Hope For Haiti

Robbie can't just jump up there. Like you know what you doing there? For those of you don't know, this is Rob long, he'd works with hope for Hades children and he was at one time these Minister here at Britton Road. And welcome back. Rub will let you get on with the sermon here, but glad to have you here today.

Good morning. It is pretty wild to think that it's been about 20 years ago. I'll tell you, as I, as I walk in. It's so good to see so many of you, and it's good to see all of you. But a few that were here, that's out time. It's really wonderful to reconnect. And I said this last year when I was here and I'm going to say it again, I'm very sorry, that Sarah, and the girls are not here with me. I know, I always feel the love. They first thing that people say is, is your wife here? And I was like, well, I'm here. I mean that's worth something or But maybe next time, they will be able to come with me but I so appreciate Rory, and the leaders here just allowing me the chance to come and share what God is doing in Haiti, of course. I so very much appreciate the many, many years of support that this congregation has provided for Hope Brady's children in some ways. It all starts right here. Hope raise children does with Ken Beaver, the founder. Of course, the son of Ron and Doris beaver and I want you to know that Doris is doing very well and Nashville. I know it's really no surprise to any of you but she is a prayer Warrior for a minute there at the place that she staying there in Nashville and she is, you got involved in church and continues to have that sort of bubbly personality that we all know. She ate about the Doris and so she's doing really well Ken and Rhonda are doing very well. They are very proud grandparents about another granddaughter had a daughter. I think just last week I believe the name is Ellie and so obviously they're beaming with pride and welcoming new granddaughter Ellie. But everybody in Tennessee is some is doing very well but appreciate so much the support that you have provided for Hope for Haiti children over the years, the other day, patiently. Britton Road has given over $230,000 for the work in a tea. That is amazing. That's not even touching those who give individually or sponsor children, might guess it would be over a half a million dollars that mean I'm a preacher preacher. So there may be a preacher, and they are, but my point is a huge investment. In Haiti has been made by this church family and I believe you are to be commended for that. Ultimately, the god should be given the credit for the way that he's worked through. You got to be such a blessing to those in Haiti. Are you go on to the next slide? and so, Thank you for the support and the care. We're going to have a lunch here in a few minutes. I'm appreciative of Lisa and Rosie now Cynthia, it was working back there as well, in the kitchen. Getting everything ready. I hope that you can join us for the lunch. And I understand that I stand in the way of an amazing Haitian meal that we're going to have. So I'll try to keep it relatively short. But for those of you who know me that's not possible that maybe a miracle. Okay? Go on to the next slide, Aaron.

