By Message Staff
PINEVILLE – The Voices of Louisiana College are preparing to host a benefit concert next month that organizers hope will raise thousands of dollars for construction of a children’s village in Haiti.
Scheduled 7 p.m., Feb. 1, the “Concert for the Children’s Village” is sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Convention, Louisiana College and Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home. While no admission will be charged, a free-will offering will be taken for a cause dear to the hearts of many Louisiana Baptists, including event organizer Clark Palmer.
“Often I have seen when an institution is established to train young people in the ways of the Lord and the Gospel, that institution will have a powerful impact on the surrounding area for possibly decades to come,” said Palmer, pastor of Faith Baptist Church, Tioga. “It seems to me if we will change the nation of Haiti, it starts by changing some small area. That small area is changed by changing the children growing in that area.
“It’s like a community of believers producing another generation of God-loving, Bible-loving, Bible-believing Christians who can strengthen churches and strengthen families,” the continued. “By just going to hear some great music and fellowshipping together at this concert, we can do something small to be a part of something big.”
Haiti was devastated by the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Louisiana Baptists were among the first to provide disaster relief, and since then have maintained a ministry presence through mission trips that includes construction projects, pastor training, medical clinics, food, water and clothing distributions, evangelism, children’s Bible clubs and Vacation Bible School.
In the intervening years, a vision developed for a permanent presence in Haiti through the project Louisiana Reach Haiti.
Louisiana Baptists acquired land in September 2016, and soon afterward volunteers completed a 200-feet-deep well that provides water for residents of the community. The well will support a planned children’s village and pastor training center as well.
Additionally, church planting will be a pivotal part of Louisiana Baptists work in the country, and the ministry center will be the base from which Louisiana Baptists partner with Haitian believers to reach all of Haiti by starting churches. Since 2012, teams from Louisiana have taken several mission trips annually to work on the center and plant seeds in outlying communities. The Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home sponsors two trips each year, which are planned for June 2-8 and Oct. 13-19.
The hope is to build additional housing in the complex, followed with the development of micro businesses and trade schools.
As the project expands, there is a vision for constructing a hotel, operated by Haitians, and a school.
For information on promotional materials for the concert, contact Palmer at clark956@hotmail.com or visit the event Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/events/2003318656617842/.
