Kenny and Willie

What is trust?

The word “trust” means something slightly different to each of us.

Depending on the life experiences we have had and the beliefs we hold, trust can relate to a variety of qualities. Despite these variations, however, we know trust to be vitally important characteristic to have.

In the English language we have but one word for trust, which is “trust” and it leaves alot to be desired.

But, in the Hebrew language there are many versions to this one word trust.

In the Hebrew language there are several different meanings to trust and here are three of them:

1. Batah

2. Hasah

3. Aman

All three take on their own reality of trust, the one we will look at is Hasah.

In the New Testament the word for trust is to believe or have faith. It’s not just a religious term, it’s an action based upon believing in something to be true and trustworthy.

“In the Lord I put my (Hasah) trust.”  ~Psalm 11:1a

Try writing the word “trust” at the top of a piece of paper and then freely write down whatever words pop into your head associated with “trust.” Take a look at your list and highlight or circle the words that resonate the strongest, such as, truthfulness and honesty.

Trust is the belief and confidence in the integrity, reliability and fairness of a person; an essential human value that quantifies and defines our interdependance in relationships with others as well. Trust is a choice we make toward someone when we are inspired that they have either earned our confidence or are by some other means worthy of it.

Trust is difficult to acquire, and when fractured even harder to redeem, so perhaps the lessons of trust are not how to earn it, but what it takes to keep it. And perhaps the greatest value of trust is not the accomplishments we make with it, but rather what trust accomplishes in us on our quest to become people who are worthy of receiving it.

Do we in our actions and words show we have a character of trust?

Trust is something that is being cultivated between us and the people in Haiti, in the little village of Chauffard, and it is encouraging to see trust grow and to be apart of that as well!



The rock path

Everything in life is a choice—are you choosing the best?

There are many choices for every situation or issue that we face daily, and some days it seems everything goes well; people help us, the details of events/projects fall into place, outcomes and rewards are visible. However, there are days though, when everything seems to be up hill or full of under-currents.

Even so, we need to recognize that we do have choices to make whether our day is going according to our plan or we find that we are faced with unexpected happenings. It is vital that we learn to be truly in our unique flow regardless of what is taking place around us or even how far off basis our plans have become.

We have to continue to be ourselves and moving forward in a productive manner; no matter what the given situation and be flexible with our plans in order to still be effective and make choices that are suitable.

Recently a team of 23 of us went to Chauffard, Haiti to build and repair houses (among other things) that had been destroyed or damaged from the earthquakes. While there we ran into a few setbacks which did not allow the building team to accomplish the big project they went to do-rebuild 3 houses. All of the supplies that  we had shipped to Haiti before we were to arrive were stuck in customs and we were unable to “free” them (so to speak) without a certain receipt that was in the hands of a man in Miami, FL.

A few points to keep in mind that will aid us in such situations or issues in our daily living or when we are serving others are described as being:

• Consistent

• Contemplative

• Decisive

• Determined

• Focused

• Introspective

• Organized

• Persistent

There is strength in these characteristics as we make choices and when we fail to take ownership of our choice we generally berate ourselves over past deeds, perceived mistakes and experiences, and that stops the flow of creativity and forward movement in our lives.

It was great to see the team take the initiative and find other projects that they could put their hands to with the few supplies that we were able to get in Port-au-Prince. And even to the point of gathering rocks to create a more suitable path to walk on with all the mud we encountered from the rain while we were there.

If we would like to live in the ebb and flow of our lives, we have to learn to live in the moment and make choices that are the best for that particular situation, knowing that other influences will be going on all around us, but it doesn’t mean that they will dictate how, when, and if we respond.

Many people are afraid to take ownership of their choices because they feel that their choices are not credible, important, or in the end will be wrong. The opposite is true and our choices in life do count each and every moment of the day. Thanks team for making positive and proactive choices even when things didn’t go according to what was planned!

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for He is your life…

Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

How would you answer that question?

Is it through tradition?

Is it having compassion for the poor, afflicted, and oppressed?

Is it sharing with others about God’s love in Christ?

And once you have settled on a definition of a mature Christian, how would you go about instructing, guiding, and strengthening yourself and others, to continually mature in Christ’s likeness?

What is a mature Christian, and how do we as the body love, call, encourage, and challenge one another to mature in Christ’s likeness?

