A higher mission: Church spreads God’s word in Haiti

“As Christians, God has called us to preach and teach his word and that’s not just local-that can also be international,” said Blaine Storm, a member of the Haiti mission team from New Salem Baptist Church.

On June 1, a group of 11 from New Salem Baptist Church made their way to Guitton, Haiti to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Nine of the 11 were going on their first foreign mission trip, with one going on her very first mission trip.

“I’ve never got to experience a mission trip before and that’s something I’ve always been interested in,” said Caitlin Mason. “While at church camp, I got to learn more about missions and I thought ‘well, I can do that too’ and I was fortunate enough to hear about the Haiti mission trip and the Lord made a way for me to go.”

Storm and Alyssa Adams, who have experienced several local and out-of-state mission trips, said the experiences they had on other mission trips is what fueled their desire to go to Haiti.

Adams had been on several mission trips to Cleveland, Tennessee, where she worked with children at the Boys and Girls Club.

“I knew I would get to experience that but on a different level,” she said. “Those kids are in need but in Haiti, it’s a completely different level of need.”

Greg Deaton, Pastor at New Salem Baptist Church, was one of the two people on the trip who had already experienced two mission trips in Haiti, with this trip making his third.

“The people and their love for the Lord is what keeps me going back,” he said. “It’s amazing to see that, under grave circumstances, they find love and they find acceptance and they find a way of doing the best they can with what they have-they’re thankful for what they do have. I think that’s what drives me to keep going back there each time I can.”

Not a single day in Haiti was the same for the group of 11, as some days were spent just loving on the children of Guitton.

“We did something different every day,” Adams said. “We just kind of went day by day.”

Adams said that throughout the week the group did whatever work they could find to do such as handing out rice and beans to families, painting the inside of a church and visiting an orphanage.

Kendall Deaton said that the experiences she had in Haiti helped to change her perspective and has helped her to be more thankful for what she has.

“When we were handing out the rice and beans to the community and how thankful they were for a little tiny bag of rice and beans for a family of seven,” she said. “I have a family of five and if my mom came home with a little grocery bag, I would be very dissatisfied.”

Many of the members in the group left behind the shoes on their feet and the clothes off their backs for the people of Haiti, returning home with smaller suitcases and fuller hearts.

When asked if they would be going back to Haiti, it was a unanimous “yes.”

“Once you’re there and you kind of have to live the way that they do, it gives you a love for it,” said Adams. “You have that urge to go back.”

“You see those kids who have absolutely nothing-it was just a constant joy to be around the Haitian people and it just filled me up with Christ’s love even more,” said Kendall. “If I can continue to go and be a part of that and see the growth in especially the schools-that would be awesome to go back.”

Storm and Mason both agreed that all Christians should be given the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus by going on a mission trip.

“It’s just a really cool experience in your Christian walk if you’re able to do a mission trip,” said Mason.

“Don’t hold back if you feel like God is calling you to do it,” said Storm.

The group is already making plans to go back to Haiti again next year.

“We are making plans to go back in June again next year,” said Greg. “When we go back, we hope to see a continuing of growth of ministry that we have started there in Haiti with working with kids and making an impact on some of the new areas of ministry that have started in Haiti.”

If you would like to be involved in helping to reach the people of Haiti, contact New Salem Baptist Church at 606843-7802.