Blessed Hope International Mission, Inc.

&
Chaplains for Christ International Mission

Caribbean Mission
Trip to Haiti
The Call:
By the grace of God we had the privilege to visit the country of Haiti between the
dates of May 30 and June 5, 2009. It was an answer to an email received
through our website, but not only that, we believe it was an
answer to the call of God for us to visit Haiti. Brother
Constantin received an email from a pastor with which there
was no previous contact. Previously we made plans to go to
El Salvador, but the doors did not open for ministry there.
The Spirit of God in pulsed Constantin’s heart to go to Haiti.

Introduction to Haiti:
Haiti is located in the Caribbean on the island called Hispaniola and it shares it
with a wealthier neighbor: the Dominican Republic. It is the most densely
populated and the poorest country in the West Hemisphere. After
Columbus discovered the island in 1492 it became a Spanish Colony.
The hard work and new diseases brought by the Spaniards killed most
native Indians: Arawaks. In 1697 it became a French colony and it
brought more wealth to the French empire then India to England.
Slaves imported by the hundreds of thousands from Africa did most of
the work. The atrocious treatments of the slaves lead to a revolt that
resulted into an independent country called Haiti in 1801. It was the first
independent black republic.

The revolution wrecked Haiti's economy and it was succeeded by years

of strife between the light-skinned mulattos who had all the wealth and
the majority black population. Later dictatorships and AIDS epidemic
caused more havoc to the weak economy and specially the tourist
industry. From 1904 to 1941 Haiti accepted U.S. customs receivership and the
presence of US Marines brought stability. US left Haiti just to return in 1994 as
the leaders of the UN keeping forces that reestablished democracy and peace.
In 2000, the UN keeping forces left only to go back in 2004 during a full blown
armed revolt. The revolt was followed by Hurricane Jeanne, which ravaged Haiti
and killed 2,400 people. 2008 brought multiple hurricanes that destroyed parts of
the country and killed hundreds.

Literacy rate is less then 50%, 60/1000 babies die and people live on average 57
years. The Catholic population of 80% is decreasing with the Protestant
believers increasing rapidly, but more than 50% of the country still participates in
Voodoo practices.
Our Trip:

We read in the book of Acts that the disciples of Jesus Christ acted as
they received guidance and leading from the Holy Spirit. This is true today as it
was at that time because God is the same yesterday, today,
and forever. This trip to Haiti was a proven testimony that the
Holy Spirit empowers, gives guidance to all that obey Him. In
Acts 16 we read that Paul was led through a vision to go and
help people from Macedonia. The same Holy Spirit that
worked then, impulsed my spirit when I received an email
from pastor Joseph Jules Jasmin who I never heard of or met
before. I sensed in my spirit an urge that I need to go there
on the day of the Pentecost. I did not understand all this guidance but by faith in
God, I rushed to buy the tickets and made all the arrangements to arrive there
before the Pentecost day.
When I arrived at the airport on May 31st and our contacts waited for us in
a 4Runner truck and we headed to Gonaives. We arrived in a city close to
Gonaives around midnight and rested that night. On Sunday morning, the day of
remembrance of Pentecost, we left early in the morning to reach the church
service at New Covenant Christian Church in Gonaives, Haiti. The church was
located in an area that was greatly affected by last year’s hurricane storm. Even
the old church was demolished and now the church held a service in a rented
home. The leaders of the church welcomed us and the pastor who speaks Creol,
French and English, introduced us to the church and translated our message.
The church was established and founded a couple of years ago. They
were very open and sincere people. They worshiped God with all their
hearts and know His Word but they did not have experience of the
event of Pentecost, which means manifestation of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit.
There we were on that special day to inspire them and teach
them that the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit can be real to
them as it was real for the disciples of Jesus in the upper
room. There I could understand why God prompted us to go
there on that special day because God knows their spiritual
desires and needs. We prayed with them and asked them to
seek the Lord’s face and not give up until the Lord Jesus will
baptize them all in the Holy Spirit. The pastors and leaders
were touched by the message and a fire burned in their
hearts. After the church service, we went to the local prison
from Gonaives City. The deacons had already purchased cold
drinks, food and hygienic products for about 300 inmates with
the money that we gave for that purpose from the mission. We
arrived at the prison that was surrounded by United Nation
police from Pakistan that was very friendly to us and to the local
people. One prison cell had about 140 inmates. We ministered
to them from the Word of God, prayed for them and
encouraged them to seek the Lord; the only way, truth, and life.
Some of them were very sick and laid down at the gate of the
prison with wounds on their bodies which broke our hearts. We
ministered to about 300 inmates and about 6 guards and gave
 them goods and food. In the afternoon we visited pastor
Jasmin’s family and gave them a love offering.
In the morning, we visited the part of the city that was very
devastated by the hurricane. Families that lost their homes or
had their homes with many feets of mud lived there in less damaged homes. We
prayed for them and encouraged them to seek the Lord who can help them and
keep them healthy. We see the youth’s desire and need to have a school in that
community but we could not accomplish that need. Instead we prayed for them
and asked that God would supply them with a school because many of them
were completely illiterate. They looked at us as an answer to their needs but we
told them we are simply messengers to show them that God cares for them and
loves them. At night, we had an evangelist service in open air outside the church
and invited all the people in the area to come. Over 100 people and children
attended and listened to the messages and worship team.
Tuesday morning, we had a seminar where we presented the
chaplains for Christ materials for inspiration and information
about jail ministry to provoke them to reach people in the
prison. Also, another part of the seminary was a presentation
of the Holy Spirit baptism and manifestation. The purpose of
this was to ignite the fire in them and especially in the leaders
and pastors that they might continue the ministry with passion
and full of the Holy Spirit. After the seminar, we visited pastor Jean
Inera’s home and prayed for his family. We had an evangelistic
meeting at night at the church of Marose where Jean Inera is pastor. It
was a blessed night where God presence manifested in that crowd of
adults and many children. They were singing to God with all their heart
in the same way that the crowd was singing when Jesus entered
Jerusalem. Jesus said, “...Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you
have perfected praise?” [Mathew 21:16]
Early Wednesday morning, we drove to visit the prison
of St. Marc in the state of Artibonite, Haiti. There we went
from cell to cell to minister to about 250 inmates and guards.
We purchased about 148 bibles and distributed to them along
with other necessary products. The guards and director of
the prison were very friendly and invited us to come again.
There were a few inmates that committed to change their life.
One of them was a young boy and he stayed there for 4 years and now
they want to release him but there was an amount of money to be paid
and I asked the director of the sum and if it was true. He answered, “If
$60 can be paid this inmate can be free today.” And so we freed him. A
former chaplain was also incarcerated for another sum of about $2,800
but we could not honor that and the director said the sum is only to set
him free sooner, and not a requirement. This reminded us about our
salvation, we were all prisoners of sin; deserving eternal punishment, but Jesus
came and paid the penalty for the wages of sin. We don’t have to suffer the
consequences of our sin, because Jesus has paid for it so that we can be free
and whom the Son makes free, is free indeed. “For the redemption of their soul
is precious, and it ceases forever” [Psalm 49:8]
After this we headed to the capital of Haiti, Port Prince. At Port Prince,
George and Fanuel Greab lodged at a hotel built by an American Missionary. I
continue my trip to Jacmel, Haiti. In this area, brother Ionel Negrila from
 Sacramento was involved with R.A. Ministry in helping churches this
area. I met with him in 2000 when he told me about this mission. Now
the time came and I remembered that his heart was moved with
compassion to help churches in Haiti. In my time of preparation for the
Haiti mission, I contacted him and he gave me some contacts in
Peredo, Jacmel but he did not have the names or phone numbers. So we
contacted the local pastor from Jacmel and he researched for us and found the
women pastor (that was about 60 years old when brother Ionel Negrila was
involved) was still alive. The church was named by Ionel Negrila “The Remnants
of the House of David” and is still in function today. On the way over
there I encountered road problems due to the mountain area. Our car
broke down just before reaching Jacmel. Pastor Sanon Medid of
Agape Church from Jacmel answered our call and came with a
mechanic and towed our car. On that night pastor Sanon brought us to
his home where we had dinner. After dinner, Pastor Sanon engaged
himself to bring us to Peredo (a village in the mountains). The road
was flooded just before we reached Peredo and we got stuck in the
water around midnight where I told the pastor to turn around. Unfortunately, we
could not see the church in Peredo for which purpose pastor Ionel Negrila gave a
love offer of $200 to help the orphans in that church. But I gave the money to
pastor Sanon Medid and he was going to go back when the weather permitted
and complete the task.
Early in the morning around 4 am, we left Jacmel now with Pastor Sanon
Medid our driver to Port Prince where our flight departed at 11 am. His car broke
down on our way to Port Prince and we had to hitch another ride to catch our
flight. A small caravan vehicle stopped and took pastor Jasmin and I to the
airport. I arrived there just in time to check in and the other two team members
came at the same time from Port Prince where they stayed overnight.