Save the date May 3rd. Of next year, we're going to have another breakfast in Oklahoma City. We're going to do this one out the zoo. It's been several years since we've had a project, hope breakfast here in Oklahoma City, but we got one on the calendar and I hope want to put this invitation out. Now, of course, they'll be more details to come later, but put it on your calendar with hope that all of you can make it to our project, hope breakfast at the Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City Zoo on May 3rd of of next year. I know that's a ways out, but you can get it on there, right? We got the, we got the spot. Okay. Go on to the next slide. And A few, how do you know? There's a lot of challenges in Haiti right now but a few things that I want to make you aware of that are good news. And of course, all credit goes to God for this. We now have nurses in every one of our schools. Of course we have the 10 schools scattered among Central Haiti. It's important for us to have these nurses there to provide this medical care for the children course, we would see the children every year at our medical clinic and that was important. But one thing it would be picked up on these. These weeks that we had all of the medical workers, there is that these children had ongoing needs that needed to be dressed in a more consistent basis. And so we've met that need by ensuring that we have nurses at each one of our schools. That's a very important development. Next slide, Also, this picture is a very important. So here you have a manual. Might seal, who Britton Road, you help support him because of all of the gang activity and violence. It's been very difficult, especially if they are right in the heart of port, a prince for Christians to get together and meet at the building, the Delma 28 Church of Christ. So those in Haiti are meeting and house churches and that's what's happening here in the picture that you see on the screen, this is a group of Christians that are gathering. And I just always think about what must be going through their minds that they must be feeling if they see their country in as so much turmoil. And yet, they gather to worship spend time with communion and then in prayer, and you just see the resiliency of the Christians in this picture next slide. We also this summer, I had our teachers, all of our teachers, get some training and organization called p48. It's very expensive to do this, but we want to ensure that every one of our schools is providing an excellent education for our students, just like we expect for our children here in the United States. We expect the same in Haiti and so this past summer all of our teachers gather together for continuing education next slide, And this summer in the Britton Road car, gation I believe help with this, we were able to provide meals. So our students during the summer time don't have the same access, the food that they get when they're coming to school and obviously having school lunches. And so, we were able to purchase a significant amount of food and back to feed about 400 families this summer. What we did is we fed them the day, they came to receive their food, and then we sent them with bags of food and really other supplies that they could use help sustain themselves. I missed all of the challenges and so that was something very important next slime. And that's the kids eating. That's a lie. We also have started another program. They are to help our older students and it's his Agriculture and goat training. I guess you'd call it and it's one of the top students were given a ago. They're learning how to care for that goat. The hope is that this could help them economically. Caring for the goats and the goats out, little baby, goats whatever they're called. And some of the students are learning how to how to care for goes which is important for their sustainability as well. And students still got to go to Camp, hope. And this summer, this is really important. This is an opportunity for them to connect with Christian friends, to learn more about the word of God to learn from wonderful teachers and I'm very happy to tell you that 39 students were baptized into Christ, the result of Camp, hope this summer. And so we're very thankful for that the next line. And their baptism next to me. Not just cuz I'm in this picture but So this is when I was a youth Minister here at Britton Road and this is where my love for Haiti began. So Ron beaver in his way. As many of you remember, Ron said you need to go to Haiti and that was like go to Haiti is what he was saying. I do go to Haiti you're going 80. So I went and it changed my life course the Howards. I'll wear on that trip as well. If I remember correctly then a few years but to see the

Despair the poverty in the struggle, on the one hand, but on the other hand, to see, hope change lives in love and action. The other hand, it made a profound profound difference in my life and I would have say that's why I'm here today. Speaking to you about what God is doing, and hate it, because of that trip in 2005, I believe it was and to see God at work and such a profound way and Haiti, it truly changed my life next slime.

Next year, we celebrate 30 years of ministry. In Haiti, there's Ken and Rhonda there.

With John Sherrard El Mira mini of you've met, our new John Cena already passed away. Believe it was about eighteen months ago, now again went on this again and Rhonda went on this mission trip. And they asked John Sherrard what do you need? He said, we need to get these kids educated and soak in and Rhonda said we'll do. Okay. How can we, how can we help me set it? We it's very expensive for education. Schools are not great. There only 10% of the schools in Haiti are public and so most kids do not have the opportunity to go to school because it's private is it's very expensive and from there they began the sponsorship program where Christians in the United States, could find these educational opportunities for the children and Haiti. It all started with the vision of Ken and Rhonda. And next year we get to celebrate 30 years of God working in a mighty way in Haiti. Next five, please. So yeah, there's you can see there on the screen, some of the headlines, right now of of Haiti, it is bad news. Lots of bad news. I heard the other day. There were any in Port-au-Prince which has a population of a little over two million there. Have been three hundred and eighty thousand people that have been displaced from their homes. So what they call these folks is in country refugees, meaning they left the city to go find safer places to live. So you already think about a country that is rock with poverty and despair and just imagine now how it is for them as they've been displaced and trying to find food access to clean water job opportunities in. So a country that was already in a difficult situation has gotten worse over the last couple years. There is a lot of bad news in Haiti right now, but there Also good news. Not what I want to share with you for the remainder of our time. Next live, please. Shawn Martin. Our rotations are on are on the edge. Every other person is now hungry. Rising hunger. Is fueling the security crisis. That is shattering the country. We need urgent Action, Now crisis situation, in Haiti next, slide Aaron, In Mark, chapter 1. Verse 40. We know someone who is experiencing their own personal crisis. If you will Mark, 1 verse 40 and a leper came to him to Jesus and pouring him and kneeling said to him if you will you can make me clean moved with pity. He stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him I will be clean and immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. Now you imagine for this leper, The pain that he must have been feeling as a result of his disease. Leprosy course. We knew that know that it did Terrible Things to the hands the arms even to the face would bring great discomfort to people but I don't want you just to think this morning about the physical pain that this man would have been experiencing because of this disease. But think also of the emotional pain that he would have been experiencing having to be disconnected from friends, and family and those in the community, remember that? Lepers were supposed to call out unclean unclean. So people would know that they're coming and they would stay away from them. Is so for this man, it had been a lot of bad news, a lot of pain and discomfort, he was experiencing a personal crisis, until Jesus. And upon this Encounter With Jesus, everything would change for this man. Next slide. I want to focus on this phrase. Moved with pity. So the Greek word here is splack mysterious, I'm not going. Even try to say that again.

