Edner (center) and four of the older orphanage children.

In Haiti, every student must pass a standardized national test each year in order to move on the next grade level. The results of last year’s test were released recently, and every child in our orphanage passed the test.  This is unheard of in Haiti where it’s not unusual for some students to remain at one grade level for several years before passing the test.  In our orphanage, we’ve never been close to 100%.

So what was the difference this year? In 2009, Edner Destima became the new Administrator/House Father of the Starfish Ministries orphanage.  He has been wonderful for the children, and their newfound academic success is just example of the impact he has made.

Dieu-Mene rounding the handle on his newly built tool box.

Dieu-Mene is one of our older orphanage children who wants to become a carpenter.  To encourage him and allow him to begin to develop skills in this area, Bernie brought several hand tools this trip to give to Dieu-Mene.  Bernie also suggested Dieu-Mene’s first project, a wooden toolbox, and provided the wood along with a basic plan.

Dieu-Mene got to work, cutting the rounded lines with his new coping saw, smoothing the edges with his Surform plane, and assembling the pieces with nails and glue.  Bernie periodically left the ministry accounting work he was doing to check on Dieu-Mene and offer advice and demonstrate techniques.  In the end, Dieu-Mene produced a very nice, solid, and function toolbox in which to keep his new tools.  And he was very pleased with it.

Bernie and Diogene in front of the Starfish Ministries School in Morne Chaise

After spending the first few days of our trip at the Pastors’ Conference in Gonave Bay, Bernie, Dave, and I arrived at Tricotte Wednesday afternoon.  As always it was a joy to be reunited with the orphanage children and many other dear friends in the village.

This morning (Thursday) we traveled to the village of Morne Chaise.  Morne Chaise became the home of the 33rd Starfish Ministries School in the fall of 2009.  There are 53 children enrolled at the school, which is still held in a small post-and-palm-frond building.  Our goal is to build a more suitable and permanent structure eventually.

Dave Morley along with seven of the Morne Chaise students, in front of the home one of these boys along with nine other members of his family.

Even though school is not in session, we were able to interact with several of the students and visit a couple of their homes.  They live in stick-and-mud huts that often shared by extended families, but they are grateful for all that God provides, including the education and feeding program that is made possible through your support.

You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

Thank you for your prayers!  Bernie, David Morley, and I arrived safely and without any complications in Haiti on Monday morning.  And after a couple of brief stops in Port-au-Prince, drove two hours north to Gonave Bay for the Pastors’ Conference that Starfish Ministries sponsors each year.

As I shared last month, this year’s topic is “Developing Effective Leaders” within the church.  I’ve taught two sessions so far, and I’m encouraged by the response as I’ve interacted with many of the pastors, listening to accounts of their victories and challenges in this area and seeking to answer their questions based on the truth of Scripture.

Now, on Tuesday afternoon, the pastors are enjoying some personal time relaxing and reflecting, Dad and David have gone to Bethel to meet with two young Haitian men who are doing some work for Starfish, and I have stayed back to write this letter to you.

I was struck this morning by something Pastor Diogene shared.  It wasn’t the first time I had heard the details of where he was during the earthquake and what happened immediately following.  But it was the first time I heard it from Diogene.  And he offered a perspective – an understanding – that was important.

Diogene, along with his wife, Lionette and their evangelistic team, were in the church basement praying and planning their next crusade for a village in northern Haiti.  Diogene said, “We were inside the church planning, but at that moment, God wanted us outside the church preaching the gospel.”  Once the earthquake stopped and the team went out to the street, Diogene preached the Word, and 16 people turned from their sin and trusted Jesus Christ.  The church building was unusable, so they began to hold services and crusades in the street outside the church.  And in the days and weeks that followed, 800 people responded to the gospel.

Pastor Diogene and the team had one vision.  And it was a good vision.  They had heard the clear call in Scripture to bring the gospel to the lost, and they were planning in obedience to that call.  But God had something different in mind – a different, better way to accomplish His purposes.  And when He changed their plan, Diogene and team willing set aside their vision and accepted his way instead.

