short-term missionaries in Cap-Haitien, Haiti - "Not My Will But Thy Will Be Done"
In February 2015, my husband and I served as short-term missionaries in Cap-Haitien, Haiti with the American Baptist Churches, Michigan Servants for Christ Missionary Team; we were a group of eight people from several different American Baptist Churches in Michigan.
Our accommodations were quite good and included showers (cold) and toilets that flushed, so we were very fortunate and grateful. Our hosts were Pastor Voltaire and his family, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Soon after our group landed at the Port-au-Prince International Airport, we grabbed their luggage and boarded the back of an open-bed pickup truck for a bumpy, eventful 3.5-hour journey to Cap-Haitien.
Furthermore, this was me and Curtis' first international mission experience in an impoverished country to serve others in the name of Jesus. We were grateful to God for this opportunity to serve the people of Haiti, worship with them, work alongside them and become their friends for life.
We ask, what does a will or heart look like that has been transformed into Christlikeness? How is it to be characterized? Jesus said of himself, and of course, He is always the pattern, “He who sent me is with Me: He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him” (John 8:29). And Paul had this to say: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
So we have the answer to our question: Single-minded and joyous devotion to God and His will, to what God wants for us, and to service to Him and to others because of Him, is what the will transformed into Christlikeness looks like. That is the outcome of Christian spiritual formation and reference to the will, heart, or spirit. And this outcome becomes our character when it has become the governing response of every dimension of our being. Then we can truly be said to have “put on Christ.”
We thank God the for wonderful people we met in Haiti; Pastor Rosa, Pastor Smith, Pastor Vic, Pastor Voltaire, Servant Leaders Jude, Chris, Steve, Gabriel, Amos, the First Baptist Church congregation, and the list goes on and on. Our hearts were truly touched by how freely the children and the adults embraced us at the Bethany House (a home for widows where we worked on building stairs). Each morning that we came to serve they met us with huge smiles and warm hugs. We must say that we witnessed the love of the Lord flooding throughout the place in a powerful way. In spite of the language barrier, our spirits connected. As Apostle Paul said: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).
God had been working on and through our team the moment we responded to the invitation to participate in a short-term mission experience. At the end of each day we gathered together for devotions, taking time to report and reflect on what had happened; and to have a brief time of retreat and rest especially on those days when our hearts were wounded and our spirits were overwhelmed. Curtis and I along with another member of our team were honored to take turns leading the devotions each night.
On behalf of the ABC Mission Team, Curtis and I wish to thank Pastor Voltaire, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Cap-Haitian, Haiti, for extending the invitation for each of us to preach the gospel to a crowd of over 1,000 during their Thursday evening worship service. Likewise, I (Pamela) was grateful to be able to minister in song at the close of the service. What a life changing opportunity. This was our first time speaking with the assistance of an interpreter; however, Pastor Smith interpreted our messages fluently and with passion. We prayed that what was spoken was edifying to the body. After our sermons, an altar call was given. A young lady walked down the aisle to the front of a church auditorium - stating that she desired to accept Christ as her Savior.
Now that's what it's all about (salvation). Amen
Because of His Grace,
Ministers Curtis and Pamela Robinson, Sr.