HAITI – The Bible teaches us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn. Today is a day to mourn with Christian friends at Gospel to Haiti, where their mission is “Reaching the lost in the mountains of Haiti through medicine and building relationships.”

Mourning Together

Just a few days ago two missionary men associated with Gospel to Haiti perished in those same mountains as the small plane on which they were flying fell out of the sky during a 15-minute flight from Port-au-Prince to their mission station.

The victims were Trent Hostetler, 35, and John Miller, 43.

Hostetler and his wife, Erica, served as house parents at the mission base. They and their three children were returning from a furlough in the United States.

Miller had just begun a two-week Mobile Clinic Mission where he would contribute his skills for current projects. His wife, Saloma, remains in Wisconsin with their seven children.

The mountains in the accompanying picture are where Gospel to Haiti is working to reach the lost. They are the very same mountains into which the plane crashed.

Rejoicing Together

The Apostle Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 that we (Christians) need not sorrow as those who have no hope. We know that, regardless of how tragic this accident is, especially for the families and the ministry of Gospel to Haiti, our Creator-God is sovereign and in control, working all things together for our good according to His will.

How those blessings will unfold in the future remains to be seen. The miraculous works that the Lord wrought in the days and years following the deaths of five young missionary men in Ecuador in 1956.

Even now, during their time of grief, Erica Hostetler and her children can find comfort in having arrived at the station safely before the same plane returned to the capital city to transport Trent and John.

Enduring Together

The families have already had to endure long hours waiting for emergency crews to locate the plane’s wreckage. More waiting followed as search and rescue teams, including other missionaries, spent long and arduous hours trying to access the remote crash site.

All this happened while Port-au-Prince was rife with unrest following the assassination of the Haitian president and while the country was facing the onslaught of Elsa, a Category 1 hurricane, as it approached the island.

Carrying the Load Together

Paul told the Galatians (6:1-2) that we need to help bear each other’s burdens. It is still our responsibility to do so. To that extent, five days ago, Andrew Hershberger set up Go Fund Me accounts to provide financial aid and support for the Hostetler and Miller families. As I conclude this article, more than $59,000 has been pledged to reach the goal of $100,000 for the Miller family. Nearly $110,000 of the $150,000 goal has been donated for the Hostetler family.

If the Lord leads you to help these families to face their financial challenges, click here to reach the Miller family funding site and to see a picture of their entire family. The funding site for the Hostetler family can be accessed at this link.

Praying Together

“Heavenly Father, glorify your name in and through this tragedy. It is heart-wrenching, but we know that it is also part of your perfect plan. Please bring comfort, encouragement, and a more fervent passion for serving you into the lives of each remaining family member. Use them to serve you in ways far beyond all that we could hope for or ask. Please empower Gospel to Haiti to continue “Reaching the lost in the mountains of Haiti through medicine and building relationships.”

Read more news on Faith Based Organizations, Disaster Relief, and World Missions.