Stories From Our School of Ministry March 9TH, 2025

 I wanted to share some stories from our school of Ministry. This school is a two year program for preparing Pastors and Leaders to lead their churches in a Life giving way. Students are taught and trained to lead like Jesus. They are taught how to be good shepherds of the flock they are entrusted with. They learn to serve the people in their communities and lead people to new life in Christ, instead the ways of religion and tradition which dominates most of the existing churches in Haiti.

The students are in class five days per week. They go back to their home villages on the weekend. While in their villages they each have someone they have chosen to mentor and share what they are learning with. Each student also has activations for the time that they are back at home in their villages. An example of some of the activations would be to pray for over those who are sick, to feed the poor or to lead someone to a new life in Jesus. This June we will be graduating our first  two year class. We are very excited as we believe this school is pivotal to our ministry. As we plant new churches it is important that the pastors and leaders are all congruent in their teaching and ministering. 

Deiodinase is in her second year of the Good Shepherd school of Ministry. She is forty years old. She has been married for four years and has a child who is two years old. She has been a Christian since two thousand and seven. Deiodinase was raised in a home that practiced voodoo and witchcraft. Deiodinase shared that the demons used her father and he worked for people as a witch doctor. When Dieodinase  was young she shared that she used to dance vodoo and bring food to Satan, she helped her parents to serve the demons. She shared that satan killed him at a very young age. After her father died she said that these demons asked her to substitute her father and serve them. She refused them and said that she quickly yielded her life to Christ Jesus.

When asked how she felt about becoming a pastor or leader in Christian ministry she shared that since two thousand and thirteen  she felt God was calling her to a higher level of ministry, but she wasn't interested until she  became eighty percent blind. She told us that she could not see hardly anything and she was useless to her family. When she met Pastor Geffrard, the head of our School of Ministry, he taught and encouraged her. Then last year he encouraged her to attend the School of Ministry.

When Deiodinase was asked how her eyes are now she said  last year she struggled  to take notes and to write and study, but this year God has worked so powerfully in her eyes that she can see and do things on her own.

She shared that school has changed how she does ministry. In the past when she opened the bible to preach she used to speak about herself and her own problems but thanks to the Ministry School she has learned to speak about Jesus and him alone. She is also learning to rely on the Holy Spirit and God's power to do his job. She has realized that it is not with her own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit that she can do things for God. Deiodinase says the school motivates her to live a model life for her family and community. She shared that it is a great blessing from God, she feels that she can answer God's calling in her life.

When Deiodinase was asked, what is the difference between religion and tradition and the life giving church? She responded that there is a great difference, The traditional church is acting according to the philosophy of this world nevertheless the life giving church is driven by the Holy Spirit. It can bring sanctification, new life and so much more. When she was asked about her favorite message from Pastor Mike, she replied "The message that was talking about the lost son that came back to his family. It taught me so much and looked like my personal life. It encourages me. It is going so deep into my heart".

Acevoix is an assistant pastor. He attends first year in the School of Ministry. He is thirty seven years old. He has been married for six years. He has one child that has passed away. He makes his living as a gardener. He accepted Christ in two thousand and eight. He shared that he had  a specific dream that showed him that someone would bring the gospel to him and he received that message happily.

Acevoix was born into a voodoo and witchcraft family, He shared that he was doing things that really displeased God, but fortunately Christ redeemed him.

He first thought about becoming a pastor or leader in Christian ministry after his conversion. The Lord started giving him the desire to be a pastor, but he didn't think that it could be possible but God has made it true. He has helped lead a small congregation for the Lord for eight years. Acevoix says he thanks God for using Pastor Mike to plant this School of Ministry, it has changed his life for the better. The school through the teachings, helps him progress and is improving the way he is doing church. He shared that as a father, he has more love for his family and he fears God more. His whole church and his wife testify to the change  they see that the school has brought to his language, his behavior, as well as the fruits. He shared that he has just heard the message from Pastor Mike that asks him to take the cross and follow Jesus and to have love for others.

Acevoix says he appreciates all that is being done in the school, because it is good for both the soul and spirit. He appreciates the course entitled introduction to the Bible. When asked what's the difference between religion and tradition and the life giving gospel of Jesus? He replied,  "The life giving gospel of Jesus is the real church of Christ. God will visit this kind of church. The religion and traditional church teaches their own stuff. It's a deadly church".
 