but, it means having been moved with compassion, This this word it comes from which means deep inside. Powell's entrails. And so Upon Jesus meeting this man, we're told that he feels something deep within next.

Carrie Hahn says, about compassion compassion is being moved in the affections of our inner being. When we see the distress of others, coupled with a subsequent Elder movement of action, in which we seek to alleviate that distress out of love for God and love for Neighbor Next time. And so, what we see with compassion is this idea of first being deeply moved, but then it's Carrie Hahn, but sit, it's, there's, there's a movement of action wanting to alleviate that suffering, and that's what compassion is its being moved. Yes, but it's also been doing something to alleviate the suffering of the one that moved you in the first place, then from there next slime. Compassion generates hope.

For this leper, we read about in Mark chapter 1. As I said, his life was turned around a 180 as a result of his Encounter With Jesus receive an experience hope as a result of what Jesus does for him compassion. Generates whole hope is the anticipation of Good. Hope is the sense that there is a better future more opportunities reason to get up in this idea of hope it's important in our context here in Oklahoma City, that and then where we live. It's it's important. Our contacts with those that we work with the neighbors that live nearby is all of us, need hope. And many of those that we encounter, don't have it. I'm talking here locally or globally in places, like Haiti it starts. With this move within us, I would even say it starts in seeing those who are in need from there being moved and then doing something to alleviate the suffering of others. Want you to remember that compassion generates next slide in. Okay, this is random.

Pink Converse. In talking about compassion and hope. Why would I show you this picture? Sew-in in 2012, Tonya Hines, who is the vice president? Of Hope Brady's children has been with hope raise children for 20 years. Now, she tells about a time that she was in Haiti with about 40 other people and they were doing these mobile health clinics, going to various schools to do various checkups. And well, checks for the students, there was one young girl who kept trying to get into the school as they were doing these. Well checks, this girl was not supposed to be in the school. In fact, they kept escorting her out of the school, but then they turn around. And here, she would be back in there at the time, the little girl was, was, was dirty and sad, all she was wearing was underwear and somebody. Truly seeing that girl and being moved by what they said. In that group said I want to do something for her. And so she said, when this girl starts school, I want to be her sponsor. They had to find out more about the girl of course. It's okay. Y'all pay her parents. I'll can we ensure that she comes to this local school? Come to find out, she didn't have parents, she was being cared for by her grandmother but Tanya and some others did their best to stay connected to this little girl through the local church next, slide. Aaron This is the little girl. Her name is Angeline Joseph. Forward, 5 years. again, a group from Hope Rady's Children was out that school, and they were doing some well checks, Little girl comes in. Vangeline. Tanya recognizes her.

Now she's cleaned up, you can tell she has a sense of purpose and sense of Joy about her. During that time, though. There was some protest in, for those of you been in Haiti, this will not surprise you. If there was some protests that were happening outside the streets outside of that school, they didn't get to see all of them. All of the kids Angeline, was there in the building, but they had to go and they had to go fast some of the leaders hfhc and Queens. On yourself, for saying, we've got to go, it's getting dangerous here. We got to leave the area, little Angeline was distraught. You see when they do these medical clinics that give the kids a little goodie bags on the calculator pencils and hygiene supplies. I have some shoes as well.

