HIS NAME IN HAITI
by melanie dobson How can the women of Solid Rock help women in Haiti?
Last spring Diane Comer asked this question of Madame Jeune, the co-founder of Grace Village that helps care for the poor and orphans in Haiti. After praying together, the women began to dream as they shared their hearts.
What if a team of women could travel to Haiti and pray with the godly Haitian women in leadership—the wives of pastors and evangelists who’ve worked tirelessly to comfort women grieving the loss of husbands and care for children who lost their parents in the earthquake rubble? What if Solid Rock could organize a retreat specifically to love and encourage these women who’ve poured out the love of the Savior during the past two years?
What if the Solid Rock women could share about the glory and power of God’s many names that we learned about at the Night in Prayer? Strong Tower. Mighty Creator. Prince of Peace. Immanuel (God with us). Husband. Father.
But since not every woman in Solid Rock could go to Haiti this fall, Diane also wondered—what else could all the women do together to love the Haitian women?
The answer slowly became clear. The women of Solid Rock could do something that no one else has done. They could donate dresses for the women in Haiti to wear to church.
It may seem a bit strange to donate dresses when many in Haiti are struggling to obtain healthy food and clean water. But unlike the church culture in the Portland, both Haitian men and women dress up to attend church. Men wear nice shirts and often ties. Women wear beautiful dresses out of respect for the Savior and their community. They may not have much to wear the rest of the week, but they treasure their church clothes for Sundays.
After the earthquake, many of the Haitian women lost their church dress in the rubble and they have no resources to buy or make new clothing. With the help of Solid Rock ladies, pastor’s wives will now have the opportunity to give a dress to women who are seeking to follow Christ—a reminder of how much Christ loves and values them in the months and years to come.
Hundreds of men and women from Solid Rock have traveled to Haiti in the past year, offering their hands and feet to love the hurting people in this country by building homes, feeding children, and sharing the love of Christ. In October, twenty Solid Rock women will respond to Madame’s invitation and travel to this country to encourage and pray for pastor’s wives in their work. Instead of bringing building supplies on this trip, they will deliver duffel bags filled with dresses donated by the women of Solid Rock.
On September 17, you are invited to a unique women’s event called Dress for Haiti. Starting at 11 a.m., there will be a luncheon as well as information about how to donate dresses for the Haitian women. And there will be opportunities to purchase a conservative dress or skirt and blouse online through computers setup specifically for the event—clothing that will give a Haitian woman dignity as she attends church, maybe for the first time.
In the midst of the destruction, in the midst of horrific grief from loss and pain, the light of the Savior continues to glow in Haiti. It is a light that beckons people away from the dark and into the loving embrace of our Savior. It is a light that shines in safe havens like Grace Village and through the beautiful eyes of Haitian believers trying to help their country heal.
It is a light that we—women of Solid Rock and ambassadors of Christ—have the privilege to shine as we love the Haitian women by meeting their needs through prayer, encouragement, and by donating and delivering hundreds of dresses in the hope and strength of another one of God’s many names—Light of the World.
Journeying with you,
Melanie Dobson
P.S. Wednesday (September 14th) is the deadline to sign up for the Dress for Haiti luncheon. More information about the event or to donate a dress after the event is available here. For additional questions, please email women@ajesuschurch.org.
Also, if you would like to be in an army of women who will be joining together to pray for the team going to Haiti in October, please email prayhisnameinhaiti@gmail.com.