to our church. In this Divine exchange we get to be the student and the teacher....the servant and the one served.  The church can operate by it’s New Testament design.  

Thank you church for being a part of this mission trip. And, be open...YOU could be next to go. 

-Juliann Aman