Boats
I love boats. I just can’t seem to put my camera away when I’m around them. Here are a few of my favorite boat photos, taken in North Carolina, Oregon, Haiti and more. Continue reading “Boats”
Month: March 2017
Haiti 2014
On a mission trip to Montrouis, Haiti, in August 2014, I was able get some interesting photos of the community and the wonderful people we served while we were there. This place — and these people — will always have a big piece of my heart. Continue reading “Haiti 2014”
Amazed by grace
Delivered January 2017 at Liberty Spring Christian Church What kinds of things are you amazed by? I used to be amazed by juggling. I’m basically an uncoordinated schlub, so watching someone toss more than one ball into the air at a time and then catch them all just seemed like straight-up magic to me. And then I had a juggler in college spend a few minutes teaching me about it one day. Ever since then, I can take three balls and — with a little practice — actually juggle. See? I’m a juggler. Even me, an uncoordinated schlub. Of course, … Continue reading Amazed by grace
One big, happy family
Delivered in Montrouis, Haiti in November 2016 Good morning. Thank you very much for the introduction, thank you pastor for allowing me to speak for a few minutes this morning, and thank you all for the opportunity to worship our great God together. I bring you greetings this morning from Virginia, USA, from Liberty Spring Christian Church, from First Baptist Church and from a family back at home that loves this family of believers very much, Pastor Chris and Christina Surber. I am told that today is Family Day here, so it is fitting that I bring greetings from my … Continue reading One big, happy family
He’s always been faithful to me
Delivered in October 2016 in Montrouis, Haiti Good evening. I’ve been looking forward to coming back to Haiti for more than two years. My wife and I visited here back in 2014, right in the middle of August. We met many beautiful people here, and we made some great new friends. I had a chance to drive up into the mountains and look down on the coast. Your blue waters spread out below the green hillside made an impression I will never forget. But one of the things I have been most excited about was the chance to see … Continue reading He’s always been faithful to me
Blessed be the name of the LORD!
Delivered in Montrouis, Haiti, in October 2016, after Hurricane Matthew In the only sermon the Bible records Jesus preaching, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus began by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Today, we see that mourning throughout Haiti. It burns within our breasts. It tastes bitter at the back of our throats. It threatens to consume us, to turn us bitter and angry. How can one see so many broken homes, so much pain and destruction, so much sorrow … Continue reading Blessed be the name of the LORD!
Seek ye first….
Originally published August 26, 2014 The contrasts are what keep coming back around to surprise me. The contrast between the summer temperatures here and there. The contrast between traffic here and there. The contrast between a meal here and there. The contrast between me filling a glass with cold, clean water from a tap and a child pleading for “dlo” from a small plastic bag sold on the side of a hot, dangerous road. But most of all, I keep thinking of the contrast between the smog-filled skies as we flew into Port-au-Prince and the startlingly clear sky on … Continue reading Seek ye first….
Thank you for the Christmas lesson
Originally published December 17, 2016 in the Suffolk News-Herald By R.E. Spears III Editor I’ve been having a lot of trouble focusing on my work lately. It’s a common problem for many during the holiday season, and many of the things that distract us all this time of year have done the same for me — Christmas shopping, holiday events, an ill-timed but needed vacation. But a young man who runs an orphanage in Haiti has been the main distraction for me this year. Last month, I made a quick trip to Montrouis, Haiti, on behalf of Supply and … Continue reading Thank you for the Christmas lesson
Roadblocks on the way to Haiti
Originally published October 17, 2015 in the Suffolk News-Herald By R.E. Spears III Editor When I returned to Suffolk from a short-term mission trip to Haiti in August 2014, I was gratified by all the support I received from friends and acquaintances here for my trip and for the accounts I shared about it within the pages of this newspaper. At the same time, I was surprised at the number of folks who responded that they were tired of reading about Haiti, suspicious that my motives for sharing the stories were self aggrandizing and generally wishful that I’d leave … Continue reading Roadblocks on the way to Haiti
A new perception after a trip to Haiti
Originally published August 30, 2014 in the Suffolk News-Herald By R.E. Spears III Editor One of the first things I noticed upon returning from Haiti on a recent mission trip was how quiet our ride home from the airport was. To be sure, we’d had a long trip (17 hours, from door to door, including seven passport checks and a dead truck battery) and folks were too tired for a lot of chitchat. The roads in America were also much quieter. In Haiti, driving is punctuated by the out-of-tune brass ensemble of cars, trucks, buses and scooters blaring their … Continue reading A new perception after a trip to Haiti