People are always good investments.
Why do we believe that? Glad you asked.
We believe that by investing in people, it speaks volumes to that person on many levels.
It says that we believe in them.
We are for them.
We want to see them succeed.
They are worthy of being invested in.
They are seen by God and by others.
and
Hope becomes tangible.
Sometimes investments don't always turn out the way we hoped or planned and that's ok too. It's always a risk when we step out, but we step out in faith that God will use whatever we do for their good, our good, and His glory. Things happen that we can't always control, but there is a lasting impact that far outweighs the what and affects the who. At Konbit, we strive to build communities physically and spiritually, and by investing in people, we are investing in both things. We are investing physically because they are put to work and/or given the opportunity to work. We are investing spiritually because we walk alongside of them and are there through the mountains and valleys. We know what is going on and we are able to love and encourage them through it all. In turn, this opens the door to share the Good News and the hope we have in Christ.
With that being said,
meet Carline.
We met Carline about year ago. She might look familiar to some of you who have come here because she is Aloude's daughter. Carline has one of the sweetest spirits and is always quick to smile. Currently she is going to school to learn how to sew and every time Jessie goes to visit, she's working on her "homework" which could be sewing any number of things. She sits in the corner focusing on her work and is always sewing by hand. Some days she stays hours after her class is over to use the sewing machines they have at the school but says it always difficult because so many others in her class are in the same boat.
A couple months ago, a sewing machine was given to Jessie and was asked to find a "good home" for it. It has been sitting the Coleman's kitchen serving as a catch-all table until we were able to find someone who would put it to good use.
On June 29th, Jessie, Elimage, and our friend Apredye went to deliver goats to 3 families. One of those families was Aloude's. While the guys were helping Aloude make a place for the goats, Jessie sat down beside Carline who was doing laundry. Jessie asked how her school and how the year went. It was in that moment that it hit Jessie and she knew Carline would be the perfect person to give the sowing machine to. She asked Carline if she had a sewing machine and Carline shook her head, looked back down at the clothes she was washing, and said "not yet." Jessie then asked what kind of sewing machine they use at her school and she said a pedal machine. Jessie then shared that she had been given a pedal machine and wanted to know if she wanted it.
Her face instantly lit up with the most beautiful smile and she exclaimed, "WI!" (YES!) She then kept thanking us "in advance," smiling, and thanking God.
The next day Jessie and Elimage delivered the machine to both our great joy.
For some time, Jessie has had a dream for a sewing project and we are looking forward to utilizing Carline's gift to make that happen. This sewing machine will be SUCH a blessing not just for Carline and her school, but we pray that it is a blessing to the community. We are looking forward to investing in this sweet lady and seeing what God does through her. We're hoping there will be more posts about this lady and her ministry in the near future. This is just another way we #konbittogether in Haiti.
SO STAY TUNED!
**Thank you Ray and Trisha Comfort for donating the machine. You are a greater blessing to us and the people here in Haiti than you can imagine. Your ministry in Haiti is a beautiful one in itself and we're thankful to work in this country with people like you all.