Week One: july 14th
introducing Haiti and Meet Pastor Hug
Radical Series=Radical Decision
In August 2016, Pastor Jack presented a sermon series on David Platt's "Radical". This six-week series, combined with a church-wide campaign and study, Pastor Jack challenged the congregation of Haven to dig deeply into our "comforts" and think about the call that God has placed on our lives, both individually and as the body of Christ. Through this study, members of Haven discovered a calling to seek and find a place to make a radical difference. Through prayer, petition and discussion, a mission team was formed and Haiti became the destination.
You can check out Pastor Jack's six-week series on David Platt's "Radical" by clicking the links below.
How did Haven get to Haiti?
In August 2016, Pastor Jack led the congregation of Haven through a church-wide study of “Radical” where author David Platt shared that Jesus commanded us to “Go, make disciples of all nations”, and that as a follower of Jesus “We are [His] Plan A, there is no Plan B”. As a result, our Haven’s Helping Hands Mission team felt a calling to GO and find a place to make a radical difference through a mission trip.
The team collected a list of possibilities both inside the country and outside, and different ways we could make it happen. While still continuing all the mission efforts locally and nationally, the team came to the conclusion that “stepping out in faith” outside the country was a priority. But where could we go as a first step? After a little bit of research we learned about Haiti… the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
To get us started, we partnered with an organization called Praying Pelican Missions who organized regular mission trips to Haiti. They were wonderful to arrange all the details on our behalf… we only had to follow their instructions. Little did we know the impact that this first trip would have, and that we would not only organize a return trip the following year, but put down lifelong roots with Pastor Hug and the whole community at Haven Church Haiti.
Meet Pastor Hug
When Haven arrived in Gressier, Haiti, they were greeted by a lovely man with a gigantic smile and an even bigger heart for Jesus! Pastor Hug Pierre was a lawyer by trade but he and his wife felt a strong calling from the Lord to start a community church. Read Pastor's Hug's personal testimony below!
Pastor Hug Pierre
Hello everybody!
I am going to share with you, a testimony that I have just shared with the members of my
church, as well as people in the community in a prayer service that we organize every Tuesday
evening.
Today makes me 9 days since I shared this testimony. In the years 2010 to 2012, I worked in an
NGO called IsraAID, an organization from Israel, and I managed to occupy the position of
executive director and my deceased wife, occupied the position of community project
coordinator.
And today, July 3, 2024, it has been 3 years since she died, “peace to her soul”.
We had a very rich salary and we could buy everything we needed. It was in this work that we
purchased the land which we donated for the construction of the Church and the construction
of our School. The NGO will have to leave the country, my wife and I decided to enter the
public transportation business. To continue to always have money in our pockets. We wanted
to buy a large truck and we didn't have enough money to buy the truck, my wife and I went to
a bank and took out a loan to buy the truck.
The bank gave us the money and we bought the truck. After a few days of work, the truck
broke down, and we couldn't pay the bank. The bank officials tell us, if you can't pay, they will
go to the radio stations, to say that Hug does not want to pay the bank, and they have already
done that, for several people in the town.
We were afraid that the bank would mention our name on the community's radio stations. We
pray God, day and night, I was looking for work, I couldn't find it. I went to the courts to offer
my services, not even one.
One day, while I was in court, I heard a voice say to me, go home and get ready, I will bring you
everything you need. I packed up my things and went home, told my wife what I heard in court.
We started to think, and that's where the idea of organizing a summer camp came up, my wife
was studying Education Sciences and she found a small job in the area, a salary that didn't
represents nothing for the house. But we continue to seek God even more.
We started with the summer camp, straight away, my pastor came to force me to plant a
church in my community, because I could no longer go to his church, we spend too much
money to go to his Church, because the distance is too long. We planted the church and after a
few months, my wife called me to let me know that we should open a School in the
community. I didn't put up any resistance, she was a prophetess for me. Whatever she said, or
whatever she did, she always succeeded.
So, we started to receive foreign missionaries, and HCC was the 2nd group of missionaries to
work with me. I received money from Praying Pelican Mission through Brother Almando,
coming directly from HCC, with the money I bought everything we will need, in order to work
together. It was a joy for me to see you work and it pushed me to give all my strength to this
work.
I used my jeep to bring rocks, sand, gravel, iron, cement, and for other activities. But, I didn't
know if the Lord had fixed His spotlight on me, and He used Brother Brandon Wallace, a name I
will never forget. One day the missionary group called me into a meeting, asking me to explain
what is written on this paper stuck to the windshield of the jeep.
I explained my situation to them and they said, this jeep cannot be sold, it is too useful. How
much money do you have left to pay into the bank, and they told me, don't worry about this
money, you will have this money, once we are in the United States. I asked them, how did you
notice this poster on the jeep, it is at this moment that we know that it is only Brother Brandon
Wallace who can read a little French.
I didn't have the courage to go evangelizing, because I was afraid that my name wouldn't be
mentioned on the radio, like a pastor who doesn't pay his debts.
I was confused, I couldn't concentrate on my ministry, but God sent HCC, for me especially in
the community. HCC has done great things in my life. If my wife were to come back to life, HCC
was ready for anything.
I have other great testimonies of what HCC has done for me. But that will be in another
testimony.
Bless and love for you all!
How can you help?
By donating to our Hope4Haiti Campaign, you directly impact the community of Gressier, our sister church - Haven Church Haiti, Pastor Hug and his congregation, and their school.
Check out these links to learn more about Haiti, mission efforts, current events, and more!