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It’s worth resuming the Unsung Heroes series to tell this story. 

From 2006 – 2008, I was privileged to teach a 2-week course in discipleship to pastors in training in a seminary in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, the second-largest city in Haiti, located on its northern coast. One of my students was Vilmer Paul, now pastor of Heavenly Brightness Church. 

Vilmer continues to implement my discipleship teaching summarized as:

• 2 Timothy 2.2 has Paul telling Timothy, a pastor, to invest in faithful men who will teach others also. I would ask them, “What part of 2 Timothy 2.2 does not apply to you?
• I know you’re busy. Can you meet with one guy for one hour, once/week?
• I hope your church is “successful” and that you preach to thousands on Sunday. However, on Monday, you should be investing in men.  
  

I’m still in touch with Vilmer, who has gone on to earn a master’s and doctorate from seminaries in the US. In addition to the church, he’s the administrator of the church’s Heavenly Brightness School since he is a firm believer that educating children is a key to Haiti’s future well-being.

I’m also spending telephone time with Josh Good, who lives in Pennsylvania and serves with the international ministry Christian Endeavor. Josh recently told me that he is going to Port au Prince, Haiti, later this summer, and he hoped to have the materials translated into Haitian Creole and French (but he had no plan for how to do that). So I wrote to Vilmer to see if he or someone he knew could handle that for Josh. To make a long story short, Vilmer connected with Josh, and in just a few days, Vilmer himself completed the translation! I was amazed that he took the time.

But here’s the good part of the story. I was concerned that Vilmer be paid for his work, and I even told him that if Josh didn’t pay him enough (because Josh is in ministry, too!), I would make up the difference. When Josh proposed an amount, here’s what Vilmer said:

Hello Josh, I praise the Lord that I could have helped in this.  I have no objection on what you said, whatever you think to do just do it. My interest was not, is not and will never be money, but the Kingdom. Even if you hadn’t anything I would have been proud to do it. Blessings, Vilmer Paul

In a day when some ministries are fee for service, where every good idea is available to you for a price, it’s refreshing to see Vilmer’s attitude. A man in a very poor country who could put to good use any money that comes his way. Yet he is content to serve someone else’s ministry, someone he doesn’t know who won’t even be coming to his area. May his tribe increase!

For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. (1 Thessalonians 2.9, ESV)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.45, ESV)