International Prayer Day First Monday each month 10 am

Joel Griffith 6/16/26 Joel Griffith 6/16/26

Saying orevwa.

“Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” Philippians 4:21-23

On this side of Heaven, saying goodbye can sometimes be difficult. When you travel with a mission team to visit school children in Haiti there is always perhaps one or two children who will just linger and hold on to your hand, your shirt sleeve, tap your leg with their hand just not wanting the moment to end.

Back in the day, when I lived in Haiti and had two legs, it was me at the airport with the departing mission team, hanging with them at the airport while they stood in line waiting to enter the airport terminal. It was me standing there in the heat, trying to catch one more fleeting glimpse of their smile, one last hand shake, just one more hug…one last word before they left for North America and I would return to my truck and drive back to my apartment in Petionville.

After spending a week of conversation with English speaking brothers and sisters in Christ, it was hard to return up the long hill on Delmas to a hot and lonely apartment room. Saying goodbye can be difficult on both ends of the handshake. There is a song by a Gospel group called ‘The Nelons’ that is titled “Christians Never say Goodbye” and it comes to mind every time I have to say goodbye. Good bye to children in Haiti, goodbye to a loved one or goodbye to one who was close to death.

“I was standing by the bed side of a dear and precious saint with tear stained eyes I held his hand his life was growing faint. He looked at me and said; "my child why do you look so sad, I'm going now to my new home you'll see me again. Christians never say goodbye, we only move to our home on high; free from pain and never die with Jesus we will reign. A wife may lose her husband or a mother lose her child whatever the case we all can say Christians never say goodbye. Now he's gone to live in heaven, a life free from pain. His suffering now has an end and our loss will be their gain. By Jesus rights he is healed; his pain will be no more let's release the precious saint to the arms of the Lord.”

The attached photo was taken on a hot afternoon in Ouanaminthe. Two girls stood by the open door of our vehicle waiting to say goodbye. Good bye is temporary in this world. These faces will be reunited in Heaven. Thank you for preparing these children for the reunion with Jesus, and with you in Heaven.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/15/26 Joel Griffith 6/15/26

What is really needed.

“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:14-20

There have been and still are mission teams that bring gifts, suitcases full of odds and ends that seemingly are needed by the recipients in a faraway land. Our ancestors in North America gave blankets, beads and buttons to the Native inhabitants prior to moving into their land. When the Apostle Paul went his journeys Churches provided for him, not the other way around.

Paul was an ambassador for Christ and his message was the Holy Gospel and the news of the gift of salvation that is found only in Christ. Sometimes we stray from this direction and return to the ways of our culture. Instead of bringing that which is of real value and will last forever, the Gospel, we tote and deliver worthless trinkets that only bring short lived happiness. The child from Ouanaminthe in the attached photo is giving thanks to God for their daily food, and for your support. She doesn’t know you or me, but she does know Him who brought this food to her table. It is not about me; it is about Him.

I read a pearl of wisdom recently which says “When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.” Thank you for continuing to pray for the children in Haiti who receive the true gift of life and the gift of nourishment daily. Also never forget that you are in their prayers as well. I recently heard the hymn ‘Christ be my leader’ which was written by Timothy Dudley-Smith in the early 1960’s and this song reminds us of the presence of Christ in our lives each and every day.

“Christ be my leader by night as by day; safe through the darkness for he is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. Christ be my teacher in age as in youth, drifting or doubting, for he is the truth. Grant me to trust him, though shifting as sand, doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand. Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife; death cannot hold me, for he is the life. Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/13/26 Joel Griffith 6/13/26

A blessing for me.

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:10-13

If my experience in Haiti and pictures and Holy Scriptures do nothing more than causing you to better understand how blessed your life is and how wonderfully our Triune God continues to provide for you and all His children then all is well; Glory be to Him who has brought this about.

The attached photo is another of Pastor Daniel Paul, his wife Clynie and their daughters in Ouanaminthe. Back in the day, Clynie gave me a “How to speak Creole” book when I first moved to Haiti. It helped me to learn their language and I still have the book and open its pages if I need to use Creole words that have slipped away from my memory.