When pondering these questions it is helpful to read the following passage—to gain a better perspective and understanding—in Philippians 3:12-14:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

These verses are referring to us maturing into Christ-likeness and not in regards to our salvation as Christians—born again believers who are complete and whole upon believing. The journey towards Christ-likeness begins with a sense of honesty and dissatisfaction—hence the expression “press”. And the Greek word press was used of a sprinter, and refers to one who is aggressive and energetic action.

Now that we have established that pressing is not in about striving, but about aggressively and energetically walking the journey set before us, we can see that Paul lived in a state of actively pursing the things of God—what God was leading and placing before him to do and complete. As Paul walked the path laid before him, he was sensitive to the Holy Spirits directing within him, which was an inward and ultimately manifestation of Christ-likeness.

Going deeper into these verses we see the words “lay hold”, which in the Greek means “to make one’s own possession”. God chose Paul and equally Paul chose to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in laying hold of the things God was leading him in.

In order for us to live the sort of life that Paul lived, we need to see that we are complete and whole… forgetting those things that are behind, whatever—whether these things are past deeds and achievements or failures and sins—that maybe that we tend to let distract us from aggressively and energetically embracing the journey.

As Christians we are complete and whole, able to “press” forward on the path that is before us, especially as we chose to be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit within us. Knowing that we are right where we should be flowing in the moment of the journey, pouring out ourselves in the things that God has before us—maturing in Christ-likeness along the way.

Now that this has been brought to your attention, take a moment to seek God and what He might be leading you in when it comes to being apart of an organization such as CPIHaiti. I encourage you to prayerfully consider what might be in store for you being apart of something that is beyond yourself-extend yourself and be the hands and feet to help those that are less fortunate than you.

The Twins

Many of us are used to comparing ourselves with others… we want someone else’s energy level but are unaware of our own strengths and potential. It does take time to reach a certain level and energy to see our potential skyrocket through the universe, but give yourself an opportunity to grow, become, and reach your full potential!

Does something inside keep telling you, I was meant for more than this?

Do you wonder if you’re accomplishing all that God has planned for you?

Many today settle for less than God’s best and never experience the joy and fulfillment that is available to them.

Don’t settle like so many around you, but take time to cultivate your strengths and address your weaknesses. We tend to procrastinate or try to rush through wanting to obtain the end result, instead of enjoying the in between times. The in between times are what is most crucial in developing our full potential.

For example, when you decide that you would like to participate in a marathon, you have to allow for time to train for it. You have to take the first step to begin training and continue to train until the day of the event arrives. It is the short and long runs, tempo and speed runs, the plyometric and weight bearing workouts, and nutrition that prepare you for that very moment-the in between stuff!

When we view ourselves as God does, we realize that He has gifted each of us with unique personalities, skill sets, abilities, talents, and dreams to achieve His specific will, plan and purpose for our life. As Ephesians 2:10 instructs, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” The exciting journey to reaching your full potential begins when you understand and accept this.

As our all-knowing, all-loving, eternal Father, God is willing to move heaven and earth to accomplish His will in our lives.

God sets us free from the bondage to sin and despair, and He reveals our wonderful identity as His child-full of hope, purpose, and potential. Our responsibility is to have a clean heart, a clear mind, a healthy body, right relationships, and a balanced schedule. We also need to use our God-given gifts and take God-approved risks to accomplish all He has called us to do in life.

But the path to reaching our full potential is littered with hurdles-issues we may deal with on a daily basis. A limited perspective, constantly comparing ourselves to others, self-imposed limitations, fear of disappointment, fear of failure, and even laziness can hinder us from becoming all God created us to be. These are obstacles that we generally cannot conquer on our own, but with God all things are possible.

And not only for you, but for the little community of Chauffard, Haiti… they need people like you and me to come along side and be a real live example to them as they seek to reach their full potential as well.

So, how about you do you want to reach your full potential?

Don’t just settle… reach for the stars!

This will not be an easy task, but it is one that we are excited to be involved in.

In most of the news as of late, it has been voiced that,  Haitians say they intend to build differently than they did before the earthquake. The government, awakened to the nation’s construction follies, and say they plan to crack down to ensure proper materials and techniques. We strongly agree with this and are doing our best to use quality materials and many knowledgeable and skilled hands to help execute this.