This was also the experience of the Apostle Paul.  He was called to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, and so, according to Acts 16:7, he and Silas “attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”  Paul, too, when the Lord changed Paul’s plans, willingly complied, and went to Troas instead.

That is the way we desire to operate Starfish Ministries as well.  God’s Word is clear about our responsibility to the poor and the lost.  And we continually seek ways to obey those commands as we consider needs and opportunities and requests.  Like Diogene’s team, we pray and we plan.  But we don’t ever want to become so committed to our own plans that we miss God’s greater plan.  We believe that God will accomplish His purposes in Haiti, and we want to ensure that we line up with His will.

Thank you for your support and prayers.  And please continue to pray.  Glenn, who was unable to make the trip because of an illness that began while in Haiti in May, has not improved and needs prayer.  Our trip schedule is printed below; we appreciate your prayers for us as well.

Serving our Lord together,

Bernie, Sheryl, and Philip Bovenkamp

Trip Schedule

• August 30 – Pastors’ conference begins at noon – approximately 80 Haitian pastors– Philip teaching
• August 31 – Pastors’ conference continues – Philip teaching
• September 1 – Complete Pastors’ conference at noon and travel to Tricotte.
• September 2 – 4 – Ministering in Tricotte in orphanage and in surrounding villages – Philip and Dave building benches for the Tricotte church.  Bernie will be working with Diogene and Norius on the upcoming school year – planning and budgeting
• September 5 – Philip will be preaching in the Tricotte church – message on the “Letter to the Laodician Church” from Revelations 3
• September 6 – 7 – Leadership conference – approximately 200 leaders from the Tricotte area churches will assemble in Tricotte for this two day conference – Philip teaching
• September 6 – 8 – Dave will continue on projects – We will also be sorting through and distributing clothes, school supplies, shoes, etc from the recently arrived container. 
• September 9 – travel back to Port au Prince
• September 10 — visit the “new home” sites – we have started building homes for some who lost them in the earthquake.
• September 11 – return home

Philip, Dave Morley and I will be traveling to Haiti late Sunday night, August 29. We really would really appreciate your prayers as we travel and minister there for two weeks. Below is our trip schedule so that you can pray for us each day.

• August 30 – Pastors conference begins at noon – approximately 80 Haitian pastors – Philip teaching
• August 31 – Pastors conference continues – Philip teaching
• September 1 – Complete Pastors conference at noon and travel to Tricotte.
• September 2 – 4 – Ministering in Tricotte in orphanage and in surrounding villages – Philip and Dave building benches for the Tricotte church. I’ll be working with Diogene and Norius on the upcoming school year – planning and budgeting
• September 5 – Philip will be preaching in the Tricotte church – message from the “Letter to the Laodician Church” in Revelations 3
• September 6 – 7 – Leadership conference – approximately 200 leaders from the Tricotte area churches will assemble in Tricotte for this two day conference – Philip teaching
• September 6 – 8 – Dave will continue on projects. We will also be sorting through and distributing clothes, school supplies, shoes, etc. from the recently arrived container.
• September 9 – Travel back to Port au Prince
• September 10 – Visit the “new home” sites – We have started building homes for some who lost them in the earthquake.
• September 11 – Return home

Thank you for your prayers and partnering with us in this way. Please remember Glenn Bridges also. He was planning to travel with us on this trip but is not able to due to sickness.

Serving our Lord together,

Bernie

On August 30 through September 1 this year, nearly 100 pastors from around Haiti will gather in Gonave Bay for the annual Pastors’ Conference sponsored by Starfish Ministries.  It will be a time of renewal as we fellowship with each other, sharing the joys and sorrows of the previous year of ministry and joining together to worship our Lord.  I am also looking forward to challenging and encouraging these men from God’s Word as I hope to provide biblical instruction that will equip them for ministry as they return home.

Some of these pastors studied at the seminary in Port-au-Prince.  Others have virtually no formal education.  But for most of them, this conference is the only ongoing training they receive all year.  So I take this opportunity very seriously, asking God to use this teaching for His glory in the lives of these pastors and their congregations.