Pastor Daniel received his training at the Lutheran Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN and returned to Haiti in 2001 with Clynie to begin their ministry first in Port-au-Prince and later in Ouanaminthe. They have been blessed through a relationship with congregations in Washington State that have been mindful in assisting in ways that promote self-dependency. There is a Trinity HOPE school feeding program at their school and children in their orphanage are some of the children that attend this school. The song “Thank you Lord for Your blessings on me” by the Easter Brothers was on my computer gospel station recently and its words gave reason for the smiles from the Paul family.

“As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along. They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong. In my heart I'm rejoicing, how I wish they could see. Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me. There’s a roof up above me, I’ve a good place to sleep. There’s food on my table and shoes on my feet. You gave me your love Lord and a fine family. Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me. Now I know I'm not wealthy, and these clothes, they're not new. I don't have much money, but Lord I have you. And to me that's all that matters, though the world cannot see. Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/12/26 Joel Griffith 6/12/26

Use me.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy; think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me; put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, my quiet hours either in the early morning or at night if it was just too hot to sleep were spent searching for Bible verses to insert into PowerPoint programs. The Apostle Paul provided me with a plethora of verses from which to choose from. These verses in the 4th chapter of Philippians rank very high on the closing passages that I used. The late Pastor Darrell Stuehrenberg used to remind me that these were his life verses; Pastor Darrell is richly blessed in Paradise.

When we consider our mission, His mission for us, and how we can be used to do His mission to the assist the believers in Haiti to reach the un-believers in Haiti these passages should be considered before anything is planned. Too often well-meaning North Americans have gone off to foreign lands with mission ideas that have en-slaved believers in the mission fields. These types of ‘assistance’ do not go unseen by the un-believers; schools without a roof, broken trucks sitting idle for years, empty medical clinics and empty concrete block churches. Where is their God, why doesn’t their God come back and fix these problems?

The attached photo was taken in Ouanaminthe, Haiti. This school does not need to be fixed. The clothes that this young girl is wearing are just fine. The food in the bowl is her daily meal. The smile on her face is genuine. She has a Savior who gave His life for her and prepared a place for her in Heaven. She has Jesus! The hymn “Beautiful Savior” from the Lutheran Hymnal is such a wonderful reminder of what it is that we truly need and also what we have. No author was ever given for this hymn that appeared in 1677, must have been a Lutheran who didn’t want this hymn to be about him, but rather about the Savior. This is also on my funeral song list.

“Beautiful Savior, King of Creation, Son of God and Son of Man! Truly I'd love Thee, truly I'd serve Thee, light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown. Fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer; He makes our sorrowing spirit sing. Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, than all the angels in the sky. Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine!”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/11/26 Joel Griffith 6/11/26

Funeral song list.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7

I was sitting at breakfast recently here at the Assisted Living facility and feeling like I had become an inmate. I went back to my ‘cell’ and thought that I should go through my Celebration of Life service plans again. My thoughts also went back in time to when I was an Elder at Christ Lutheran in Lincoln and had taken Holy Communion every month to a woman named Shirley, as she was a ‘shut-in’, similar to my life today. Shirley was confined to a wheelchair or in a bed; and yet this woman was so cheerful; why? ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again; REJOICE!’

When I would walk out of that nursing home after spending time with her, I often felt guilty for not sharing in that joy; abundant joy that she had in the presence of her Savior. She was a lesson in joy for me, much like the children in the attached photo. These children attend school in Ouanaminthe and they too rejoice in their Savior. Their school has a dirt floor, it is dark, it is hot, their desk is nothing more than a few boards; they are fed a lunch each school day and they are happy knowing their Savior loves them. We sang “Abide with me” at Shirley’s funeral which was written by Henry F. Lyte in 1847 and it seems that this hymn is sung at every single Lutheran funeral that I have attended in the past 70 years; it will be sung at mine as well. It always seems to put life into a proper perspective.

“Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away. Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me. I need Thy presence every passing hour; what but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/10/26 Joel Griffith 6/10/26

Memories; two smiles from Ouanaminthe.

