Hope is real.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  John 10:10
While driving to Canton recently, I saw a message on a sign along the road next to a Church in the country that read “Hope is real.”  I’ve been thinking about that message off and on this week as I have been going through these photos of Haitian school children.  For way too many people in this world, hope is just a word and certainly not real.  Events in our world and in Haiti this past year have shaken many people and especially would cause an unbeliever to doubt even more about ‘hope’.  The pandemic, financial instability, elections and now political unrest.

Hopelessness; someone who is hopeless is usually alone and cannot help themselves out of their dire situations.  They have a great sense of loss and helplessness.  Christians must come alongside and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost and hopeless, and share all that our Savior has to offer them.
This young girl from Cap Haitian has hope.  She is baptized, attends the Lutheran school, and eats a Trinity/HOPE lunch every day.  She wears a bracelet on her wrist that tells the story of our Triune God.  She is and will always be a messenger for our risen Savior in a land where hopelessness abounds.
Please keep our children in your prayers, along with their parents, teachers, pastors and Trinity/HOPE supporters like yourself who continue to prepare His children to accomplish the Great Commission.

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

Dorcas.

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9:36
The seaport of Joppa will long be remembered because 2,000 years ago a faithful church worker lived there, her name was Dorcas.  She is legendary because of her work for charity.  She was rich both in giving and in personal service, honoring God and helping her neighbor for Jesus’ sake.
During the midpoint of her lifetime, she became ill and died.  The grieving was hard by her fellow believers and we read on in Acts, “Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room.  All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.  Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.  He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.  This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.”
Along my journey, there have been many who are like Dorcas in their service to their Lord.  There are many children like the two girls from the Lutheran school in Pont Quenepe in the attached photograph who may have never met their “Dorcas” face to face, but will when they receive their heavenly home.
There are many in the ranks of the Trinity/HOPE supporters who could wear a “Dorcas” nametag when they get up and begin the next day of their journey, serving Him.  On behalf of these two children at Pont Quenepe in the Artibonite District, and the over 33,500 other children in over 160 Christian schools throughout Haiti; we say “Beni Soit L’Eternal!” (Praise the Lord!) for your continued support.

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

The best beans and rice.

Jesus said "... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20b
From the mouths of children come some of the greatest inspirations and insights that you can ever fathom.  Priceless pearls of wisdom or darts of brilliant light that help you to understand them and this world through their minds, words and actions.  Back in the days of black and white there was a program called ‘kids say the darnedest things’ or that is how I remember the title.  It was a popular show and the title is still applicable today.
I don’t recall the name of the boy in the photo, he wore the same shirt on the three days I happened to see him during one week in October.  He was one of the children chosen for our Trinity/HOPE interview as we try to get an idea of how many of these children were eating at home.
This young boy was happy to be in Ouanaminthe, in school and being fed.  He hadn’t eaten before he went to bed the night before school and his parents had given him a cup of coffee for his morning nourishment…no food.  When I asked what his favorite food was, he said Trinity/HOPE rice and beans.  What a great advertisement; “next time your mom goes to the store, tell her to pick up a box of the Trinity/HOPE rice & beans”.
The boy was captured in another photo during the week, it was sent a few days ago and he was shown with two other children with a bracelet on his wrist.  He goes to school, perspiration popping up on his forehead, learning about geography, math…and Jesus.  His life will touch others in the coming years and decades with the message of hope for those who have not heard of Jesus.  Jesus tells us, “and surely I am with you always…”
You will meet many people in your life and do His work in many different ways along your journey.  You will make a difference in the lives of many through your words, encouragement and love.  It is really important to concentrate on those times where we can truly make a difference in another life.  Thank you for making that difference in over 33,500 lives, preparing His children to go share His message of salvation with the lost in Haiti.
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

Loving someone.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The morning Portals of Prayer recently had the above scripture reading; a message that revolved around love and the attached photo is of two girls living in Ouanaminthe, Haiti and their smiles tell you they have a Savior and are eating Trinity/HOPE food.  How can you help but not love this photo?

“Have you ever loved someone?  Love causes us to actually reach out to one another.  It causes us to make sacrifices.  We sacrifice our time, our money and sometimes our own desires.  Love binds a person to the thing that they love.  Loving is a risky business, because sometimes the one that we love does not and will not love us back.”  That was the opening message this morning from one of my daily devotions; loving someone, reaching out and making various sacrifices.  Trinity/HOPE supporters love their Savior, their Creator and their Comforter…and His children.  We make timely sacrifices sometimes and other times we just give of our treasures.  I am guilty of that, giving without really considering how special the life is that my gift is touching…reaching out to a life that doesn’t know I exist.
At those times, the Holy Spirit uses my gift, my ‘sacrifice’ to touch that life with a blessing that will prayerfully place an ear to ear smile upon their face.  Not often we get to see such happiness, as in the two smiles in this photo.  They are genuine, they are real, they are thankful and they truly believe that you are a Godsend to them.  I pray that your financial sacrifice, your prayers and your love will continue to touch girls in white ribbons and boys in plaid shirts living in Ouanaminthe.

