Let me explain the impact of our communities coming together as one, and two local churches coming together as one, and how it has impacted the world.

Yes, you have read correctly. Our communities and two local churches have impacted the world.

On Feb. 14, some 33 days after the massive earthquake devastated the country of Haiti, Bay Area Fellowship Kingsville and Saint Paul AME Church teamed up in a joint effort to raise money to send to Haiti relief efforts. It was Valentine’s Day, a day known as the day of love.

BAF Kingsville and Saint Paul AME came together to share that love and hosted the Hamburger’s for Haiti Drive.

After selling out of our target goal of 300 hamburgers within an hour, we couldn’t just stop there. So, we went out and bought 200 more hamburgers. We sold out of hamburgers once again, ending our “Hamburgers for Haiti Drive” an hour ahead of schedule.

Yet people kept coming, not for the hamburgers, but to give monetary donations towards the cause.

This is where you, the people of Kingsville, Riviera, Ricardo, Bishop and Sarita come into the story.

I hope that you receive this in the best of spirits when I say this to you all — thank you very much for coming out and expressing your love for another fellow brother or sister whom you have never met and will probably never meet.

As for myself, and I know I speak for everyone else who helped make this drive possible, thank you, members of our churches, individuals from our communities and people from all over the surrounding area.

It was you who raised an astounding $3,007.41.

Now, I know some of you may be saying, “$3,007.41 – That’s not a whole lot these days.”

Well, I want you all to hold that thought. Haiti was a disaster before the Earthquake, and now that disaster is much worse.

On May 15, BAF Kingsville hosted a Passion, Theology and Leadership for all staff members and volunteers. I wish you all could have been present to have witnessed what was shown.

The $3,007.41 was sent to an organization named the Haiti Cheri Harvest Life Ministries, where 100 percent of the monetary donation was sent directly to the “Soil of Haiti.”

Present was the pastor and founder of Haiti Cheri – Pastor Oris Gillaume.

Pastor Oris shared with us a story that I hope will touch your hearts and remind you of what a blessed nation we live in.

A child went to a hospital with her mother only to be diagnosed with a parasite in her stomach. The doctor told the mother the visit and the procedure would cost 100 gourde (Haitian money).

The mother, not having the money, watched as her child died right before her eyes.

You see, 100 gourde is equal to only $1.28 of our American dollar.

What’s $1.28 to us? It is a dollar burger.

You can buy a large fountain drink for 70 cents but yet a child in Haiti dies.

A mother will never get to hold her child in her arms again because of a simple parasite. I am at a loss for words, for I have a disabled daughter and a 15-monthold son whom my wife and I love with both of our hearts together. And we both give God all of the glory for blessing us with two amazing children.

Pastor Oris, in his own words, sang out “Alleluia, Allelu, Alleluia…..Jesus Loves You…….Alleluia, Allelu.”

Haiti Cheri Life Harvest Ministries was able to help over 533 men, women and children with medical needs, food, and educational progress for 3 months.

We, the congregation of Bay Area Fellowship Kingsville have felt in our hearts that Haiti is were God wants us to focus.

For the past three Sundays, we have been taking a second offering for the Haiti Cheri Life Harvest Ministries and the final calculation after our last service on Sunday was $3,000.

I want to say “thank you” to the members of our congregation, for sending another $3,000 to Haiti and impacting the world even more, and for placing Kingsville as an even bigger star on the map of progress in a world that is so torn.

Pastor Oris has invited BAF Kingsville to come to Haiti on a five to seven day mission trip and we have accepted his invitation.

We are currently now in the planning stage of sending 10 to 15 members of our church to Haiti to spread the gospel and to love on people just as Jesus did.

I am speaking out to you all to help us out one more time.

We are planning several events from now until September to raise money to make this missionary trip possible.

Many people save and raise money for a whole year to make their target goal.

We have four months to raise $37,500 to send 15 people to Haiti.

The trip costs $1,500 per person plus $500 extra for daily program use while in Haiti for 5 days.

Another $500 is estimated per person for round trip airfare from Corpus Christi or San Antonio to Atlanta, Georgia ($1,500 provides the airfare from Atlanta to Haiti).

This brings it to $2,500 per person and a grand total of $37,500.

Would you all come out and support us at our local events from now until September?

We look forward to spreading the word of the Lord, and we can spread that word around the world with your help.

I’d like to challenge local businesses as well to please open your hearts and help local members and regular customers to be able to go on this trip of a lifetime!

I leave you with this note:

“For you are a gift from God; what you do with that gift, is a gift to God.”

God bless you all, and thank you once again.

(Gumecindo De La Rosa is a resident of Riviera. He is the Bay Area Fellowship Kingsville Greeting Ministry Coordinator/Prayer Warrior Team.)