When it comes to the buildings being destroyed, they are in the state they are in because of one thing, because of poor construction practices. It is a goal of ours to communicate to the people in the village the importance of building on a solid foundation with reliable materials. But in order to do this we will need funding and supplies and the sooner we are able to gather these vital factors, the sooner we are able to provide suitable and safe housing for the families in the village.

We have come up with an unique strategic idea to deal with the houses to be repaired and reconstructed, it will take some time but the people in the village will get there with our and your help.

Yes, I said YOU.

We need your help in helping rebuild the village, in order to help provide a vision and opportunity for their community. There is an urgent need for housing, some aid agencies have begun to construct transitional homes for thousands of Haitians facing a potentially violent rainy season without a roof over their heads. However, this is not the case in the village of Chauffard and it will be up to us and you to help construct suitable housing.

How can you help?

Well, there are numerous ways in which you can help:

1. One time or on going financial support
2. Donation of building materials
3. Going on a trip to lend a hand in the building projects
4. And certainly not least of all, but lots of prayer

Even though our time in Haiti will be just a week, we hope that during that week, there are the noises of hammers and saws being used to provide shelter for our friends.

Bondye Beni Lakay Nou!

God bless this house!

Children of Haiti

With all the hustle and bustle to find credible contacts and interpreters in Haiti it only makes practical and functional sense to take steps to learn to speak Creole. Not only to speak the language of the people of Haiti, but to seek to understand them and their language.

To engage in the lives of the people of Haiti, it helps to know the language!

Most go to Haiti with their own agenda and could care less if they can really communicate with the people they are going to help.

Think about it a moment…

What if someone comes to your house to fix your AC, because it is not working as you know it should be. You would need to be able to communicate to them the problem you have been experiencing in order to find a solution to the problem.

Right?

If the AC repair man comes right in and starts going through your house trying to fix the problem without communicating with you, you might feel as though he has overstepped his boundaries or even feel as though you are being taken advantage of.

How about this (which happens all too often).

In relationships with family, friends, or business partners it is hard to inner act or understand each other if we are not able to communicate. Sometimes each of our styles of communication verbally is very different and if we don’t take the time to learn each other’s style of communication, it makes it very challenging to inner act with each other.

The attitude of your heart reflects your true desires and if you seek to communicate with those in Haiti, you will take the needed steps to learn their language. I encourage you to take a few moments to watch the following link about One Man’s Unique Gift to Haiti: http://bit.ly/bro0Yv

To be able to communicate with the people of Haiti brings them much joy and shows them that we care about them, not just about coming in to “fix” things because they don’t have the resources. It is about building lasting relationships with the people of Haiti and sparking the vision of a better place. And encouraging them to catch the vision, to use their talents and skills to establish a healthy and functional community for years to come.

So for those of you out there that have taken learning Creole half heartedly or find it a hassle to learn, take a moment to put yourself in the people of Haiti’s shoes (most don’t even have shoes and that is a whole other post in and of its self.).

How about you?

Don’t you think it is about time to learn Creole?

We can only communicate and better help the people of Haiti if we understand their language.

Also, Luke Remmer, our friend from HandsAcrossHaiti.org, will be on the Today Show this morning.

First, we want to thank everyone for the continued prayer, phone calls, text messages, e-mails, networking, and fundraising that has occurred in the last 24 hours. We have been astounded at the immense support and encouragement that we have received.

The CPI GUYS’ RESPONSE

Second, we have been wrestling over how to respond to the extreme devastation in Haiti. Waiting for information from our Haitian partners has been nail-biting. We still have no information about the health of our friends in Chauffard, the safety of our friends in Port-au-Prince, or the condition of the new building in Chauffard.

It has been on the calendar for a survey and expansion trip with Personal Partners in late February or early March. Obviously the shifting of the land has shifted our priorities for the next 60 days.

To handle the many requests for immediate emergency support, we have set up our Earthquake Emergency Relief fund. This will help with our aggressive reconstruction and damage assessment efforts over the next 60 days. This will be immediately followed with preparations for a massive reconstruction and recovery effort over the summer with our current partners, The Crossing, and our new partnership with FPC-Vine here in Lakeland.

This is a restricted fund used solely for Earthquake Reconstruction & Restoration.  Please find out more and donate here.

