The Bayou Church of Lafayette, Louisiana, hadn’t been able to visit their C3 partner church in Petit Trou, Haiti, in a number of years, yet they knew that their heart’s desire and a real need was to have a new sanctuary. Their old one was just that, very old, crumbling, and too small to accommodate the needs of their growing congregation.
The Bayou raised the funds, the plans were drawn up, and construction was started. All of it took time. I’m sure they must have become impatient as the building took shape. The decision was made to finish as much as possible and to hold their annual district-wide convention there. [MEBSH, our Haitian national partners, has their ministry divided into regions and districts, and Petit Trou is the head of their district. MEBSH has an annual convention, attended by 8-10,000 of their congregations. Since not everyone can attend the grand convention, each district holds its own.] Approximately 3,000 people attend Petit Trou’s convention. That’s a lot of people if you are trying to host them in an old, small sanctuary!
Even though the doors, windows, and painting have yet to be done, the building was ready in time for them to hold the convention. The teaching and preaching sessions, special choir presentations, and prayer services were a huge blessing to the congregations that attended, as well as the entire community.
The Bayou’s heart of ministry will endure for many years in Petit Trou. Here is the link to the pictures during its construction phase.