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

Rejoice!

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

Back in the day history from sometime in 2007.  My daughter asked me recently, “Dad, what is with all the devotions you’ve been sending?”  I had promised to send John Hall some of the photos that I had made into posters and he told me to just ‘send em’ via the Internet.  John…they are coming to you every day but I couldn’t resist sending a message with them.

As many of you may know the book of Philippians is one of my favorite books in the Bible and the Apostle Paul is my hero, although I have surpassed him as chief of all sinners.  In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!"  There is a story behind the attached photo of two girls, sisters who attend school at Bois Marchand which is located on the Northwestern outskirts of Gonaives.  
The photo of them was taken on my journey to Haiti in March of 2010.  I went alone and was just blown away that I could capture this moment in time with my limited photographic skills.  They were about to eat their lunch, the girl on the left was in the process of getting up from their desk and getting her plate of rice and beans.
After they ate their lunch, I took a photo of her plate that had been polished clean and this girl let out a squeal of laughter that turned many of the heads of other classmates, as she was embarrassed that I was taking a photo of her empty plate.  Rejoice for that sound of laughter, for that smile, for that gift of God.  Your quarter put a wide smile on her face.
Back to Philippians, we read that Paul wrote about how the Lord had given him joy even though there had been so much suffering in his life.  And as he served the Lord, Paul found a great deal of joy.  Sometimes it is really easy for us to rejoice and to fulfill Paul's command.  Sure, everything's going right in our lives, house doesn’t need repairs, money is in the bank, car is running smoothly and heck, I have even managed to lose five pounds during this holiday season after gaining ten amidst the pandemic; rejoice, I will say it again REJOICE!
But there are some times when it is not so easy to rejoice; pandemic.  While interviewing this child I learned that she had not had anything to eat before coming to school that hot day in March, nor had she anything to eat the night before.  A plate of beans and rice is a reason to rejoice.  For you and for me as believers, we have much to rejoice in when we think of our salvation.  This child and her sister will prayerfully bring many reasons to rejoice in their lifetimes as they bring the saving message of the salvation of Jesus Christ to the lost in Haiti.
We not only have salvation from the penalty of our sin, which would be eternal punishment, but also from the power of sin that God gives us in day to day living. Consider the blessings that God has given you as your Savior: strength, supply of needs, grace, mercy, peace, on and on and then consider the blessings that you have made possible for these two missionary girls in Bois Marchand, rejoice!  Think about those things throughout this day and you will do as Paul said - rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!

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

Be patient.

“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.”  Philippians 4:10-12

While living in Haiti, the words of the Apostle Paul brought me an abundant load of comfort, understanding, peace and patience.  If you know me, that last word may not be a word that you would count as one of my strong attributes or high points.

Imagine what Paul must have endured on his mission trips.  Imagine the people that he met and the lives that he shared the message of salvation with along his many travels; probably saw faces similar to these four children.

Some comments from people who have seen this photo are “these kids look so happy, so clean and friendly”.  Look closer at these children who attend a school in Ouanaminthe that is called Messif.  Their school was very, very dark without windows in the corrugated metal siding and the flash from the camera poured volumes of light into their dark classroom; no electricity.  The temperature in their classroom at 11 AM was probably in the low 90’s in October and there was no breeze moving through the open door.

The photo shows two really important facets; the children are in school and very happy to be in school because they just finished eating.  Also notice the bracelet of the girl on the right side.  She has the message of salvation wrapped around her wrist that may provide a lifeline to another lost child in Haiti on her walk home this day, or tomorrow. 

Trinity/HOPE is so very simple; we feed children attending Christian schools in Haiti and they in turn share the Gospel message with Haiti.  It cost one dollar to feed these four children on this hot day in Ouanaminthe.  The Apostle Paul would be so very happy to have these young missionaries joining in his call, the same call that you and I have from our Lord Jesus; go and seek and save the lost.

