It was one of the most beautiful moments I have witnessed in my 10 years of living and working on the Plateau.
For a few weeks, our staff and local group of believers had been brainstorming ways to collect funds for beloved members of our “family” who are in need: the Brunsches.
Then, on January 26th, we held a special Sunday service. We usually hold these “Employee Sundays,” which include all our staff, on the last Sunday of each month. But this one was unique. It was a celebration; at the same time, it was a fundraiser—kind of like a harvest festival.
I am not going to go into detail here about the history and reason behind this initiative. You can read about that in Manis’ latest letter.
I want to tell you about the palpable unity, joy, and love that we sensed that day. What we experienced that morning was so beautiful, so harmonious, that I did not want it to end. It was kind of like…
"And suddenly there came a breeze from the east...It lasted only a second or so, but what it brought them in that second none of those three children will ever forget. It brought both a smell and a sound, a musical sound. Edmund and Eustace would never talk about it afterwards. Lucy could only say, “It would break your heart.” “Why,” said I, “was it so sad?” “Sad! No,” said Lucy." (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis)
…at least a little bit like that—a breath of air from the promise of what will be when all things are made new and all relationships restored to what they should be.
Like Manis said, “To see my staff and the people in our community realize that they CAN help another, and then put their hearts into doing it, shows me that while progress has been slow and painful, it has been genuine...We are trying to help them discover who they are as men and women created in the image of God and what life looks like as they live out of that identity. What they did for Brunsches is a part of what that life looks like.”
Join us in pictures below. To find out how much our staff raised, please read Manis’ letter here.


















After the service, there was a "market" in the cafeteria. Instead of having to go to the market in Anse-Rouge on Monday, people were able to buy what then need in the market in the cafeteria on Sunday. All proceeds to go to the Brunsch family!







It was a rare time to take a break from the extreme pressures of life here and just enjoy being together and caring for one another.




Have we made ourselves heard?
Comments