God is moving through an unexpected transition!
“Transition” describes being in two places at once: having one foot in the past and one foot in the future. With transition, there is yearning for the comfort of the familiar, but there is also excitement for the yet-to-be-experienced tomorrow.
Lifeline’s ministry in Haiti is at a moment of transition.
About 6 weeks ago, our Haiti Country Director, Emmanuel Adam, was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime for his family. After a 10 year wait, they were granted immigration visas to the United States. This meant being reunited with extended family members who live in the States, greater educational opportunities for his children, and many other open doors for the future. Adam was given just 3 ½ weeks to move his entire family and say goodbye to everything they knew in Haiti.
They found themselves in a rapid transition: one foot in the past in Grand Goave and one foot in the future in Florida.
Just like Adam, Lifeline found itself thrust into rapid transition. Who was going to lead our ministry in Haiti into the future?
As we began to pray and look at our options, God revealed to us a great opportunity to build for tomorrow on the successful foundation of the past. God showed us that this time of unexpected transition was really His pathway to an exciting future.
Over the last year, we had noticed that our leadership structure in Haiti needed attention. We had great leaders, but decision making was top heavy and cumbersome. Too many decisions had to go through one office, and that wasn’t efficient or empowering. We realized we had created the same situation that Moses found himself in before his father-in-law, Jethro, visited him (Exodus 18).
This was Jethro’s observation and his remedy (vs. 18, 21-22):
“What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone … Now look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.”
We heard God’s message and realized that Adam’s departure from Haiti presented us with an opportunity to correct a leadership structure we had outgrown. We saw that this unexpected transition was actually a blessing in disguise. We began to pray that God would help us identify Haitian men of integrity, spiritual depth, and vision, who could help lead us into the future. God delivered, and we created a Transition Team made up of seasoned leaders and young, rising leaders.
Over the last few months, we had also been presented with multiple opportunities to expand the impact of our ministry beyond the Grand Goave region, where we have focused the majority of our efforts for years. We were excited about the potential for new ministry impact, but our centralized leadership structure seemed to be holding us back.
The transition caused by Adam’s departure has forced us to break through our logjam and we are now organizing our ministry efforts into regional hubs. Each ministry hub will be able to have its own focus and “personality.” Each hub will have unique opportunities for involvement by North American churches and individuals; something that wasn’t possible before. One seasoned Haitian leader and one young, developing leader from the Transition Team will be overseeing the ministry in each hub.
Mahotiere will become our hub for ministry focused on the Port-Au-Prince area and all points north, where we have many promising opportunities for expanding our impact. Grand Goave will be our ministry hub focused on the areas just south of the capital. A third ministry hub is in the works for the southwestern part of the country.
Throughout this leadership transition, Adam will continue to help oversee the Transition Team and identify leaders for the regional hubs. He will continue to be involved with the transition throughout the next 4-6 months.
God is on the move and has challenged us to move with Him. As we follow where he is leading, we celebrate the past, but we are thrilled about where He is planning to take us tomorrow!
Please pray for Adam and his family, as they transition to life in the U.S. Pray also for the Transition Team and the leaders (seasoned and new) who are being empowered to serve. There will be bumps along the way, as everyone works through their new roles. Pray for their leadership growth, for grace as bumps are encountered, and wisdom and vision to lead the ministry into the future.
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