Family & Friends,
Note: This post is part 3 of 6 in the OUR NEW VISION series. To be sure not to miss out on the progression of stories, consider subscribing to the blog as many great people have already done. (see "join this site" tab to the right to get started)
You will start to see the phrase "Finding Strength in Weakness" quite often if you follow this blog and the new mission organization we plan to launch, because it will be our motto or basic vision/mission statement which accompanies our ministry name on all publications, etc... Speaking of which, now that we have nearly reached the halfway point of this series, it is probably time to unveil the name we have chosen! Here it is...
Haitian International Missions "Finding Strength in Weakness"
Of course the strength/weakness paradigm comes from the famous scripture written by Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians (or probably at least his 3rd or 4th letter, as you Bible nerds know, but the second one in the Bible anyway):
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it (Paul's "thorn in the flesh") away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor. 12:8-10 (comment in parentheses and bold/italics added by Cory)
The first place in our lives where we started talking about how this verse applies for us personally was with the obvious application of Lynn's physical limitations, and how that struggle has sometimes allowed her to know God intimately and make Him known. She would often reference this Scripture, because as crazy and ironic as it sounds, going to Haiti allowed her to spread her wings in ministry for the first time. How is this possible, you may ask, when our family exchanged one of the most wheelchair-accessible countries for one whose roads and paths become impassable after ten minutes of rain? It was a miracle of sorts, but the people were simply drawn to Lynn and wanted to be with her. There was so much built-in ministry in Haiti for us, in and around our home, and now her role has continued with the help of Facebook, Skype, and other mediums of communication (part 5 of this series will break that down further...).
Lynn was not able to go out to the people in Haiti, but they were drawn to her, and in a country where jobs and entertainment are scarce, there was plenty of time to talk! In her weakness God was strong.
Taking a broader view, however, the main reason "Finding Strength in Weakness" has become our motto is that we have found some Haitian Christians to be the most inspiringly faith-filled people on the face of the Earth. They truly know the meaning of "weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties," as Paul describes. Haiti is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and it probably makes the top ten of all countries in the world. This country is way behind in education, economy, security, public health, and many other categories. Nevertheless, there are examples of individuals and groups of individuals following Christ with the zeal of Peter, the love of John, and the ability to suffer and persevere of Paul. As a whole Haiti is weak, but there are pockets of immeasurable strength, and we are on a mission to find those individuals and groups and partner with them in their work, because we believe this approach will lead to real and lasting transformation, both of individual lives and of the greater Haitian culture.
That will be the basic task of Haitian International Missions. We will seek out the most outstanding Christian individuals already doing great things for Haiti, and we will humbly approach them requesting the opportunity to provide them with needed resources to fulfill the vision God has placed on their hearts. This will allow them to multiply their ministry in scope and sustainability, reaching more precious lives for the glory of God. These partnerships will also create a network of accountability between various Haitian individuals and groups, and we Americans will serve as a support network of sorts, benefitting personally from exposure to the red-hot faith of these Haitians and the miraculous work of God displayed in their lives and work.
This last point taps into an even bigger perspective of what we believe God may be doing in and through the people of Haiti. This country and her people are truly unique, as the history books reveal. We have gone into greater detail previously on this blog with regard to those key events, but for the purpose of this post just know that the people of Haiti have intimate connections with various cultures around the world. Despite being around 94% "black" and of African descent, the people are a melting pot of sorts, culturally speaking. They have been exposed to African traditions of all sorts, Latin American influences, as well as the various cultures of the United States, Canada, and Europe, especially France. Haitians learn French, Spanish, and English as a part of regular school curriculum.
Above all Haitians know how to suffer, persevere, worship (passionately!) in the midst of trial, and make do with very little. That is why we believe they would be amazing candidates to be sent out to other places around the globe with the good news of Jesus Christ, and that will be our long-term dream. We hope to discover Haitian individuals to whom God has already spoken concerning this vision, and we want to partner with them, too, just as we will partner with native missionaries called to their own homeland. Thus the "international" in Haitian International Missions. This aspect of the vision was also a key part of the Bible School we tried to start previously, and somehow we can not let that aspiration go despite the fact that it will require overcoming countless unknowns in the future.
In the next installment of this blog series, "Part 4: Native-led = Spirit-led", we will introduce you to the group of individuals with whom we have begun our first partnership! We will also lay out more of the biblical basis of our ministry vision and possibly challenge you to consider some of your previous assumptions about missions.
Finally, we close with this thought...
"Finding Strength in Weakness" is also a call to all of us to radically accept and implement Jesus' example of servant-leadership. Look at what our great Lord accomplished with His life by tenderly serving the people and putting their needs ahead of His own. Yes, he was confrontational at times, and his words could be sharp. But he took up His cross and died daily for them, despite their betrayals, and that is the calling for each of us who seek to follow Him. Can we do that for those we have been asked to lead? Our culture emphasizes charisma, expertise, confidence, self-assurance, authoritativeness, and top-down leadership models. But "Finding Strength in Weakness" means charting a different course, just like Jesus did.
PRAYER REQUEST: Our process of seeking non-profit status has begun! Please pray that this will go well and be completed in a timely fashion. Believe it or not, this task is much more intimidating to us than getting lost on the mountain paths of Haiti during a torrential downpour! That sounds like fun compared to dealing with all the red tape of obtaining the 501c3 status. PRAY!
May God be strong in the midst of your weaknesses today!
-the grimm family adventurers
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