The shoes that Angeline were wearing at that time. We're not very good. And so as they start packing everything up, this little Angeline runs over to Tanya and grabs her and act like you're not leaving Tanya. It's like we've we've got to go, she looked down and she saw the shoes. And one of the things that the girl said and course with the help of a translator, you got the message that message the girl said. I want some shoes. So Tanya looked over to where they had some of their supplies and she noticed there was some little pink shoes. She thought those would be perfect. Now, what she remember, they're trying to get out of the building and so Tanya runs over gives the girl, the little pink shoes and expects that the little girl is going to to run out. Ask Tanya and the others run out as well. But the little girl goes and she sits down she takes off the shoes, she's wearing and she begins to put the pink shoes on and I have kind of thinking, it's time to go. Let's go. But then it hit Tonya if this little girl just walks out with these shoes. Right now, tell things are somebody's going to take those shoes and so she was so pleased with those shoes and wanted to keep them so badly that even though they're trying to get out of the building, he stops she takes off the old shoes and she puts on the new ones. Next, slide Aaron. There's this little girl again next slime.

Want you to notice her face the smile? There she is. With Tanya? She's doing really well. Those shoes, those little pink shoes didn't just drop out of the sky into that school. They got there somehow they got there from supporters here and the United States, not to us, we just think, okay? We could just go to the local shoe store and pick some of those up. No, big deal. Not quite as simple for little kids in Haiti, but I got to see firsthand what that meant to her, but she also got to see. This is the point I really want to make. She also got to see how much do you value something so simple, like that in part, because she knew she could lose it so quickly. How blessed we are in the United States that we don't have to think about things like that. But also, what responsibility we have to a be moved by what we see and then Do something about it, alleviates the suffering of others and Angeline. I'm told continues to do. Well, she is finding hope next slide. Aaron Now, there she is one more time. Okay, next slime. Okay, golden ticket. So we go from Pink Shoes. Their golden ticket. What is this about?

I don't orphanage in cazaux where 60 children live.

They receive on a daily basis. Multiple nutritious meals. They have wonderful Christian leaders, they have the opportunity to receive a wonderful education. They're connected with a wonderful church family there and Cazale. They have clean bedrooms very nice facilities. They even have a playground.

The what we realize is that, yes, they're orphans and yes they had many hardships in their life by. in a way, they received a golden ticket by being able to live at the orphanage there because of all of those things that they do receive next, slide, The picture of several pictures of the Cuzzo orphanage nextlight Aaron.

This is a little boy. That is looking through a wall. There's a hole there into the orphanage property and the kids at the orphanage there and cuz those say that this happens, only that the kids in the community will look into the orphanage and the kids the Haitian kid there at the Guzzo orphanage, say they lookin so longingly because they actually want to be where we are. That's hope. It has been offered and so we say it's like they received the golden ticket. Yes, life is hard whether at the orphanage or in the community but for them they have this Wonderful environment Christian environment in which to grow up and they're finding. Hope there are over a million orphans in Haiti. But those 60 that are out at our orphanage are receiving, such a wonderful education and opportunity for a future next slide.