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:1-3

The Apostle Paul encourages the gathering in Philippi to be steadfast and likeminded in their faith in their Lord. Same can be said of us here in North America and also with the believers in Haiti and elsewhere throughout this world. The two girls from Haiti the attached photo could well be Euodia and Syntyche; they both attend the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe. As you encourage them, they encourage others in their families, school and neighborhood.

Encouraging one another, through words, support and prayer, should be our direction. Words that lift up and not put down, support that encourages self-dependence and not continual slavery and most importantly prayer. In our sinful ways, we are not able to do these three at all times and must call upon our Triune God to provide us with direction, patience and perseverance. I heard the song “Precious Lord” recently, written by the Rev. Thomas Dorsey (1899-1993) and it reminded me of my need for daily prayer for myself, for you and for the children in Haiti.

“Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m alone. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near; when my life is almost gone. Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. When the darkness appears and the night draws near; and the day is past and gone. At the river I stand; guide my feet, hold my hand. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. Precious Lord, take my hand; lead me on, let me stand. I'm tired, I’m weak, Lord I’m worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/9/26 Joel Griffith 6/9/26

Look at what they did.

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” Luke 10:16-21

How often are we tempted to exclaim “Look at what I did” when something went really well. Following the 2012 earthquake in Haiti there were many groups and individuals from North America saying “Look at what we did!” when returning from a mission trip to repair or rebuild something. North Americans spending incredible amounts of money to build a plywood house for a family with North American hands and most of the funds raised were used for airfare, food and lodging, transportation and translators that probably could have been donated to build many homes, for many Haitian families and constructed by Haitian hands. It is not about us, what we did but it is about Him and what He did for us and them and accomplished “THROUGH” us.

Jesus sent the 72 out into the world to spread the news of the Gospel throughout the land. They came back rejoicing at what the Holy Spirit had accomplished. Then Jesus gave them and us a very important lesson. Don’t rejoice that the Spirits submit to YOU, but rejoice that your names will be written in Heaven. It is not about us, it is about Him.

The attached photo is of a preaching station in the Northwestern part of the Plateau Central, west of Saltedere. It is a small stick structure with boards attached to branches for seats. It would not surprise me to see a North American mission team to view this as an opportunity to build a new church, a parking lot, a driveway up the side of the steep hill and also provide a gasoline powered generator so there would be electricity for lights and fans. There are well meaning minds within our synod that would do that, I have seen them in action and cringed when I listened to their plans; plans about them and their North American ministry and not about Him and the ministry plan for this Haitian Lutheran congregation that worships on a hill that is closer to the Triune God than we can imagine or begin to understand. Feed my sheep, tend to my lambs said the Good Shepherd. Feeding children through Trinity HOPE programs preparing them, like the 72, to go out into the world and share the Gospel is about Him, not about those of us supporting their education and preparation for the task of their lives; it is about Him.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/8/26 Joel Griffith 6/8/26

Memories; the Paul family.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (KJV)

The words “God is love” that John recorded above are very special to me because as a child I was given a small plastic sign that glowed in the dark after it had been held up to the light on my nightstand and the its message that glowed an eerie green in the darkness was “God is love.”

The children in the attached photo are orphans from the Lutheran orphanage in Ouanaminthe and they are ambassadors for those words as they joyfully will tell you that “God is love.” Have you ever had somebody tell you that you resemble one of your parents or maybe your children looked a lot like you? Maybe they had the same nose, the same color hair or eyes, or perhaps their smile reminded them of you when you were their age.

These children were adopted by Pastor Daniel Paul and his wife Clynie and although they may not have any physical qualities of their new parents, they share in the joy of knowing that ‘God is love.’ For the Christian, we have a Heavenly Father and I doubt that all of us resemble Him physically but spiritually we do. His Holy Spirit lives within us and thus we resemble His Son Jesus Christ.

