The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 83, No. 6, Ed. 1, Wednesday, September 14, 1994 Page: 3 of 8
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Missionary interns find stronger faith
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Heart tugger OanLo"ooi
)no of the many beautiful babies of Haiti is full of smiles. Often these children are without fathers or moth-
ers. Without the care of the missionaries their future is grim. The students looked forward to making a dif
ference in the lives of the Haitian children.
By SYBIL JOHNSON
AND DEBBIE CRAWFORD
COPY EDITOR AND
ACCENT PAGE EDITOR
JPBfcucstioning builds a deep faith. And God
Jul ways proves himself to be bigger than
fany question. Christy McMackins Nathan
Cockrill and Wade Smith had an opportunity to
test that theory this summer when a long-awaited
mission trip to Haiti suddenly ended in a
quick pullout because of the June air-net
imposed on Haiti by President Clinton.
For Smith Junior youth ministry major from
Atherton Calif. this summer's trip was a return
visit. He first experienced Haiti in the summer of
1993 as a part of a missionary team sent to the
island country by Manna International.
Manna is a relief and development ministry of
the Redwood City Church in Redwood Calif.
The Manna organization works around the world
spreading the love of Christ by first ministering
to the practical needs Of people.
When Smith decided to return this summer he
recruited his friends McMackins and Cockrill.
McMackins junior psychology major from
San Diego Calif. said the needs of the people in
Haiti were so great it was easy to forget person-
al concerns. t
Bill and Donna Moxin and Brian and Tammy
Wallace the Manna missionaries working in
Haiti established a broad-based ministry that
coordinates a variety of efforts. Through their
efforts children's medical nutritional and educa-
tional needs have been met.
The Wallaces own a self-sustaining farm and
a fishery designed as a model for the
Haitians. Cockrill said "They spent a lot
of time teaching them how to grow things like
pineapple and corn and raise farm animals
because it would improve their diet. There's a lot
of malnutrition" he said. "In the past mostly
sugar cane had been grown."
Cockrill said Bill Moxin helped drill more
than 200 water wells in the few years he had
been on the island. The new wells were drilled
deep enough to reach water free of disease and
contamination for irrigation and consumption.
Darla Moxin works with Manna Kids a pro-
ject she initiated to help Haitian children attend
school. Tuition is required for the children to
attend public school Cockrill said. "The project
finds individual sponsors to pay for books and
uniforms for the children" Cockrill said.
While in Haiti Cockrill McMackins and
Smith were struck by the work being done at the
hospital in Limbc. Eight doctors open the hospi-
tal doors to more than two hundred people wait-
ing for treatment every day Cockrill said. "They
would go through the crowd and pick the ones
who needed immediate attention" he said.
Cockrill said he looked forward to spending
much of his time at the feeding center where
more than 1000 meals are served daily. But he
never got the chance.
After two short weeks in the impoverished
nation President Clinton imposed an air-
net and a trade embargo and plans begun
to be changed. Cockrill McMackins and Smith
had been assigned to help train youth groups
scheduled to arrive in a matter of weeks.
The news of the embargo caused the youth
groups to cancel. Next the elders overseeing the
mission effort became concerned for the safety
of the students. The students were informed by
the United Nations that waiting to return to the
United States could delay their return home
indefinitely.
"We had no choice. We had to leave" Smith
said.
The news saddened and shocked the students.
"I was mad at God at the elders. I wondered
what purpose I was serving there" Cockrill said.
The students saw no evidence of violence any
uihnrf ninr lliolr Inrntinn "I rtirtn't think nnv
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thing would have happened to us at all" Smith)
said. J
"We were safer there than in L.A. or New
York City" Cockrill said. j
McMackins agreed. "1 didn't feel in danger';
sue saiu.
News from the United States was intermittent
"It just came in little spurts" Cockrill said.
Even the missionary families who had been!
working in the area for more than six years
were urged to leave their homes. ;
"Once the missionary families were gone we;
had no option" Smith said. j
The students said they had to deal with the;
feeling of abandoning the Haitian people. Wade;
said they spent time teaching the people to tnist
in God and then everyone left at the first sign of;
any kind of trouble. !
The three students spent the rest of their sum-
mcr in the United States. McMackins and Cock-!
rill did clerical work in Redwood City Calif."
with Manna International.
Ken McFarland president of Manna Interna-
tional was impressed enough with the student's
hearts and work that he sent a letter to Royc
Money president of ACU commending themSj?
"true servants." J
The summer gave the students time to come!ip
terms With their disappointment. They are ndwj
able to view the situation with sadness but )
healthy perspective. !
Smith said he came to the conclusion that!
God's will isn't necessarily what he said he grqw
up believing. ;
"God's will is doing the things that he com-j
mands us to do. I don t think God wills us to go;
to a certain place" Smith said. ; j
Cockrill said he learned that important!
changes are taking place in our own lives while!
we are focused on serving others.
"I was looking so hard for a way to make'aj
difference in the Haitians' lives" Cockrill sail!?
"1 didn't realize that a real difference was being
made in my life." ;
Wade said "God everyday had a lessdnj
for us there." The students said they
were impressed that despite the embar-j
go Christian organizations were still getting;
ood and supplies through. They said everyone
"on the island kept saying you can't put ftnj
embargo on God. ' " " j
The students also said they longed to 'see;
Christians work together in the United States the)
way they saw them cooperate in Haiti. "If you're
white and you're in Haiti the kids know you're)
there to help" Cockrill said adding that It'
doesn't matter which organization you are work-!
ing for when you are handing a child a plate of)
food. . '
McMackins said "We just felt so convicted
that one of Satan's strongest weapons against the
gospel is to split God's people. We realized Gqd
is answering everyone's prayers." J3
She said "If Christians worked together in ibjk
United States a lot of problems could be elirmt
nated." t ;
Cockrill said he also realized how rich Amert-1
cans arc and how much each individual has to !
give. "You don't know what you have to offdr 5
until you start giving. Before I went I worried
because I had never led a Bible study" he said.
Since his experience working with Manna In j
Haiti Cockrill said he realized that our lives afc
open Bibles when they are lived in service tt
those who need it most. '
The students concluded they learned a tough
lesson but one worth learning. McMackins
Cockrill and Smith said they would return to
Haiti if they get a chance. Regardles of whether J
they are able to return to Haiti or not they would '
go anywhere to serve the God they love. t
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OaryLockwood
Peek-a-boo
Oblivious to their destitute surroundings children continue to play In the city
streets of Cap-Haltien.
Trashed out
In the streets of Cap-Haitien Haiti the trash piles are
eventually shoveled into Intersections and burned.
Gvytockwood
Gary lock woQd
Lovin' spoonfuls
The $5 we might spend on a local fast food restaurant could feed;
this child s family for a couple ot weeks.
n
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 83, No. 6, Ed. 1, Wednesday, September 14, 1994, newspaper, September 14, 1994; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth92246/m1/3/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.