The theme this year is “Developing Leadership within the Church.”  Haitian pastors – like their American and Canadian counterparts, I suppose – have a tendency to try to do too much of the ministry themselves.  Sometimes it is easier to do the work on your own than it is to mentor someone else through the process.  In some cases, pastors may question the qualifications of people in their congregations for leadership roles.  And it may even be that there is fear for some in relinquishing certain responsibilities.  But whatever the reasons, too often leadership is not being developed, and the local body suffers for it.  That is what we will address this year.

As part of the encouragement and equipping of these pastors in this area, we will look at Moses.  In Exodus 18, Moses is trying to do too much on his own, and Jethro, his father-in-law, tells him so: “Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good.  You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.  You are not able to do it alone’” (Exodus 18:17, 18).  Jethro then gives Moses this advice:

Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. -Exodus 18:19-21

In this short exhortation, Jethro gives Moses five instructions for developing godly leaders:

1. Pray for them (“represent the people before God and bring their cases to God”)
2. Teach them God’s Word (“warn them about the statutes and the laws”)
3. Teach them to develop godly character (“make them know the way in which they must walk”)
4. Show them how to do the work of ministry (“and what they must do”)
5. Share the work with them (“place such men over the people”)

We will break down each of these instructions and explore how a pastor can implement them in developing leaders within his church.  But these principles are more than just my subject matter.  They have become my method as well.  And even now, as I prepare to teach, I have taken to heart the instruction to first pray for the men I will be teaching.

And I invite you to pray with me.  Pray for these servants of our Lord who shepherd His flock in some of the most difficult circumstances.  Pray that God would prepare their hearts for what He would teach them.

And pray specifically for the leaders God would raise up within these churches.  Pray that God would give the pastors wisdom to identify them.  Pray that God would prepare them for the ministry He is calling them to.  And pray that as this discipleship takes place, our Lord would be exalted and His Church would be served.

Serving the Lord together,

Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp

P.S.  I am grateful to Duane Anderson of the American Indian Bible Institute for his teaching in this area.  He has developed many training resources, which are freely available at www.aibi.org.

Our ultimate goal for the children at the Starfish Ministries orphanage (as well as for all those we minister to in Haiti) is to see them mature into disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We desire for them to bring glory to our God and Father through obedience to His word.  And we hope that they will in turn minister to their countrymen – both now, in and around the orphanage, and as they become adults, as leaders in their churches and communities.

Everything we do at the orphanage is done with this end in mind.  We have a deep affection for these children, and we count it a privilege to provide for their basic physical needs – a home, food, and clothing.  But we recognize that God has called us to do this in order that we might be able to minister to them spiritually as well.  Meeting their emotional needs and the nurturing that takes place at the orphanage are also important as foundations for their spiritual edification.  And the education that Starfish Ministries provides, both for the orphans and for those in our schools, is necessary to prepare them for adulthood and to put them in positions where they can be effective ministers of the gospel.

But it is the spiritual training that is most important – the daily discipline provided by the orphanage administrator and house parents, the nightly devotions and instruction from God’s word, and the other discipleship and shepherding that takes place in the orphanage.  This is the ministry that has the most direct effect on the thing that is most important: who these children are in Christ.

Because of this, it was such a joy and encouragement to receive the letter we did from the children in the orphanage.  It was written by those children – without any prompting from us – to their sponsors.  But we share it with all of our supporters, as an example of the difference your support is making in the lives of Haitians.  We believe it reflects the attitude of those served by many of the areas of ministry in which Starfish Ministries is involved – the children in our schools, the victims of the earthquake, those who drink clean water from the wells we’ve drilled, and many more.

At risk of sounding like too-proud parents, we see displayed in this letter two godly characteristics – contentedness and gratitude.  These children, who by our standards have very little, are truly satisfied with what God has given them.  And they are quick to express their thanks to God and to you.  These are characteristics not often seen in those who have much more than these children have, and seeing it in them gives us great joy.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. –3 John 4

We are proud of these children.  And we are quick to follow their example and thank God and thank you.  We thank God for the things He is accomplishing in their lives, for it is truly His doing.  And we thank you for the role that you so faithfully play as together we continue to make disciples in Haiti.  God is honoring your faithfulness!

