Written By Mike Phillips, Missionary to Haiti
As I look back over the four mission trips I have taken to Haiti, there are many stories to tell. Stories such as a witch-doctor grabbing my arm, or having a shot-gun pointed at me, or seeing a tarantula in my bedroom. These are just a few of the stories I remember from our trips to Mountain Faith Mission in Haiti. My favorite one of all time is story about a little church in the middle of nowhere and the man who protected me. [Read more…]
Pastor Michelle
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Here are some quick informational facts about Balumette!
Coordinates:
18°51’27.19″N; 72° 6’24.75″W
Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit run through your body? I mean down to the bone. I have. On top of a hill in a four-walled building with a concrete floor, a metal roof, and no air I felt the Holy Spirit so strong my tears were not worthy. In a room full of people so grateful I’m here, but why? Why did I come here? What was it all for? These questions invade my brain as I try to make sense of what is taking place. [Read more…]
Written By Cody Hawkins, Missionary to Haiti Oct 2013
My heart is in my throat. It hurts. I am rendered speechless, and the tears come fast and free like they have been trying to get out for years. Why am I crying? One minute I was delivering my sermon, making point after point, sharing what God had given me. I paused for a breath and looked among the crowd, and the tears came.
Did what I see break my heart? Yes and no. What I saw gave me mixed feelings of sadness, love, joy and an overpowering sensation of wonder and awe. How could I not cry? I was in the presence of God. I could feel Him. There was a weight of glory all around us. It saturated our very beings. It was terrifying and beautiful all at the same time. What did I see? And what brought about this wonderful feeling?
People. Just people. Old men and women, their bodies bent over by the years, sitting upon hard wooden pews with no backs. Young children, their eyes bright and clear, smiling up at this white American whom they could not understand. All of us crammed like sardines inside a little block building hotter than a furnace in a place called Balumette. Breathing the same air, feeling the same oppressive heat and worshiping the same God.
Welcome to Balumette, or Balmet in Creole, a community across the Artibonite river from the more sizeable city of Mirebalais in the Central Plateau district of Haiti. The only way to realize you have arrived in Balmet is for the haitian guide to inform you. There is no recognizable town center, no roads, only footpaths.
Balmet is approximately two miles from Mirebalais, which is approximately 10 to 12 miles from Saut de Eau, where MFM headquarters are located. Mirebalais is perhaps 35 to 40 miles from the capital city of Port Au Prince. [Read more…]