CeCe Quinn of Grace Community Church led her church to Haiti on their second C2C trip in November of 2012.
She writes of her experience below…
I am writing from a place deep within my heart in response to the "call" on our church to partner with a church in Haiti. This call is one that I have to admit scares me. I often think about the level of responsibility our church community has been called to and I'm fearful we won't be able to answer that call. However, the Father has called us to a place of service and we trust, not in our own ability, because we can do nothing on our own, but with Christ and through Him we can and will do whatever the Father asks of us.
What spurred our congregation to partner with Church2Church? We were moving through Corinthians and started to see a clearer view of what Christ calls His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31).
If WE are one Body with many parts, then doesn't this extend beyond the four walls of our Sunday worship with one another? Doesn't this mean that our church is the same joined body of believers with His church down the road from us? What about the Body beyond our county, our state, our country? What about His Body throughout the world, our brothers and sisters in Haiti; are we not joined to them through Christ? We asked the Lord these questions and heard a resounding YES.
At this revelation that we are all one in Christ, we knew we needed to reach out to His body and uplift one another.
"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices." -1 Corin. 12:26
So thats what we chose to do – reach out. We partnered with our brothers and sisters in the name of our Lord and Savior here in Haiti. Knowing that wherever He calls, He will also equip His people with the means.
To be honest this experience has "messed me up" inside. Not only within the deepest part of my heart, but in my head as well. I have gone on a roller coaster ride of emotions watching God take those from our team and refining each of them in different ways. From Vicki's heart for the widows to Jamie and John's heart to stand in the gap for husbands and wives who are struggling to stay married. God brought specific people into their paths this trip to stretch them and grow the voice of God within their hearts. This happened over and over with those on this trip. I stood and watched with amazement at our God's showering Grace over our team. How he used our willingness to be one body to help grow those in our congregation toward their own callings.
Its hard to put into words God's expression of Love through Pastor and Madam Pastor and the translators in Haiti… WOW! They thank us and thank us and thank us for coming and blessing them, but WE are the ones blessed and humbled every time we come to serve. Why am I surprised? This was Gods intention with the Church. That we would be built up by one another. All would share in His glory and use what they have been given to exalt the name of Christ above all!
For more stories from Grace Community Church's C2C partnership, see the links below.
My name is Obed Will Arris… – The story of a Haitian impacted by the church from America.
They Ask for You – Haitian words of American people
5 Minutes of Fame – Haitian Style – Translating at Church
"I will betroth you to me forever." – The ultimate picture of the true body of Christ.
"I don't get to go to school." – The story of a little girl looking from the outside in.
