The Church in the Woods

In the days when The Project was being birthed, Providence brought Bill and Steve to a rocky path running up into the woods, just outside the village of Los Algodones. Thinking that this was the way to the "Church in the Woods" that they sought, the men walked a short distance and found the most unusual "church" they had ever seen.

Haitian believers sat on mats on the forest floor, while a pastor stood in the middle with an open Bible proclaiming the Word of God. The congregation numbered about 30 men, women and children. Since the service was in Creole, Bill and Steve must have appeared lost and confused. Thankfully, members of the family of God need not worry, as two young men stepped out of the group and became our interpreters for the morning service. The Church in the Woods meets every Friday rain or shine. They trek from the surrounding villages at 6:30 a.m. and spend the morning in fasting, prayer, praise and the study of God's Word. At noon, the service disbands and the members return to their daily lives. In that first meeting at the Church in the Woods, Bill's translator was Rosvelt Petit, a man who would soon come to play a key role in The Project. Rosvelt is a Haitian immigrant who is now married and the father of a baby girl. Rosvelt has become the brother "on the ground" who carries out the day-to-day responsibilities of The Project. He is a faithful brother in the Lord who inspires his North American brothers with a simple faith that simply says, "Just trust God."