Our family has been back in Sweet Home Alabama since Saturday, June 9th. So far, we have had a very productive and fun visit to our home state. Our time has been spent visiting family and friends, speaking at several churches, and taking care of doctor/dentist/optometrist appointments. It has been wonderful to reconnect with so many people, as well as meet several new friends along the way. While we have thoroughly enjoyed our time back in the southeast, we’re feeling the tug to be back doing what God has called our family to do: share his glory with the nations. So, after three weeks in Alabama, we find ourselves preparing once again to put our passports to use as we travel to Haiti on Saturday, July 7th. Jeremy, Sam, and I have previously visited Haiti (this will be Jeremy’s fifth trip down there), but Olivia and Everett have never had the opportunity to see this unique little island. As a matter of fact, they’ve never even been on an airplane, and boy are they excited about it! Olivia has talked nonstop for weeks about this trip, so if you see her any time soon make sure you ask about that plane ride.
Our first week in Haiti will be spent with a team of ten people from our home church, Gardendale First Baptist (GFBC), and they have several projects planned for this time. These projects include building a new classroom at the Holy Bible School, repairing some electrical issues at the mission house, and handing out shoes to the children of the school and surrounding village. Jeremy will be spending much of that first week heading up training sessions for local pastors. This training will come out of the book of Second Timothy, and three men from GFBC will be helping Jeremy teach these sessions. We are very excited about this aspect of the trip since the pastors that we know in Petite Rivierre are wonderful men who love the Lord and their people, but lack training in how to study and preach the Bible. We pray that this training will spark initiative in these men to really dig into the text, which is so important in the dark spiritual context in which they live.
After the GFBC team leaves on Thursday, July 12th, our family will remain in Petite Rivierre for the next two weeks, spending time with the pastors and the local people of the village. We pray that this time will be well spent in discipling the nationals and learning a little more about living life on the foreign mission field. On my previous trip to Haiti I was overcome with joy whenever we had a chance to worship with local believers. Despite the language barrier, I know that we share a deep spiritual bond because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice, and that as we worship together we are able to catch a small glimpse of the throne room scene in Revelation 7:9-10: After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
We ask that you would pray for our family as we travel to a country which is so different from our own, that Christ will strengthen our ability to show grace to one another and to those around us. Pray against sickness and fatigue. Pray that the children will adjust to the rustic living conditions and the intense heat. Pray for me as I am responsible for cooking for the entire GFBC team and helping with the shoe ministry, as well as assisting with anything else that comes up. Also pray for Jeremy as he seeks to lead our family onto this temporary mission field of rural Haiti.
Our family will return from Haiti on Saturday, July 28th, then spend a couple of days in Atlanta with some friends before returning to Birmingham. We plan to update this blog once a week, as long as we can get internet access. Thank you all again for your prayers and support as we seek to make the name of Christ famous among the nations.
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:1-2
Sanders Party of Five 