I remember a special morning in Haiti when all 120 children from the Children’s Homes came to church dressed in their school uniforms. Poyis had invited them to take an active role in this Sunday’s service, and they were clearly excited to participate. Five or six of the students were up front leading music along with the usual adult musicians, and the rest of the children sat in the first three pews, making one large choir of various ages.

The twenty-person secondary school choir sat in the front, and the 100+ elementary schoolers sat behind them. There were also students from the neighborhood who joined in the program, and needless to say, the whole morning brought a lot of guests to the church.

The students had been working on the program for a year, and you could tell they were ready. It was a fantastic time together. Some of the songs were in French and some were in Creole, but they put the words up on the screen so that everyone could follow along.

One of our high school girls led most of the worship, and one of the boys did a Scripture reading. At the end of the service, Johnny, one of our bright older students, preached a sermon from Matthew on “The Two Greatest Commandments.” I learned afterward that this was the first time he had preached, but I wouldn’t have guessed it—he was very well prepared.

Poyis and the school principal also spoke briefly, and Poyis closed the service with a concluding teaching from God’s Word. After the service, we took the opportunity to hang out with some of the students and thank them for their hard work and encouraging participation in the service. It was fun. Before long, the children loaded up the bus and headed back home. And home is really the word for it, because they clearly think of one another, and Poyis, as permanent members of their family. How sweet to remember that, along with many of these children, we are permanent members of God’s family, connected with more brothers and sisters around the world than we could ever count.

Wiley Kennedy serves as Director of International Ministries with Connect 2 Ministries. To learn more about Wiley, visit Who We Are, and to learn how you can make a difference, visit Join an Outreach Program.