Guest Post by SIF Board Member Jeff Willit
As Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:35 “for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
In Matthew 25:40 “… Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me”
As Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:35 “for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
In Matthew 25:40 “… Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one the least of these My Brethren, you did it to Me”
I am attending a new church plant, Come to Life Bible Church in Rochester, New York. Our church was presented with the opportunity to serve a local mission “Hope Dealers” whose vision is to…provide support to anyone affected by substance use disorder, mental health issues, and poverty… In addition to the many services Hope Dealers provides for this poor section of our city, the mission provides a hot meal and a packed lunch every week. Our congregation will purchase and assemble the bag lunches once a month.
Servants in Fellowship has followed these verses daily as they have ministered to the Haitians for more than 20 years. SIF has provided extensive medical services and built a couple hundred permanent homes for those who had nothing secure. Many were living in the mud with no more than a few tarps. Some had rats living among their belongings. Wells have been drilled for needy communities. More recently a simple system has been created that allows each homeowner to collect and filter their roof water into a collection bucket. This saves Haitians, usually women, having to carrying buckets of water long distances.
Servants in Fellowship and Raising Hope provided orphanage services for 20 baby girls. Those babies have grown up to be fine young women, many who have completed Haitian education and are now graduating from the Christian Missionary school, QUISQUEYA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL. Those who have graduated high school have applied to college in the United States and will start attending in January.
Junior, a graduate of divinity school, who’s entire mission in life is to share Jesus Christ, is now working for SIF and is going out and following up in areas where SIF has built houses, talking about Jesus through bible studies and is setting up and leading conferences.
We can all be the hands and feet of Jesus, no matter where we live or what our gifts may be.