Mona would have to smile as her teaching “To be blessed, you must first be a blessing,” was being brought to fruition by her children. Not only were the kids fed, but every boy got a playground ball, every little girl got a doll, and each teenage girl received candy, a necklace, and the Gospel translated into Creole. Therein lies the hope. It is the hope we find shining in the darkest places. Therein lies the hope. It is the hope we find shining in the darkest places. It is the unexpected beauty that lies amid the garbage of the world screaming out Christ lives and Jesus is King. It is the fresh aroma of faith found even in the wisps of smoke from burning heaps. It is a hope that changed the Carter family. Pepper reflects, “Before we left, 35 orphans gathered around us and prayed for our family in their own language in the dark at five o’clock in the morning. I can’t express in words the blessing of that prayer. We felt very undeserving. We came back with much more than we took in terms of being blessed.” Cade Carter said of
that prayer, “I didn’t know what they were saying, but I knew what they were saying.” Sister Mona’s teaching came home to the Carters just like it did for the kids of Haiti. And, isn’t that how God works? Like a mustard seed that started so small, the money in the envelope grew exponentially, and a harvest of blessings was realized. Haiti will one day be a nation of buildings instead of tents. Water will again flow through the canals free of the choke of garbage. The palace will be rebuilt, and the nation will heal from the wounds of disaster. This story is a reminder that this hasn’t happened yet. Jesus still beckons to those who have to come and share with those who have not. Like the Chapmans and the Carters, if you give toward this cause, you will come away blessed in the effort. And, isn’t that how it ended in the parable of the talents for the one given a little who turned it into much? Story by Malcolm Woody 21
“Well done my Good and Faithful Servant... come and share in your Master’s joy.” Matthew 25:21