Serving the Lord together,

Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp

Hello!  With all the sponsors, we have so much joy in our hearts to write you in the name of Jesus.  How are your activities, your families?  We want to tell you a great thank you for all the sponsors who make the decision to help us.  Know that you make that to glorify God, and we want to tell you don’t be discouraged in that.  Trouble and sadness can come, but stay in God’s way, because God loves all those who take care for the destitute.  We haven’t anything to give you.  We don’t know another word bigger than thank you.  Thank you for your courage because in spite of the earthquake, you remember us, and we are very satisfied of all things you send for us that bring joy to our hearts.  We feel very happy for the nice gestures that you do for us.  We are very happy with that and we want to tell you to keep serving God, keep praising the Lord, and he will take care of you.  Keep doing well, don’t be discouraged, and keep hard in God’s work, and then his grace and his blessings will fall down on you.

God bless you,

Thank you so,

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.  –Galatians 6:9

Believers listen to God's Word under a roof of blue tarps in the street in front of the rubble of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Port-au-Prince

Dear Friends,

I was sitting up in front of Pastor Diogene’s Port-au-Prince church last Sunday, May 23.  As I looked out over the crowd, I recognized very few of the people there.  The last time I had been to Haiti was before the earthquake, and then I had known many of the members of this body.  Since the earthquake many of those had gone back to their home villages, but they had been replaced by new faces.  Before Diogene introduced me to get up and preach, he asked the congregation how many of them recognized me.  Very few raised their hands.  The benches were full, several people had brought their own chairs, and well over 600 new believers were gathered to hear God’s Word. 

They were gathered out on the street in front of what used to be the Ebenezer Baptist Church building.  That building is now just a pile of rubble – but the church, God’s chosen people, the followers of Jesus Christ, were alive and with open hearts anxious to hear what God’s Word would teach them that day.

The church service was scheduled to start at 7:30 AM.  We arrived then but found only a handful of people there.  A few were working to get electricity to the sound system – I heard some pops and saw some flashes as wires shorted out.  The sound system would remain silent until they completed their task, and the neighborhood people wouldn’t know it was time for church until music flooded the area.

Pastor Diogene (left) translates as Bernie preaches to a congregation of 600, many who have come to Christ since the earthquake in January

A few other men were hanging the last of the blue tarps that were used to keep the sun off the people.  They anchored ropes to nearby walls or trees, which suspended the tarps above the makeshift auditorium.  There were a few tears in the tarps, but most of the people knew where to sit to avoid the direct sun coming through those holes.

Music began to fill the neighborhood around 8:15, and by 8:30 the place was packed.  As each individual and family arrived, they added their voices to the chorus of worship, and the music grew steadily louder.  And most of those there were singing praises to their newfound Savior and Lord.  It was a joy and a privilege to be there and worship with this body of believers.

During the introduction of visitors, a young mother stood, introduced herself and her baby, and told the people that she had come that morning because she wanted to become a Christian.  The 600-plus immediately broke out into huge applause and along with the angels in heaven welcomed another found soul into their body and into the Kingdom of God.  Diogene reports that there are people being added almost daily – God continues to use the disaster of the earthquake to open the hearts of these people. 

These new believers are among those whom we have had the privilege of providing food for the past four months.  As the service ended these new brothers and sisters came and showered me with thanks for what we have been able to do for them.  And I pass that gratitude on to you.  Your support and partnership with us has truly made an eternal difference in many lives.  We thank God for you!

We have begun to slow the food distribution as many are now able to provide for themselves.  Our goal is to phase out this part of our earthquake relief effort over the next couple of months.  Pastor Diogene and Garry Charles (our family sponsorship administrator) are now evaluating the needs of the homeless and prioritizing the house-building phase of the relief.   Please continue to pray – for Diogene and Garry, for the recipients of the houses, and that God will use this phase also to further His Kingdom!

Serving the Lord together,

Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp

Thank you so much for your prayers!