| Clarity |
Dear friends, Someone asked us recently, “Where is Mercy League going?”
Our response was, among other things… “Mercy League is
two things in its essence. First it is the church being the
church, and second, it teaches people how to be the church.” 
What do I mean by that? Ok… I don’t know how “religious”
or sensitive to the concept of Christianity you are, but I need
to inform you that much of the North American church persona
is a misnomer. (That’s a tongue twister). I could step up onto my
soap-box and begin a superfluous rant into all the problems of
the church today… but rather, let me point you to how the Church
began: All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including
the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles
performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the
believers met together in one place and shared everything they
had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the
money with those in need. They worshiped together at the
Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and
shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while
praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And
each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were
being saved. ~ Acts 2
It has always been the world against the church; it is the system
of the world to be about me, my needs, and my contentment.
Some people say that the primary goal of North Americans
is to “live a painless life if ease.” I tend to agree. Many people ask
why we do what we do. The answer: because we never again
want to fall asleep, enticed by the charms of Canada and the
United States. It is a really comfortable place to live… all of us
individualists building our personal kingdoms. The church is all
about Christ, who teaches about selflessness and self sacrifice
because of the hope we have in eternity. Instead I see a North
American church that is empty on Super Bowl Sunday, and
full on Easter Sunday. Even that is a misnomer, because
as if being somewhere on a Sunday morning is what Christianity
is all about. It is a lifestyle of love that permeates every part of
your life. It is about giving and receiving nothing back. It is about
losing in this world and winning in the next. It is not about getting
what you deserve… it’s about not getting what you deserve. …living a life of gratitude toward God |
Mission in Haiti
I have been sharing with people about Matthew chapter 28. The end of the chapter has one of the most famous missionary texts of all time regarding world missions. It is the standard text that missionaries use when they are sharing about their desire to go to country X and “spread the gospel.” Post-modern missions have changed the way they characterize their role on the foreign field. We hear more and more about building clinics, schools, feeding programs and the like. Is that the role of missions? Are we a welfare program for the world? This has given me much thought as of late. One helpful perspective on the topic of secular humanism as related to the Word is here: Listen Here
Painting of Rural Haitian MarketWhich is better, to put food, shelter, clothing in the hands of people who need it, or to train up people to be the church… which in turns trains their people how to live in communion with each other so that no person has need. This was the design of the earliest church. What changed it? We firmly believe that the best way to help a developing country is to make disciples who do the work of the church for their own people. The Church takes care of the widows and orphans, but all within the context of the Church.
What if a man gambles away all of his salary and leaves his children to suffer. Is it the role of the church to give him money to feed his family, or to encourage him to care for his family? Does it mean that we do nothing for the children? Of course not, but too many times in missions, nothing is ever done to apply pressure on the families to change the pattern of their lives to one that will create blessings and opportunities for families. Men who have 11 children with 5 different women create more than economic problems. Children need the love of a father and mother, but how. This is the role of the church… to take in the fatherless and the widow, and to change the hearts of the fathers.
Our goal for Haiti is to disciple young people from Haiti and to build the true church. We have plans to use the church to reach the needs of the people within the local community. We also have plans to create a sustainable program so that we are not a burden on the N.A. Church. This will include a program for international students to study alongside their Haitian counterparts. We will begin in August in Port-Au-Prince.
Crow High School
Crow High School Tap TapThe “Tap Tap” is operational! So far the Crow-Cougar-Mobile has transported many volunteers to medical clinics, building projects and an orphanage. We have hauled tones of food supplies, doctors, nurses, medical supplies. One medical team was credited with saving the life of a young mother. You have made a difference already. Do you see what it means to take action locally and watch as it has far reaching effects for good half a world away? Your participation matters!
The Tap-Tap hasn’t been able to have its full cosmetic makeover yet… because it has been too busy working and helping, but we have already paid for the paint job and the remainder of the work in the back of the truck where people sit. More Crow students are planning to come to Haiti this summer. We will make them sign the truck with their grad year etc… here are some pictures of the truck as it is.
Shane and Kristie Moving to Haiti
The Mattenley Family
July 31 is the estimated date of departure. They have less than three months to raise enough support to live and work in Haiti. There will be many burdens upon them as they start out in a country with such great need. The cost of living in Haiti is very expensive. Most decent houses are more than $1000 per month with a 6 month pre-payment requirement. Set up costs include airfare, generator, inverter and batteries, and shipping costs for furniture and personal belongings. The Mattenleys plan to live in Haiti for a minimum of 6 years. Mercy League will be raising money for Shane to continue his work in Haiti as the Caribbean director of Mercy League. He will oversee the programs in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It is a big undertaking for Mercy League to send its first full time paid staff member, and fittingly it is our former director of the last six years. Donations for the Haiti program can be made for start-up costs or monthly support by visiting the blogsite: Mercy League Blog
School for Jessica, and Nadia
Jessica and her ill MotherThere are several young people in our discipleship group who have ended up losing out on their education as a result of a poor American school program. In its inception the American school took in the poorest children in the area and offered them school in English. The problem was that Haiti is a French speaking country, and when the school shut down, and then reopened, it only held classes until 9th grade. Many students like Jessica and Nadia were left with no option but to return to the Haitian school system. Jessica (17 years old) returned to a local Haitian school a few weeks ago and was put back to 7th grade. Our plan it to incorporate a home school curriculum for other kids who are caught in this scenario. Beginning in September we will add a GED/home school program to our discipleship training group. To pay for the remainder of their school year, we are looking for two people to send $150 US each for Jessica and Nadia. This will cover their back tuition from December through the end of the year. This September we can put them in our English education program.
