Each time I travel to Haiti, we have a half-day pastors meeting. This is an important part of the ministry at C2M, and it’s always a highlight of each trip for me personally. Greg, Poyis, and I are investing in these pastors because we believe that the best way to help Haitians is by sharing the gospel generally, and traininging men in Haiti specifically to love Jesus and be used by Him to disciple and grow the church. The problems in Haiti will not be solved by human solutions. Government, education, business, and humanitarian efforts will not ultimately help: only Jesus Christ can. It is for this reason that I meet every month with these men.

Today, eight of the twelve Mercy Network pastors were able to come. These men have an understanding of suffering and difficulty that I can’t relate to. Some of them live in communities that are ruled by gangs. One of them travels two hours to be with us. All of them are poor. Most of them eat one meal per day and sometimes two. Only one of them has a working car. I found out today that almost all of them also have a higher education. They are all teachable and eager to learn. They are hungry for fellowship and encouragement. All of them are eager for the Lord’s return and experience suffering. They are amazing, and I am truly blessed to be able to spend time with them and teach them from the Bible.

Today, I focused on what the Bible says about the heart. The topic resonated with these men as some of them shared their struggle with teaching their people, yet feeling that their sermons fall on deaf ears. We were able to talk through ways to change their own focus through personal discipleship and personal engagement with individuals.

I could tell that by the end of our meeting, these men were encouraged and ready to go back into battle. I look forward to seeing them again in one month—their faithfulness to ministry grows my own faith and love for the Lord.

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.