For several years now, St. Francis (Macon, Georgia) has been in partnership with St. Marc's in Trouin, Haiti. The church has sent two mission teams there to visit and build relationships. On the first trip, members of the St. Francis team discovered that many of the more than 250 children who attend St. Marc's School walked three hours each day to attend classes, and most of them had no food to bring. Because of what they learned while visiting their brothers and sisters at St. Marc’s, the parishioners of little St. Francis raised enough money to build a kitchen. This simple structure and its valuable service have made an enormous difference in the community and truly embody the spirit of the Millennium Development Goals.
The church has also committed to sending money to buy food for lunches for five years. A variety of programs have helped to provide funds for the lunches, and all members of the parish are encouraged to offer suggestions and ideas for raising funds and awareness, with the understanding that the one with the idea will also
help implement the action. That's exactly what Aubrey Clark (age 6) did by selling cider (see picture and story above).
Now, with devastation wreaked by Hurricane Noel, funds are needed more than ever. We have learned that the church, school and kitchen are still standing, although each sustained some damage. In addition, homes of parishioners
have been flooded, and most of the animals are gone. The people of St. Francis are praying for their companions in Haiti and will continue to walk with them as they rebuild.
What young Aubrey has taught us is that it takes so little to make a big difference.
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