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

A missionary.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.  God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.  I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong; that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.  I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”  Romans 1:8-13  

Have you ever met a missionary?  The apostle Paul was a missionary.  The dictionary states that a ‘missionary’ is someone who leaves their home and goes to live, work and witness in another location.  It doesn’t mention anything about them sharing the Holy Gospel or healing a disease, helping them build a school or putting a meal on their table at lunch time.
I hope that you have had an opportunity to meet a missionary at some point along your path and that they have been a blessing to you and your earthly journey.  The three children in the attached photo are missionaries from the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.  They are young but with your help, they will be very wonderful missionaries to their neighbors who have not yet heard the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their colorful wrist bands tell the story of creation, baptism, death, resurrection and salvation; the saving message is easy to understand in ways that can only be told by a child to another child or their parents or grandparents.  These three would probably have been favorites of the Apostle Paul; they are favorites of mine because they will be spreading the Gospel message to the lost throughout Haiti in the coming decades.  

Thank you for supporting missionary preparation through Trinity/HOPE; it only takes a quarter to provide a hot lunch for one of these Kingdom builders.  Consider for a moment that one small quarter could be all that it takes to keep one precious life out of satan’s grips.  One small coin in the right place could win a soul for Christ; that is a God thing and we just can’t begin to fully understand or appreciate the John Hall slogan, “ain’t God good?

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

The sands of time.

“And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:11-14

How many more grains of sand are remaining in the hour glass of your life?  Have you put your will in a place where your family will find it?  Have you shared your faith story with that angry, grumpy pants next door neighbor?  “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” is another way of saying that the end of your journey is a lot closer now than when you were Baptized.  What kind of legacy are you leaving for your family, what kind of footprint will you leave?

What is your greatest desire for your children and grandchildren?  What is your hope for the coming generations; have you taken steps to finish well?  Has your time been spent sharing the Gospel within your family, within your city, within your State or been focusing on one of the ends of this earth?

Has it been your hope and desire that your children and grandchildren will grow up and become men and women of compassion, honesty, morality, responsibility, selflessness, loyalty, discipline and sacrifice?  Your hope should be that they will become men and women of faith, trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior seeking to follow Him as the Master of their lives each and every day.  While we cannot make this decision for others, we can show them the way by being an example of Christ’s love and of His power to transform every life that is submitted to Him.

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

Follow me.

“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.  Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” John 1:43

This passage from John has always fascinated me and again drew me deeper into these words when a morning devotion focused on these words of our Savior.  A couple of things grabbed at my question button; Jesus finding, Jesus saying ‘follow me’ and then our own free will.  Jesus found Philip, found you, found me and found this child in Haiti.  Our Savior who later called himself the ‘Good Shepherd’ came to earth to look for the lost sheep; came to seek and save the lost.  It should cause each of us feel really special that the Son of God came to earth and looked for us and after a period of time found us.

We didn’t go looking for Him; we cannot on our own do that as too often we don’t know where to look or how to look.  Too often our ‘free will’ points us into directions away from Him and into places that are deeper and darker where we can hide from Him.
Why do you suppose Philip dropped what he was doing and went with Jesus when told to ‘follow me’?  Perhaps he had nothing to do but probably because he realized Who this was who had found him, at that point in history.  Philip had heard about the coming of the Messiah and was waiting and what a ‘God moment’ in his life to have the Savior find him.

Jesus found you and is calling to you to ‘follow’.  You, I and this child from Haiti have been found and told to ‘follow Christ’ and become shepherds and seek and save the lost.  Resist your free that will tell you that your life is not capable of seeking lost souls or bring them to Christ.  He is with you and the Holy Spirit is nudging you where you happen to be today.
And finally, there is that point in your journey when Jesus will call you home.  Your ‘free will’ card will do you no good on that day.  He found you, He called you and He will take you home one day and you and this child from Haiti will sit at the feet of the Good Shepherd and bask in His glory.

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

The spotlight.

“You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

There are some people living in this world that really enjoy being in the spotlights of most everything; they truly thrive on the applause and adulations from this world.  Conversely, there are those that would rather work behind the spotlight, giving anonymously, serving quietly and living in the shadow of the spotlight.  Their work is important but they would not choose to build their ‘town’ on a hill so that all could see where they are located.  God has created each of us so very differently.

This small child attending the Lutheran school at Pont Quenepe is like us, a ‘Gospel light’ in this world.  She like you and I were placed on this earth to serve the One who came to be the ‘Light to the Gentiles’.  Our Savior came so that we would not live in the darkness of this world.  He came to encourage us to share our ‘light’, His light, with those still living in darkness.

If you enjoy working in the trenches of this world and out of the spotlight and you find yourself being applauded for your service, don’t be dismayed, the adulations are for Him who sent you.  Give thanks for His nudging you to send this small child to do His work in Haiti.

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