Wednesday, June 20 came with many surprises! Our Lord does have a sense of humor! We arrived at the Church at about 10, just as the praise and worship were winding up. Dr. Evangelist Helen Newton gave the “Opening Remarks for the Christian Women in Business in the Kingdom Conference” encapsulated in a warm welcome to the Sisters reminding them of how very beautiful they are. Dr. Evangelist Helen gave an outline of the conference and what the “hope” was in terms of walkaways and results from the conference, namely being able to discover the desires, gifts, and talents that the Lord has blessed each person with. Dr. Evangelist Helen underscored the need for Godly business people in the Kingdom of God. In addition, offering an opportunity for self-reliance by learning a skill or trade via the re-emergence of the Sewing School. At this stage in the conference, the women did not know that SWM donated 5 modern sewing machines, a serger, material, notions, and patterns to kick off the grand opening. The message was received well, and the sisters were anxious to hear more. Dr. Emmanuela Cherisma and her team had not yet arrived. Our phones were not working in Cite du Soleil, so there was no way to know where she was or what may have happened to her. Pastor Jessie White, a member of SWM, missed the plane from Ft. Lauderdale and so after Pastor Vincent spoke to the Sisters, Sister Jacqueline Kowalsky was asked to deliver her talk on “Tithing and Stewardship”.
In Haiti, life is amplified, what might be considered a minor problem and easily solved becomes a major problem in time, resources, tools, and money. Little before 12, Dr. Cherisma showed up with her team and hit the ground running. Their car had broken down, and “amplified life” was happening! However, God is faithful and they arrived safely. Dr. Cherisma introduced herself and began talking about health issues including first aid. She showed the Sisters what to do for burns, choking, and the possible need for Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Afterward, she and her team offered a clinic.
Dr. Evangelist Helen Newton then asked the women about their dreams, and some of the things they had wanted to do, to get them thinking in terms of who God created them to be. The first day of the conference was very busy culminating with picking Pastor Jessie up from the Port au Prince airport at 3:30.
Below are pictures of Dr. Evangelist Helen Newton in blue, Dr. Cherisma in scrubs, and Sister Rachel Vincent translating for Dr. Evangelist Helen.
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