Conclusion:
The results were worth all of this effort. Our Lord said in Matthew 25:40, “I tell
you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you
did for me”. Although the rest of the world may view the poor as the least among
us, they are precious in God’s sight. Psalms 138:6 says “Though the LORD is on
high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar”.

As we look upon the needs of the poor in Haiti and around the world, the size
and scope of the problem appears overwhelming. But there are those who do
not forget that we serve an all-powerful and sovereign God. We know His heart
and passion for the “least” among us, and we simply need to follow Him and trust
Him for the results. He has provided the means; it is our job to act. And, we look
forward to great things in the days ahead as we witness the fruits of our
obedience to “make disciples of all nations”.

Please join us in our support for Haiti and remember that “He who is kind to the
poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs
19:17)
 Impact: Letter from Gonaives

“Hello Rev. Constantin

Greetings from Gonaives, Haiti. Today, I am very happy to write you and
tell you : your visit in Haiti is a blessing from God for my country Haiti, specially
the City of Gonaives. After your visit, last Sunday, 5 people added to the Church
in Gonaives. We appreciate the work you and your group have done in Haiti.
Before I started the church in Gonaives, I did work in Church called:
Dessalines Church of Christ .The leaders of this church don't believe in the
manifestation of the Holy Spirit, they even says: someone cannot be baptize in
the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Sometime they get confused
among them. That was one of the reason l did oblige to leave them. Now I can
tell you that, it is God by His Holy Spirit who lead you to come in Haiti to help us
to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in Gonaives, Haiti.
Since you came in Gonaives I feel the Presence of the Holy Spirit in my
heart who give me a big desire to go and reach people to the Jail and
everywhere for Christ. I would like you pray and continue to pray the Lord for me
and my church and so that the Lord can continue to be with us, help us to live a
Holy life and make a difference in the Community of Gonaives, Haiti. Also, I
would like my Church become a part of your Pentecostal Church because me
Pastor Joseph I believe in the day of Pentecost.
I would like to learn more about the word of God, specially the
manifestation of the Holy Spirit, the day of Pentecost .In this case, if you know
any kind of seminaries or trainings who could be good for Pastors or Preachers,
please, if it is possible, help me to have them and so that I could have enough to
share to the Church of the Lord and to the others.
I send Hello to you and all your family and to all Blessed Hope
International Mission team. Thank You!
May God bless you and continue to bless you and mission team.
Sincerely in Christ:
Pastor Joseph Jules Jasmin