Outreach Baptist Church of Smithville is living up to its name. In existence for a little over a year, the new church plant has organized a missionary trip for a weeklong trip to Cap-Haïtien in the northern part of Haiti. Church members Anita Puckett, who also is Assistant Principal of Smithville Elementary School, Chana Roller, and Tayza Matthews will embark for the trip abroad with Mission Flights International out of Ft. Pierce, Florida on March 21.

"This thing kind of came together on a whim," says Puckett, whose daughter Kidman has committed to a year of missionary work there. "We were doing a send-off celebration with the kids at the church. They were doing cards of encouragement for Kidman to send her on her way."

Gerry Moliter, who helped Kidman with her trip to Haiti, asked the mother if she would be trying to get a trip together. One thing led to another, and the dates of departure were soon set.

"I felt a really strong burden," said Matthews after hearing details of the proposed trip. "I just knew that God wanted me to be there and to do this. I prayed for it a little bit before I absolutely decided I’m doing this. He definitely made a path for me to do this. All the financial things, I didn’t think it was possible at all, but He made it possible."

"More than anything, it’s a lot of unknown," says Puckett. "We’re hoping to pack up quite a bit of cargo to take and leave there. All the clothes that we’re going to be wearing throughout the seven days that we’re there, we’re going to leave for the orphanage. Basically, everything we’re taking, we’re going to be donating to Haiti."

Part of the mission team’s work will be focused on Vacation Bible School style assistance at the EBAC Orphanage where Kidman lives with about 125 orphans. They’ll also be taking care of painting and other physical improvements to the building.

"The reason for going to Haiti is simple obedience to the great commission in Matthew 28:19," explains OBC Pastor Nathan Thomason. "Jesus has commanded us to go into all the world, preaching the gospel, baptizing converts, and making disciples"

"Our church is driven by a burden for lost souls," Thomason adds. "We feel called by God, as all Christians should, to reach this lost and dying world. Whether it be a bus kid living behind the church in Short Mountain Village or a Haitian orphan … our mission is to introduce sinners to the Savior wherever God opens doors for us to minister."

Of course, Puckett, who has been on other mission trips including to Brazil and Belize, is interested in visiting her daughter, but this trip represents more to her. It’s an opportunity to help an impoverished third world nation.

"When you think about an entire family of five living off $300 for the entire year, it’s something that we’ve not encountered. If we don’t bring it, they don’t have it, no matter what."

"There is no industry there, no factories. You think about how can I change things there? Here 200 years ago, the first things that started to revolutionize this place would have been a shirt factory. They don’t even have those things."

Not only does Haiti suffer financial woes, the country also struggles with spiritual warfare.

"Over 200 years ago during the Haitian revolt, they actually made a deal with the devil for their freedom," explains Puckett. "The 200 year contract ended back in the early 1990s. When you fly over this country, you can see the darkness over Haiti compared to the Dominican Republic, and the lands are connected. Their predominant religion there is Voodoo. You feel it. The darkness is there, and we want to make a change. More and more Americans are going into Haiti because there’s a great need there to allow the Holy Spirit to take over what the devil has done."

"I just want to tell them about Jesus," adds Matthews, who is taking her first flight and mission trip. "This will definitely impact my life and change the way that I see things because I’ve never been exposed to a third world country. I’ve never been in a situation to where I see all these things. I think once I come home I can definitely tell people about it and bring more awareness to it and it will kind of change the way I live my life here."