April 15, 2009 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti…[IAD Staff]
Seventh-day Adventist church administrators and staff of the church's headquarter office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti took a special afternoon off on April 2, 2009, to reach out to more than 160 families in their community.
It was all part of a special event which brought together Adventist organizations to help the neediest in the Cite Jeremie suburb with food, medical attention, and clothing.
“Our objective was to establish a closer contact with the people from this community and share with them what the Adventist Church is doing throughout the country in its four mission offices and its five institutions,” said Pierre Caporal, executive secretary for the church in Haiti. “This was also a great opportunity to show them to Jesus Christ.”
During a special program before the distribution, church leaders gathered with community leaders and presented some literature and words of hope.
Mayor of Delmas district Gael Jean congratulated church leaders for their work throughout the country and thanked them for their special program in Delmas.
“This made us think of the wonderful encounter where Jesus Christ not only offered His Gospel of salvation, but He also took care of all their needs, healing the sick and feeding the hungry,” said Mayor Jean.
The Adventist Hospital staff also joined the effort offering medical attention and HIV tests, as well as distributing hygiene kits to each family.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Haiti helped coordinate the event. ADRA also donated food boxes. ADRA Haiti director Fritz Bissereth announced that the agency would soon complete a water well in Cite Jeremie where people are in desperate need of water.
Other non-government organizations present thanked the Adventist Church for its contribution to helping others in the community.
Pastor Theart Saint-Pierre, president of the church in Haiti, thanked all those who helped and said that this was another “opportunity to preach the Gospel to the neighbors.”
The 26 church leaders and staff at the church's headquarter office are happy with the outcome of this activity and are planning to reach another surrounding community in the coming months, said Caporal.
