Part of Connect 2 Ministries’ vision is not only to focus on the Children’s Homes and school, but also to support and equip Haitian pastors in their ministries. We do this partly by supplying food, but also by providing spiritual food and encouragement through in person training gatherings. My goal in a recent Mercy Network meeting was to get to know our pastors and spend some time in God’s Word.

We started with introductions and spent the first part of our time getting acquainted. I told the men about my family and church ministry in the States, and they told me about their families and churches in Haiti. The pastors range in age from thirty to sixty, and all of them are married with children (a few of them also have grandchildren). I asked lots of questions and learned a lot from these men about their ministries.

One thing that is true in every culture is that people are people. These men deal with the same challenges we do. A number of people in each congregation are faithful and serving, but they also wrestle with the struggles of living in unity as sinners saved by grace. All of these men seemed eager to learn from each other’s wisdom and to learn from God’s Word.

This discussion led us into the text I wanted to look at together, Ephesians 4:1–16. This passage focuses on the role of believers in the church and the purpose of the church itself. Paul, after writing three very theological and foundational chapters, starts Ephesians 4 with “Therefore,” and then proceeds to walk through what church life looks like practically. We discussed the obligation of every believer to guard the unity of the church by treating each other with humility, gentleness, patience, and love. We also discussed the fact that we are not to coerce unity, but are to guard what already exists in the universal church through the Holy Spirit.

At the end of the meeting, we invited the men to stay for lunch. I must say that I am humbled to have spent this extended time with them. They walk in some very different shoes than I do. I noticed this at lunch as we shared a meal. Some of these men only eat one meal a day, maybe two—they don’t complain though, and they are very grateful for what they have. I am humbled because I don’t worry about food or about the people in my congregation getting enough food.

I am also humbled to see how, in the poorest country in the western hemisphere, God has chosen to use poverty as a means to grow believers in their walk with Christ. There are good lessons for us to learn. God deserves our worship, and we glorify Him by giving Him honor for His work, both in Haiti and in the U.S. We certainly face challenges in the world today; may we always depend on Him, knowing that His ways are not our ways.

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.