My Friend Charles Amicy

Many of you will know the name Charles Amicy from previous blog entries.  Charles is a Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) missionary here in Haiti.  We work together as we bring the gospel to Haiti and I also consider Charles a good friend.

Charles and I spent the last few days on the island of Lagonav together.  It was a great time of fellowship.  Neither of us get much time away just to talk about ministry and spend some quiet time reading.  Of course, it was not just a vacation away at the guest house on Lagonav.

We gathered together with the church leaders from Lagonav to teach on the offices of elder and deacon.  Charles help interpret as well as teach.  We were very grateful for the good reception of the teaching and the great questions every asked.  Pray for these men as they go back to the churches and put everything into practice.  Continue to pray as well that God would be working in their hearts as they consider whether God might be calling them as elders or deacons in their churches.  "If any aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." (1 Timothy 3:1)

Charles is a man who loves Haiti.  And I grow in my love for the people of this country the more I talk with Charles.  Charles was born and raised in Haiti so his insights go very deep.  The culture and reasoning of people is not something you learn overnight.  But Charles has been a great help in this.  There are many ways in which I have been blessed by his friendship.

They say that going through intense experiences together helps to cement relationships.  Charles and I experience that when coming back to the mainland yesterday.  We arrived at the wharf in Ansagale early to the news that the ferry was not running.  I knew the wind has been blowing all night and that the crossing would be rough.  Options - either take the flyboat or brave the crossing on the slower sailboat.  We opted for the 20 foot fiberglass flyboat and was it a trip.  It was choppy with some pretty good swells.  We were under the tarp, trying to keep it over us to prevent from being soaked.  The boat went up the waves, down the other side, full speed ahead, crashed into further waves.    Once we neared the other shore it calmed a little but we were beaten up and very thankful to be on dry land again.  Lord willing, we won't have to do that again!

Charles Amicy has seen a lot in Haiti.  We were talking about Haiti again at his house after a wonderful service at the Port-au-Prince church plant.  He was talking about Haiti several years ago.  The following article from World Magazine will give you some idea of what Charles has seen, how God has protected him, and how much Haiti has changed even in four years.