When you look into the morning mirror and see an image, does it reflect His image? Are your life’s activities about His work? We are all similar to a vessel that is filled with living water and at times we doubt our direction or use; where should we be and are we doing His work; how do we fit into His plan for our life? Your fit will happen when God has you where you need to be to flow. God is at work in your life and in the lives of these orphans. Thank you for helping to prepare their lives with physical nourishment from a Trinity HOPE program. I close with the words to the hymn ‘Children of the Heavenly Father’ which was written by Karolina Sandell-Berg in 1658.

“Children of the heav’nly Father safely in His bosom gather; nestling bird nor star in Heaven such a refuge e’er was given. God His own doth tend and nourish; in His holy courts they flourish; from all evil things He spares them; in His mighty arms He bears them. Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord His children sever; unto them His grace He showeth, and their sorrows all He knoweth. Though He giveth or He taketh, God His children ne’er forsaketh; His the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy. Lo, their very hairs He numbers, and no daily care encumbers them that share His ev’ry blessing and His help in woes distressing. Praise the Lord in joyful numbers: your Protector never slumbers. At the will of your Defender ev’ry foeman must surrender.”

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/6/26 Joel Griffith 6/6/26

We need Jesus.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

North American mission teams have returned from Haiti with plans to “improve” life; ministry, medical, transportation and housing in a third world country. We are a well-educated, well-meaning culture that sadly, too often imposes our “improvements” on other cultures without considering the effects that our “improvement” will have in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The attached photo is of a first-class school kitchen by Haitian standards and this is modern by many that I have seen in the countryside homes. This kitchen doesn’t need any “improvements” from North America. It doesn’t need a generator to power a can opener and a microwave.

Haiti needs Jesus!!! Too often our ways are not His ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts and our support is not what our Triune God desires for Haiti. Feeding children attending Christian schools in Haiti is way too simple for many of our mission minds in North America to wrap their ‘experienced’ knowledge around. They would prefer to construct houses for a few, purchase vehicles for the select and ship North American supplies to people who have no way of receiving and safely storing them and dispensing them. Haiti needs Jesus Christ!!! Feed a child and send them into the mission field of Haiti.

May God be with you,

Jay

Joel Griffith 6/5/26 Joel Griffith 6/5/26

What does he really need?

“And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.” Mark 11:15-19

Jesus had attempted to remove the money changers and livestock from the temple and now the Chief priests were out to get Him because He didn’t do things ‘their’ way. Tale a good look at this young Haitian child, what would you do to help them? This smiling, skinny, barefoot child just finished bathing in the canal near Gonaives.

I know of several North American mission teams that would bring this child $300 worth of clothes, peanut butter and crackers, chewing gum, a soccer ball, a radio or small television, several boxes of mac and cheese, bags of rice and beans, soap, shampoo and a tooth brush and tooth paste. I have seen this happen and I have often wondered to myself what would Jesus do with the people who always need to bring gifts that are not necessarily culturally correct.

This child and his parents and brothers and sisters live in a two-room house with one dresser that contains all of their clothes. I have never seen a closet in a Haitian house full of clothes except for the house of a Lutheran pastor. This child’s house does not have electricity, no need for a radio or TV and if they are battery powered the family will not be able to purchase new batteries. Taking North American food to Haiti is such a waste. If a Haitian came to your school and brought a goat, a bucket of plantains, onions, rice and beans for your children to eat what would be your response? When we go to Haiti we should always remember that we are venturing to a different country and culture and our North American ways need to remain in North America.

Trinity HOPE wires funds to the Haitian school feeding program directors and they purchase rice, beans, oil, vegetables and tomato paste locally from neighborhood markets. The Haitian school children like the Haitian food, the local merchants appreciate the business and the local economy appreciates working with Christians. I close today with the words to the hymn ‘Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord’ that was written by Horatius Bonar, in 1857.

“Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord, however dark it be. Lead me by Thine own hand; choose Thou the path for me. I dare not choose my lot; I would not if I might. Choose Thou for me, my God; so shall I walk aright. Choose Thou for me my friends, my sickness or my health; choose Thou my cares for me, my poverty or wealth. Not mine, not mine, the choice, in things or great or small; be Thou my Guide, my Strength, my Wisdom, and my All.”

May God be with you,

Jay