Hello from the Caribbean,
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:13-15)
Thank you for being our partners in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Without your prayers, encouragement and support, we could not do the work we are doing. May God continue to use each of us to broaden the boarders of His kingdom.
An English Class From The Bible
Percil and Theresa Watkins led a team of workers to Haiti from the Hickory Church of Christ in Hickory, North Carolina. Percil taught an English class from the book of Ephesians. The students were thrilled to work on their English and study the word of God. Percil did an excellent job and the class is eager for him to return. It is great to have great teachers!
A Focus On The Ladies
Theresa Watkins, Barbara Gnann, Kamy Bibbee and Janet Keever met with the ladies in the mornings to study the precious word of God. In the afternoons they spent time at the Sonlight Children’s Home. The ladies were so excited to be able to study the word of God and spend time fellowshipping one another. This is helped to build unity, develop friendships and provide spiritual growth for these ladies. They then were able to take this excitement back to their home congregations. The time spent with the children at Sonlight was very important. The girls and the boys were able to see the lives of Christian women who are true servants of God. They were able to witness the dedication that should be in every Christian. Thank you ladies for your love for the Lord and willingness to step out of your comfort zone.
Printing Operation Begins
One of the great needs in Haiti is more material printed in Haitian Creole and French. In early 2014, we shipped a container with several items for the International School of Theology (IST) and one of the items was a Risograph copier. This is a high speed copier capable of printing 120 copies per minute. In the picture above is one of our directors, brother Felix, two of our students, Lemours and Viciere, and our secretary Michaelle. They are in the process of printing material for the other students. We are excited about the ability of printing this material. The cost of the Risograph was only $500 and the cost of printing, including ink and paper is about two and one half cents per page. What does this mean for Haiti? We can provide material for our students, area preachers and Bible school teachers are able to have material printed for their classes. This means the word of God will now be able to be sent to many different areas in the community and throughout Haiti. The result will be more souls for Christ, more workers in the kingdom and the level of knowledge will increase. God has blessed us with the use of the printed page and to Him be all the glory. Pray for this ministry.
The Preacher Students Receive New Suits, Shirts & Ties
My wife, Carol, headed up a drive to send suits to the students at IST. The response was overwhelming and we sent 67 suits, over 200 neckties and several shirts, pants, shoes, socks and jackets. The students were given the opportunity to go through the clothing and find items that would fit them and every student took home a sack full! Most of the preachers in Haiti do not receive a salary for preaching because the churches are very poor; a weekly contribution may only be $10-$12. Therefore, most of the preachers have to work at other jobs to support their families.
We plan to do this drive every other year so that each student who comes through IST will benefit from the program. The students are truly thankful for the items they receive. They wanted me to thank everyone who sent items and let you know how grateful they are for your love and help. I will keep you informed about future shipments.
A Visit With the Butte Boyer Church of Christ
During the March/April mission trip to Haiti, I had the privilege to visit the Butte Boyer congregation. Three of our students serve as preachers, Bible class teachers and song leaders. There was a heartbreaking tragedy in the congregation and I was asked to speak to them. One of their ladies was attacked in her home when someone broke in to rob her, her father and her mother. Her father, trying to defend his family, was killed and her mother was beaten. The congregation has been by this young lady’s side and is working with her and her mother to overcome this horrible act of violence.
This is a great congregation and is seeking to follow the word of God. As you can see from the pictures, they are stretching the limits of their building. They are planning to move in the future and are saving to purchase property and build a new meeting place. They have saved $2,000 which is a great accomplishment for a church in Haiti. If you would like to know how you can help this congregation, please contact me and I will be glad to share more about their efforts. Pray for the young lady, her mother and the church.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26
Books For The Students And IST
The availability of study material is very limited and books are simply too expensive to buy for most Haitians. Therefore, the students were thrilled to receive 25 books each (in French) from FRENCH LITERATURE. This is a mission effort to the French world sponsored by the Crieve Hall Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. Several books, including a set of commentaries in French, were also donated to IST.
Barry Baggott is the director of the French Literature program. Brother Baggott will be teaching one of the classes next year at the International School of Theology. This will be the first class taught in French. Great things are happening in Haiti through and it is because of congregations and individuals who are willing to make sacrifices so others can be taught the precious word of God. To HIM be the glory!
A Meal Together On The Last Day Of Class
What an honor and thrill to work with the students at the International School of Theology in Haiti. These are men who are truly interested in the preaching, growth and future of the church in Haiti. While some of them will not be full-time preachers, they will be full-time Christians. These students will become the elders, deacons and teachers in local congregations. It is hard to believe we have completed the first year of classes. Year two will begin on August 13th. Plans are now being made for their graduation in May 2016. Once again, I want to say “thank you” to everyone who has made this first year possible. This is not a work that could be done by one person. It truly is a work of the church. I send a huge THANK YOU from the students at IST. Please continue to pray for our efforts.
Haiti Reaches Out To Nepal
The children who live at the Sonlight Children’s Home in Haiti remember the earthquake of 2010. They remember the help that so many have given to them and the people in Haiti. After seeing the devastation in Nepal, they wanted to help. They wrote to five churches in Haiti and $260 US was raised! This may not seem like much to you but for many Haitians, this is almost a year’s income since about 70% live on about $1.00 per day. I am so proud of our children at Sonlight!!! Please continue to pray for their growth and for the people of Nepal.
Funds Are Needed
I am thankful to the Broad Street congregation in Lexington, TN and the Estes congregation in Henderson, TN because they support me and the work I am doing. Therefore, all funds raised go directly to the support of the school and other mission efforts of Caribbean Ministries. While most of our efforts are directed toward the school of preaching, we are also working on other islands. Our goal is to spread the gospel, equip the saints and glorify God. We need morei ndividuals and congregations to partner with us as we seek to reach the lost, strengthen the weak and encourage the faithful. If you or your congregation can help, please fill out the form below and let us how you would like to help. Thank you for love and your prayers. May our heavenly Father be glorified in all that we do!
Larry Waymire
To see Larry’s report with the support form, contact information, and pictures, please click here