Monday

The team was up early and ready to get going. We ate a nice breakfast, spent some quality time together as a group, and started loading the van so that we could be on the road first thing—and then, the van wouldn’t start. Over the span of about half an hour, I watched the Haitian world and the American world collide. The Americans were antsy to start the day, and the Haitians were rolling with the circumstances. When Poyis arrived, he stopped a moment, put his hand on my shoulder, and kindly said, “Wiley, the Haitian country doesn’t open until 8:00 a.m.” I loved this good-natured remark—it was a great reminder for us. Slow down; everything will be okay.

When you spend any amount of time with Poyis, you see right off the bat that he is friendly. He is a big guy with an even bigger smile. As we drove, he filled the ride with talking, laughter, and was constantly interacting with people from the community. With his window open, he would see someone on the side of the road—walking, or in the doorway of a shop—and yell out a greeting to them. They all yelled back. He offered rides to countless people, stopped to help a couple of schoolchildren, and ran into a number of folks who seemed to be his long-time friends.

When we arrived at the compound, Poyis immediately went to find our three ladies who had been organizing children’s clothes. He asked them to lay out any baby clothes so that he could give them to the forty moms who’d brought their babies in for shots. It’s hard to describe the looks on their faces when he told them they could each take a couple of items—for free, as a gift. I’m always encouraged by acts of generosity like this one; it reminds me of the lavish love of our Savior. Pastor Poyis is truly a light in his community. He understands what it means to love because he understands the gospel.

After my time at the clinic, I called Greg to check in and discuss how best to manage some aspects of our team’s work. We traded thoughts on ministry in Haiti and our ongoing work in the U.S.; I am so thankful to be on this journey with him and glad that we can continue our work despite significant physical distances. Ministry is rewarding but challenging, and we need God’s grace to navigate some of the twists and turns, even as we see His provision each day. He truly does meet our needs.

Watch for the next part of this series coming to the blog soon.

Wiley Kennedy serves as Director of International Ministries with Connect 2 Ministries. To learn more about Wiley, visit Who We Are, and to learn more about how you can pray for the ministry, visit Pray.