Everyone, meet Gilbert (pronounced in French like “Ji-Bear”). When we first met Gilbert, he introduced himself as, “My name is Gilbert and I am a servant of Christ.” From the very first moment we heard him speak, it was clear that the Lord was passionately present in his heart and his life.
Gilbert is a father of three young children, and he just recently married his beautiful wife. “My role as a father is to listen to my kids—to get them to school, to allow them to have an education, and to teach them to respect those around them,” said Gilbert. “I’m teaching my kids the importance of bending down and saying hello to everyone, whether they seem to be greater than them or less than them.”
Pictured: Gilbert’s family with his pastor and wife
Not long ago, Gilbert injured his back. Barely been able to walk because of his excruciating pain, he crawled around on his knees. Since his injury, Gilbert has been forced to quit working. He was not able to bring in any income for his family because of his limited mobility, which led him to have to sell all his goats in order to put food on the table.
World Wide Village has partnered with Gilbert in a many different ways—first by getting him involved in the goat program and equipping him with a another set of goats for sustainability, second by granting him a business grant to be able to sell charcoal from his own home.
Pictured: Maneste – Gilbert’s oldest son
When Gilbert came to our health clinic about his back pain, he also mentioned that he wanted to be married—but he was unable to gather the funds to afford a wedding. World Wide Village, with the help of Grace Community Church, partnered with Gilbert and offered him free premarital counseling and the funds for a small wedding, encouraging him in his walk with the Lord.
Gilbert attributes his belief in God to how faithful God has been in his life. “When I go to the doctor, there is nothing they can do for me,” said Gilbert. “But I know that God is able to do it—whatever it is, I know that God is able to do it. The biggest lesson I have learned has to do with God’s faithfulness. God has truly brought me from death to life.”
Gilbert’s story is an example of the variety of programs that WWV has been able to offer to come alongside the Haitian community. The goat program has offered people a sustainable source of food and provision, while the business grant program has equipped people with the ability to start up their own profitable businesses. The spiritual development vision of World Wide Village has allowed Gilbert and his wife to enter into an official covenant of marriage that is a beautiful symbol of Christ’s commitment to the church.
Thanks to you, Gilbert and his family are beginning to thrive again, but there are many families in Haiti who still need help to be brought from misery to hope.
Would you consider joining the Cornerstone Club today to continue helping families in Haiti? Your monthly gift will be used where needed most to serve those most in need in the name of Jesus Christ.
