Karl backed into the little driveway in front of their house a couple weeks ago and jumped out to unlock the gate.
Paul and I went to the back of the truck and opened the tailgate to get our bags: Two carry-ons, two computer bags and two military sized duffles weighing in at 52 and 53 pounds each (thank God for a generous ticket agent that morning!).
I grabbed my computer bag, set it inside the gate and went back for a duffle. I got back to the truck just in time to see Karl, at just a couple weeks shy of 72 years old, grab one of those 50+ pound duffle bags and whip it up the stairs like it was an empty cardboard box. Before I could say a word, he had it in the living room and was heading back for another.
Most of us can look back at our lives and quickly see the handful of people who have been our key influencers. For me, Karl and Ann are one of the first couples that come to mind.
Later this afternoon they will board an old DC-3 at the Port-au-Prince airport and make their way to their new home in St. Augustine, Florida. After 15+ years of serving the full-time in Haiti, the Lord is shifting their ministry to the US and they will continue serving with Convoy of Hope from there.
After 4 years of Bible College and 6 years of seminary, I have to say I probably learned more about how to do ministry from Karl and Ann than from anyone else.
I could spend all day talking about the lessons I learned from them over the years, but as they transition out of Haiti today, there are three that stick out in my mind.
Relationship with God
Karl and Ann have an intimacy with God that I’ve rarely seen in anyone else. They know him. They talk with him. They do nothing without consulting him.
I can remember many times as Karl and I would pull out of the gate of the church to visit someone or go to the hardware store, Karl would stop mid-conversation and say “Ok Lord, please be with us as we go…”, and then jump seamlessly back into what we were talking about.
Many Christians struggle with some degree of compartmentalization in their spiritual life. There are times when their Christianity is “on” and there are times when it is not. For Karl and Ann, it is so integrated into their lives that turning it off would not be possible.
When I think about Karl and Ann, I think: Luke, make sure you walk with God.
Generosity
They’ll be the first to tell you that life in ministry hasn’t always been easy. They’ve been around the block enough times to see the good and the bad.
I remember sitting at their dinner table one night in 2006, with my napkin in my lap (<–their kids will get that 🙂 ) listening to them share about one of the more difficult times they experienced in ministry. It was a tough story, but I’ll never forget what Ann said about it. She said “Luke, you’ll experience this some day and when you do, You HAVE to take the high road.” Then Karl chimed in “She’s right, and God knows what He’s doing. You have to love them, and leave the rest to him.”
They’ve done that enough times now so see it work. When people are difficult, love them and trust God. Often times when you do that, they’ll come around.
When I think about Karl and Ann, I think: Don’t forget to take the high road.
Faithfulness
In their house in Haiti, they each have a chair. For Ann, it’s a rocker with a wicker seat and for Karl it’s a black wrought iron chair in the living room. Every morning – and I mean every morning – you will find them sitting in their chairs with their Bible open and they will be reading and praying. Reading and praying, reading and praying – day after day, week after week, year after year.
They are faithful through good seasons and bad. Through the busyness of hurricanes, coup d’états and an earthquake, every morning they show up for that appointment with the Lord.
If I had to point to one thing that has lead to their success in Haiti, I think it is this. They stay in the word, they listen to what it says and they respond to what they hear.
When I think about Karl and Ann, I think: Keep that morning appointment with the Lord.
I’m sad they are leaving Haiti. As that plane lifts off this afternoon, it will leave a void there that will be impossible to fill.
Karl and Ann made an impact. Lives have been touched and there are people on every corner of that island who love Jesus more because when God called them to go to Haiti, they said “yes.”
If you’re in Port-au-Prince today, when you hear the rumble of those DC-3 engines on the MFI plane as it lifts off the runway, would you say a prayer for them as they head into their next chapter of ministry?
If it’s half as good as this chapter has been, it’ll be a great success.
Who are the major influencers in your life? What have you learned from them? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear about it!
