As many of you know, I was part of an amazing and life changing trip to Haiti in 2017  What some of you don't know is the journey that God has had me on that lead me to going on that trip, His calling for me since that trip, and the reasons I feel He is calling me back to Haiti this year.  

Last year, I had decided that I wanted to go on a missions trip to Haiti with my church.  I talked to my boss at the time who was allowing me to go even though I didn't have the required vacation days and then started making arrangements to go.  It wasn't much longer that things got busy at work and we had two projects starting the same week I was supposed to be in Haiti.  My boss apologized, but let me know that I wasn't going to be able to take that time off after all.  I let everyone know that I was no longer able to go and began to pray for everyone who could go and support them in their journey.  

With 3 weeks remaining before that trip, I had a meeting with my boss who informed me that the projects I was intended to manage had their start dates pushed back and I was no longer going to manage them.  Not only that, he told me that since those projects were going to be pushed back, he didn't have any projects to keep me busy in the meantime and was going to have to let me go completely. Effective immediately.  

It just so happened that I left the office and went to talk to my wife who was at church right in the middle of getting ready for an event she was hosting that evening.  Of course who did I run into?  Our missions pastor, who said that someone had just informed him that he couldn't go to Haiti.  He said that if I wanted to go today was the last day I could let him know.  So, I took a leap of faith and said yes.  I had no idea how I was going to raise the money, but I was going to leave that part up to God.  

Needless to say, God provided in a huge way and I was able to raise the money and go to Haiti.  What an amazing experience!!  I got to see God work in a way that I had never seen before.  Haiti is incredibly different than anything I had ever seen before, and the Haitian people were just as incredibly different.  Talking with the people, telling them about Jesus and watching lives change, as well as watching my leaders and peers lead forever changed me.  I felt as if God was showing me what it meant to really lead others and rely on Him for the results.  It was time to start being the leader He wanted me and stop shying away from his calling.   

Since then I have really tried to embrace that calling.  I have relied heavily on Him to show me what he has in store for me and my life and I can't begin to tell you how much my life has changed.  The trip to Haiti and what God taught me there has really changed how I rely on God and the Holy Spirit in my life.  But as much as that trip changed my life... It's not about me.  

As a church, we go back to Haiti on at least a monthly basis over the years, we have dug water wells, fed countless thousands, funded and built orphanages, trained pastors, built homes and brought hope to countless more as Crossline Church has faithfully followed through in its commitment to serve and help those in need all with the mindset that we are going to do all of this in Jesus' name and we want Haitians to be the heroes.  It's not about giving them temporary relief, although that is part of it, it's about equipping them, over time, with skills to change their circumstances, showing the love that Jesus has for them, and teaching them to rely on Jesus Christ no matter what their circumstances may be.  It's all about Him and being the servants He's called us to be.  

Once a year, the men’s leadership team, of which I am a part, is sent to minister to areas that aren’t safe for women and children to go, and this year is no different.   I need to raise financial support for this trip and am asking you to prayerfully consider partnering with me to meet that need. The monies raised by each man help fund the orphanages we have built, feed the hungry on the street, clothe the naked and bring much needed medical support to the communities surrounding Croix du Bouquets. I was extremely humbled by the support that I received in such a short time last year and I am looking forward to seeing how God provides funding for our team to return to Haiti, glorify Him, and serve the needs of the people in Haiti.

In His name, 

Josh Johnson