Today, we traveled to the mountains of Peyi Pouri, Haiti…

As you may recall, a few months ago we were doing a feeding program in the mountains when we met a man named Mr. Oske. He had come to receive a box of food from us, but he didn’t have a food card. He burst into tears when he found out that he could not get a box of food, because there was none left. His wife had died, leaving him with eight children. Four had already been “farmed out to relatives” to “work for food.” We borrowed a box of food, gave it to him, and we left…

But the sight of that man’s tears, running down his face, really bothered us. We felt led to build him a house and find him a job. With the help of some of our partners, we did just that. Someone sponsored the cost of the house and the paint, and another sponsored the furniture, and others gave household items and smaller amounts… but all of this remained a secret. There were sixty mountain people carrying sand, gravel, rocks, and bags of cement. They all worked hard to help build this house, but they did not know who it was for.

We asked Mr. Oske to come to Pastor Souffrance’s church to meet us. We told him that we would bring some clothes for his children. Before they arrived, we had given each person who helped carry supplies, and who worked hard, $20.00 U.S. and 5 lbs of beans. We told them there would also be a box of Feed My Starving Children food coming to them on Monday. (The container had not yet arrived in Haiti.) Everyone was happy… we gave the clothes to Mr. Oske’s family and then told him that we had a job for him to do. (We had to get him to the house without him knowing it was for him!)

I showed Mr. Oske three huge, giant rocks embedded in the ground. I asked him to find a hammer to break the rocks up and throw away the pieces to make the ground smooth. He agreed that “with the help of God,” he would try to do it.

Then, we told him that the house he was standing in front of was for him! It did not sink in at all. We told him three or four times. He still did not believe it! We handed him the keys, and he could not believe it. Finally, we took him inside and after what seemed like a long time, he finally tried to accept the fact that God had blessed him with a house! The Pastor explained that he would have a steady job and be paid, that he and his children would be coming to church and that his children would be going to school in the fall!!!

Sometimes we pray for something, and then when God does it, we are in shock! I don’t believe Mr. Oske had ever prayed for a house, a job, or anything nice. The Lord used our wonderful partners to bless this poor man and his children!!! We thank you with all of our hearts!!!

Bobby and Sherry Burnette

P.S. You can view this story on an upcoming Love A Child Television program.