Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you had a great week and that you can reflect back on how God has been working in your life.
I wanted to give you an update on things in Haiti. First of all, thank you to those that were willing to participate in our recent fundraising efforts for the kids. We raised the $ 5000 we were hoping to in order to help with all of the back-to-school supplies, uniforms, fees, etc. Also, thank you to those that have been contributing on a monthly basis. It has been a blessing to those 22 children that are in the orphanage. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can sponsor a child and/or support the work at the Life Saver Center Orphanage, please contact me. Recently, I had written and mentioned a couple of times about a little girl named Sophia Renee. She is 6 months old, and her parents were killed in the latest earthquake. Brother Jacques was praying about taking her in and seeking to figure out how to pay an additional worker. This week, when he went to pick her up, he discovered that she had just been sent to another orphanage. Let’s continue to pray that God would meet her needs and that she would receive the care that she so desperately needs. As for us, let us continue to do what we can to support the 22 children and 6 staff that are currently at the orphanage.
The Apostle James instructs us that, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27, CSB).
Obviously, we are to avoid being defiled by sin. Most of us could name off a bunch of sins that are prevalent in the world in which we live. In fact, the Bible has several lists that we could turn to. We would name such things as sexual immorality, hatred, murder, violence, lying, stealing, etc. I would propose that something that often doesn’t make our “top ten” list is how we are affected by the materialistic world in which we live. It can be a touchy and even controversial topic, but it is something that all followers of Christ need to consider. How are we doing individually and collectively at helping those in need? How much are we supposed to spend upon ourselves versus taking care of others? Those are the type of questions that I would encourage you to pray about and study in God’s Word.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. (James 2:15-17)
In addition to the Life Saver Center Orphanage, brother Jacques is helping oversee three churches and has started a fourth one himself. Recently, he met with a pastor a church that is struggling. He is going to begin overseeing it and will re-start the little Christian school that was there.
All of this is very exciting. God is using brother Jacques to do a wonderful work in Haiti. I praise God for the time he was at Community Impact Church and how we were able to send him back to Haiti to serve the Lord. These are the type of things that God has placed before us so that we can pray specifically for them, we can encourage them, we can support them financially, and, whenever the Lord opens the door, we can go to visit them. As soon as I get more details on the latest church and school, I will share it with you.
The Staff at Life Saver Center Orphanage rother Jacques
From our neighborhoods to the nations,
Pastor Larry
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