This is Valerie one of our preachers preachers for the Tom Izzo Church of Christ. Valerie along with a few other ministers several years ago. Said we want to go up the mountain and see the community's up there. Why were they so curious about who live up the mountain from them, they'll will they put in a well at the Tom Izzo property where there's a church and school? But I do well there, and after doing that, these people will trickle down from the mountains. Sometimes walking several, my treacherous terrain, terrain to go and receive that clean water from that. Well, that have been installed. I hope Rady's Children and so Valerie and some other ministers, that young man named rule. Eat being one said, we need to know more about the people that are up there on the mountain. The one morning 5:30 in the morning, they wanted to leave was still dark. So it wasn't too hot. They made that treacherous climb up the mountain to them for hours. They came to a community up there called Trudeau. Lots of people up there, I didn't know about Jesus didn't know about the hope of the gospel and they said we are going to we're going to tell these people about Jesus in the hope it comes through him. And so they set up a a little tent up there and kind of like a little gospel meeting, they brought some us, some juice, and some bread up there, for the kids and the kids came out of the woodwork and they started teaching the kids. It was a man up there, an elderly man you said after they had made this trip several times with me, with the Christians are with the people up there. He said you know, I love what you're doing here. Said, you need a better place to meet. So we took a little piece of this property where there was a garden he said you can have this space to meet and do his ministers. They going up there and they took some supplies and they built themselves. A little building kind of makeshift building. Do I go on to the next slide there? And I think this one is it? Yeah, they eventually build this building. People start coming to Christ or baptized, in fact.. 18 months ago. I said we need another baptistry. Our other one has worn out. How about that? How cool is that? And they said we need a communion slide, slide communion supplies. We have so many Christians. We need more supplies. I'm not a wonderful problem to have but get this Tom Izzo, maybe 45 minutes or so outside of port, a prince games took over that area like much of central Haiti. Those Christians in Thomasville felt the need to flee. Remember I said all those people in France or displaced happened to Tom Izzo as well? Yes we're all those Christians from Thomas went to find Refuge. They went about four hours up the mountain to a community called Trudeau, where there were Christians, they were ready to meet them and care for them. And they slept in that building right there on the property of a man who said not a Christian man. But his man is said, I love what you are doing here, you're making a difference in our community. Here is this piece of property, this can be yours. There are still several Christian from Tom Izzo that are there because it's not quite safe enough. Yet to head back down the mountain, to tomasone what I thought, when I heard really eat tell that story. I thought about, Scripture where it talks about God going before the people. God was going to forward those Christians and Tom Izzo Paving a way for them to find Refuge that is hope next line Erin. Compassion generates, hope next time. Okay, so

How can you help today is Orphan Sunday? Been rode for so many years has been so generous and caring for the least of these in Haiti. And today I know the contribution is going to go to help those who are in need in Haiti. I do pray, the compassion that you feel for a Haiti will We'll move you to act specifically today and giving financially but then by that these children are finding hope. There was an interesting conversation that we've had recently amongst going to Hope Rady's Children in it. You know, there's there's a lot of them refugees in the, in the United States and we want to be welcoming to them and care for them with Christian Compassion, of course. But we envisioned, I'm going to make this very clear. We envision eye Haiti, Where people can flourish they can live with hope. They can live with opportunities. They can live knowing there is a better. There's better opportunities for them. They can live in a place where they can raise their kids receive a good education and know that they could have a good job to care for their their families. That's what we do. What we do your Jesus, and the Lord's prayer that we are to pray. Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. I would say your will be done in Oklahoma City as it is in heaven because God's people are compassionate in that compassion, generate the hope of Heaven, God's will be done in Haiti as it is in heaven because God's people are compassionate in our compassion. Generates Heavenly Hope weather is in Oklahoma. Or whether it is in the country of 80. So you have the opportunity to help in a very tangible way. Today by giving God the next slide and I think there's one more Every gift, this hasn't always been the case. But every gift that's given today, I will be doubled, the match dollar-for-dollar, been very generous donor that said that this is what he wants to do to inspire giving him because he cares so much about this work about the sponsorship, I do, I did bring some sponsorship cards today at pictures of kids. So I brought kids with me pictures of kids with me on the next to bring any Haitian children with me. That, that would be a very powerful just to have them up here on the stage, but I did bring some with me. If today you're interested in sponsoring the job. I know many of you already do. That is very much appreciated though. Perhaps today you moved to help. I brought some with me, I'll be out there in the for year after the service. If you want to find me and I hope that you will stay for the meal. I know that be wonderful food, absolutely wonderful food. It'll be great. Fellowship is well, Remember this church family and that is that compassion, Christian Compassion. It generates hope imma be so clear.

Our only hope I'm talking about mine. I'm talking about yours comes as a result of our compassionate God.

We had our own sickness. I just like that leper, sin sickness and God mood, with compassion, sent his son to die for us. Is that a Tony sacrifice? And to be raised, praise God for that so that we could be filled and have hope Eternal hope. And that is an indestructible, hope. No one can take that from her. That's been given to us by God himself. Maybe you don't know that help today and you want to find out more while we're going to send an invitation song here in a moment and you want to come to the front end and learn more about that whole. Maybe today, you're ready to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God and be baptized to him to come out of those Waters New Creation knowing the hope of Heaven. Do you have any needs it? All you can come forward now, as we stand and continue to worship our amazing God.