Pray for Haiti on Sunday, April 20, 2014

Lectionary Selection: John 20:1–18

Prayers for Haiti:
Lord God we can only imagine Mary’s excitement when she first recognized Jesus and then how her heart must have filled with indescribable joy as she embraced Him. How swiftly, too, her feet would have moved as she ran to share with the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.”

The good news of the Resurrection inspires us to pray for such a heart and for the same joy that would spur us to run into your world with actions that shout our belief in what we have seen and know of your Son Jesus Christ. Surely such actions would freely share knowledge and experience, encourage downcast spirits and stand alongside the vulnerable and those who struggle to be heard.

God of miracles, please hear our prayers for the people of Haiti who want nothing more than the opportunity to live with dignity and possibility, and to be able to enjoy lives that are filled with a total sense of well-being, your shalom.

We come in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen

Mission Stewardship Moment from Haiti: “Halleluia Seigneur”
Sometimes I simply close my eyes and listen as the seminarians open our class session with a song and a prayer. A large number of the students are men and thus the room is filled with a deep, rich sound as they sing a cappella style and from memory. My Creole is now good enough to follow their prayers and I realize they always include me in those words turned heavenward.

At 8:00 am on Saturday mornings I begin teaching my first class on Church History at [CONASPEH] the St. Andrew School of Theology. Most of the students are first-year seminarians but many already serve churches and have a good understanding of Scripture. However, when we first met last October they knew little of the history and context that helped to establish both the Bible and the church but now they fill out the timeline that I draw across the expanse of two blackboard panels with names, dates, and explanations of those time periods. They also give descriptions of words like “apostates” and “apologists” and share how early believers were persecuted for their faith.

The students say their seminary courses give them a sense of “new life” by opening the doors of knowledge as they study subjects such as Greek, World Religions, Ethics and Spiritual Formation. In the same way our time together reminds me of the richness of the Christian faith and I, too, am filled anew with hope and purpose.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Diane and Tim Fonderlin)

Mission Partners in Haiti:

More information on Haiti:
http://globalministries.org/lac/countries/haiti/

Global Ministries Missionary in Haiti:
Timothy Fonderlin, a member of Howland Community Church, Warren, Ohio, is serving a 4-year term with the National Spiritual Council of Churches of Haiti (CONASPEH), beginning July 1, 2012. He works as a Sustainable Community Development and Micro-Credit Consultant with CONASPEH.

Diane Fonderlin, a member of Howland Community Church, Warren, Ohio, is serving a 4-year term with the National Spiritual Council of Churches of Haiti (CONASPEH), beginning July 1, 2012. She is teaching theology at St. Andrew Theological Seminary and is also Co-Administrator of the Seminary.