Pastor Jethro and his wife have a heart to love and serve the community of Sarazin. And because their new church building is located on the only paved road between Mirebalais and the Dominican Republic border, they have some unique outreach opportunities. 

Each Sunday morning they convert their church campus into a “coffee house” and offer free bread to anyone in who can’t afford it. Many come early and stand in line, and this simple bread ministry is vital for feeding many families in the community.

When we dedicated the new church building in Sarazin last month, our family got to see the Sarazin Coffee House in action. Despite Tropical Storm Laura and the normal Sunday coffee fellowship attendance being down because of the heavy rain, people still kept coming for bread. 

The Church in Sarazin is a great example of what it means to love our neighbors. The men and women in the Church worked very hard, milling their own grain, hauling wood, and fueling the fire in  large block ovens to bake the bread. It is a LABOR OF LOVE, all for the purpose of ultimately sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the community of Sarazin. 

As we slopped through the mud from the church building to tour the “coffee house,” we were reminded how hard even the simple things are. Because of Haiti’s tropical weather pattern, these amazing people walk in the mud for many months of the year. When we toured the new church building and went around the back of the church to access the new one-of-a-kind baptistery, we walked in the mud. When we toured the new bathroom facilities, we walked in the mud again. 

Watching the committed women and men and youth and children of the Church in Sarazin go about their normal Sunday – was so awesome. To see them serve one another in love. But it was also a practical reminder of how the rain makes everything a muddy mess as they try to give away free bread and coffee to those who can’t pay – in the hopes of sharing the love of Jesus!

As I sat in church that day, I kept thinking about all the mud. As awesome as the new church building, school classrooms, front stairs, and community water source are, it seemed incomplete as long as they still were walking in the mud. So I asked Theo (our construction foreman) for an estimate to pour concrete and sidewalks on the campus. Theo sent me this drawing and estimate. We already sent him $15,000 to pour the concrete so the Church in Sarazin can continue to offer coffee, bread, and the Gospel of Jesus! The concrete will bless the church and give dignity to these incredible families who get all dressed up for church, but then have to walk in the mud. I can’t wait to share photos and a story once the concrete is complete.