He asked if we would pray for him to find more grace from God to help the church grow up. His wife is not healthy, she needs good health from God through our prayers. Thank you so much for partnering with us to reach the people of Haiti. 

Blessings,
Chris

Our first year class

Dieodinase

Acevoix

Another photo of our second year class

 

 

Two Testimonies

Angelor

 Hello,

We have had so many salvations lately I wanted to share a couple of testimonies with you

This is Angelor. He is 20 years old.

He is in 9th grade in the Denonville Good Shepherd School.

His mother is a Christian and his father has died. Angelor has  four brothers and three sisters.

Angelor shared that he was in the Dominican republic and when he came back, he choose to serve the Lord Jesus. He says that the church in Denonville is a  life giving congregation.

When our translator Jonas asked him about God he said" I love God. He does so many great things in my life. One time, I was bathing in a river and I almost drowned, but God rescued me and saved me from drowning. He does so many things for me" Angelor also shared "I feel the messages and prayers of the church are relevant to my life? I like the church and all its activities so much."

He shared that dark forces fight with him at night, and that he wants to have victory over them and asks for our prayers. He says that his favorite verse is Joshua 1: 8

Angelor says that he is almost a musician and that he hopes to be able to preach for the glory of God.

In so many parts of the world we take an education for granted, it is expected. In countries like Haiti it so difficult to attend school. Usually the only free schools are ones that are offered by ministries, like ours. Sometimes affording a uniform can be a problem, or that fact that there is no school in your village makes school unobtainable which is very common. Many times even if a child is able to start school, the parents need them to start helping and working at a very young age to help support the family. These reasons are why the average child in Haiti does not receive more than 5 years of school. We are so appreciative of your helping us raise the education level of the students in our villages.

This is Thalerand.

She is married and has a crippled husband, they both are serving God. She is 63 years old. She has eight grown up children. The oldest is 42 years old.

She is a new attender (member) to the Good Shepherd Church because it is  "more zealous".

Before she accepted Christ Jesus, she says that she used to run after false gods and demons for healing of her children and other requests. It is what her parents used to do when she was a little child.

Thalerand says that she is willing to serve God the best she can.

She wants prayers for healing because she has had  pain all over her body for about nine years. She shares that she needs God.

In the past she had a business but now that her husband is crippled she cannot do work. Thalerand shares that she is living thanks to the Mercy of others.

She enjoys the church and loves God. She shares her gratefulness for God's work in her life.

Thank you so much for coming along side of us and helping the people of Haiti. It is very much appreciated. Please keep Thalerand,  Angelor and others like them in your prayers.

Blessings, Chris

Some of the Bercy Children

 

Changing Lives

 Madam Maryjo grew up in the Bercy Orphanage as a young girl. She became a youth leader and eventually was asked to be the director of the Bercy orphanage. This was an overwhelming task for a young single girl with no formal training or credentials. Over the last two years this was compounded weekly by disturbances of gang activity. After hearing reports of community members being robbed, raped, and run out of their houses, and seeing them burnt to the ground, as a show of force, several times Maryjo called her organization in Florida in a complete panic asking to be relieved of her position, but each time they talked her down and told her things would be OK.

As you know, 2 months ago, it was not OK, as the orphanage was under threat of death and destruction. She called us for help. Then she came up with a plan to escape with the children, out of the back of the orphanage and then run into the hills for safety. They were extremely blessed to have made it without casualties. Madame Maryjo said they were so traumatized that even hearing the shooting from the hills scared them to death. Only when they were aboard the helicopter, on their way to The Good Shepherd Children's Village, did they begin to feel safety and peace.

Madame Maryjo says openly, that she is so grateful and pleased to be here now with all her children around her. She and the children are feeling settled in now. Things are a bit tight, but everyone is managing well. The children are going to our school and church in Marose, and they are each having a turn being checked out at the medical clinic.

On the night we were helping with the plans for the rescue we were so stressed, trying to arrange the rescue. And as Mike was praying, God told him that our spiritual influence would turn out to be a greater blessing for them than their rescue. We are beginning to see the fruit of what God said. More than half of the children and staff have given their lives to Jesus. Several have recommitted their lives to Him. And some have been healed of their sickness. Also several of the children have openly stated that they love going to school now, when they did not before.

Maryjo is being mentored by Pastor Nathan, and is also attending our Life-Giving School of Ministry.
She is so happy...Thank you for continuing to lift them up in your prayers. We so appreciate your coming alongside of us in supporting the children in so many ways.

Blessings, Mike and Chris

Madame Maryjo