HEEDING THE REQUEST OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS

1.  Jonathan Capre, who leads the CIM network of churches and schools in Haiti, will be traveling to Haiti as soon as it is feasible to assess how the people of CIM have been affected by the earthquake.  We have 4 CIM churches and schools that are in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas.  Jonathan will be our hands and heart to these folks until we can be there. He will also be able to assess the roadways and transportation options available for teams to travel to Chauffard in the next 6-8 weeks.

2. To ensure that our friends and partners can participate in our efforts, we have set up our Earthquake Emergency Relief fund. This will enable us to send a small team (as soon as it is feasible) to deliver supplies and assess the long term needs in the CIM communities where we work.  This assessment will help us plan for late Spring and Summer projects with our current partners, The Crossing Church, and our new partnership with FPC-Vine here in Lakeland.

The CPI Guys and our partners are committed to this reconstruction and recovery, especially in the rural and outlying areas where aide and support are unlikely to reach for many months. You can help instantly by donating, joining our team in the spring, or, if you are a medical or search-and-rescue professional, please see The Red Cross.

Thank You so much for all you have done. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Most Passionately,

The CPI Guys

Kenny Ellis &

Grant Nieddu

on behalf of our Haitian friends and partners who still wait breathlessly to hear from.

As many of you have heard, there was a series of devastating earthquakes which hit very near Port-au-Prince.

The National Palace (White House) was destroyed, as was La Montana Hotel where key U.N. workers were permanently residing. (We have stayed in La Montana before with the CPI and CIM teams.)

For now, we are waiting to hear from our team in Chauffard to fill us in on the status of our friends, the team, and the bldg there.

Stay tuned.–Grant, Kenny, Jonathan, The Crossing, Chester, Daphney, Claude, and the entire Haiti team.

So, the team from The Crossing and a small band of CPI-ites have stayed their first night in Chauffard.

If you are reading this, then you are probably not there! You are probably somewhere nice and warm where there is internet access and a cup of coffee.

They most likely woke up to a chill that drives to the bone, damp clothes and muddy shoes, and one of the most gorgeous sunrises you can imagine. They also probably woke up knowing that they were in a place positioned to make a huge impact.

Needless to say, I am very jealous that I did not get to go on this trip!

But, those of us who periodically stay behind must take comfort in the fact that we are holding down the fort to enable the teams to go and make a difference.

On this trip, Kendal Anderson’s church, The Crossing and his entire family made it down. This is important to them in that they have done missions around the world, however they have been building toward incorporating the people in Haiti in their family and church’s ethos. They want to build a long-term relationship with the people of the area.

Along with them, Kenny, 2nd-timer Liz, and 1st-timer Brien Morgan all made it down. This was important for Elizabeth in that, though she knows Kenny from the first trip and some of our interactions, she is making a stride independently, expanding her confidence that she can travel and serve the field without her closest friends. This is a large point of growth for her.

This trip is HUGE for Brien. He has never left the country nor served the humanitarian and mission field to this degree. I am excited to hear his report on how things went. To those who have supported him: Thank You!!

Transforming Travel

It is our immense pleasure to build personal partnerships like these. Transforming Travel is so much more than we first expect. Many times, people expect a missions trip to be a guided tour of a oppressed area, hug some necks and feed some bellies, and, when it is time to leave, cry a little and head home.

The transformation in the hearts of the traveler is impacted so much more. This is evidenced by The Crossing’s commitment to the new friends they made and to sowing into the area. This is evidenced in the passion that Troyce and Liz served medically. This is evidenced in the fact that Brigs flew around the world to visit these amazing people. This is evidenced in the life of Kenny as he serves tirelessly in those in-between moments of life (looking for work, serving as a father, serving in the church).

Transforming Travel, we believe, transforms us for life. And, of course, our acts of service are more than just a “sign of the Kingdom” to Chester, Milo, Willie and our other Haitian friends. They make significant impact in the mental, emotional and material lives of those serving and those served.

Gratitude

So, I guess I would simply say Thank You. Thank you to those who have supported us and continue to support us. Thank you to the you, family and friends, who have made sacrifices big and small which has culminated into massive improvements for our Haitian brothers, and shapes the hearts of the missionaries. Your donations have made all the difference in our ability to serve, so thank you all.

Invite

And, we would invite you to consider being so much more than donating. The door is wide for you and your loved ones to join us on a trip. Just contact us, and we ensure that you will be challenged and transformed.

Electrically,

Grant R. Nieddu
on behalf of CPI Guys

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