On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. The shadow of his assassination still falls on its fifty-third anniversary this Easter Sunday...

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1. Pray: “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink...

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When Laurie first traveled to Haiti years ago, her eyes were opened to the idea that anyone could spread God’s love, even her! She immediately gained a passion and a heart for Haiti. Laurie and her husband began to sponsor a Haitian child through Compassion International. She was excited about the possibility of meeting her child face to face. When Laurie decided to take a trip to Haiti with GPPD in 2017, she asked our team and it ultimately worked out that they could meet.

When Laurie went to Haiti in 2017, meeting her Compassion Child did not serve as her sole purpose on the trip. As the team was organized, the trip leader asked each team member what their gifts and talents were, so everyone could serve in their area of gifting. Laurie shared that she loved to cook, clean, craft and sew. She soon found out that Amber (our Rev Home Director) had just purchased a new sewing machine, and the girls needed guidance on how to operate it. She was excited to guide these girls and use her gifts to teach them.

As soon as Laurie entered the Rev Home on her trip, she was immediately drawn to Desline, a young girl living in the Rev Home. Desline was shy and quiet, but Laurie was still able to talk to her and ask her questions about her interests and her future. Desline immediately responded, “Haiti is not like America, it’s not like girls can choose what we want to do with their future.” 

When Laurie started teaching the girls how to operate their new sewing machine, another girl was so proud of herself when she completed sewing a small lavender pouch. She shared that a previous school teacher had criticized her sewing skills and told her that she could never make a living by sewing. At that moment, Laurie felt connected to all of the young women in the Rev Home and wanted to continue to teach these girls and help give them confidence in themselves and their futures. She felt a strong connection to Desline, and decided to begin sponsoring her after returning to the states. 

The next year, Laurie returned to Haiti and led a Bible study and worship with the Rev Home girls. She wanted them to realize that their worth was in God’s eyes, not just through their gifts and abilities. Laurie saw a huge difference in confidence in the young women when she returned that year. “Each year the girls get older, and Amber’s influence on the girls continues to change their attitude and feelings of empowerment to chase their dreams,” Laurie says. “Having women my age on these teams, help the girls know that they are cared for, empowers them to be self-supportive and gets them excited about their futures.”

*This blog post is from our archive.

After Haiti’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010, God put a heavy burden on Scott and his family's hearts. The precious people there were hurting, and Scott was determined to help in some way. When Scott’s church took a trip to Haiti soon after the earthquake, Scott was struck with compassion for the children he met there. A few years later these same children became a part of our Haiti Rev Home.

After meeting many of the children in 2010, Scott decided that his family should sponsor a child. They started sponsoring Jovenel, and it was like he instantly became a part of their family in Alabama. In 2012, Scott’s whole family went to meet Jovenel for the first time, and they fell in love with him even more. Every year since, Scott’s wife Lindsey makes sure to visit him every summer for his birthday, and the whole Middleton family visits him every year for Christmas.

Scott, of course, loves traveling to Haiti to visit Jovenel, but he also has been to Jordan two times to partner with what God is doing among refugees. The first time he went in 2018, he was a little overwhelmed by the major influx of refugees in the Middle East. He also felt humbled and overwhelmed with love for them. He returned to Jordan again this year to care for more refugees.

When Scott isn’t traveling or visiting Jovenel, one of his passions is cycling. He’s been cycling for 10 years and sets up rides with his friends often. Last year, he had a great idea to combine his two passions: raising money for the Rev Home and the refugee crisis while he cycles. He set a goal to cycle in every county in Alabama and fundraise while doing so. Although he has had a few setbacks, and continuing his journey longer than expected, he’s still motivated to reach his goal.

“There are people in Haiti and Jordan that don’t have options that I do,” Scott said. “In Haiti, there is so much poverty and not many opportunities. If I can raise money to help provide education...I know they’ll begin to have more opportunities in the future.”

On Saint Patrick’s Day, some celebrate together, some make recipes or crafts, and others simply wear green. But most never consider the real person behind the holiday. As a captive, refugee, and later missionary to Ireland...

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