Thank You from Haitian Alumnus, Don Weaver
In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, DTS opened the Haiti Disaster Relief Fund. This fund has grown to over $350,000, all of which has been distributed to meet the needs of DTS's Haitian alumni.
One alumnus, Don Weaver (Th.M., 1958), received a portion of these funds as an encouragement for his own ministry and also was tasked to distribute funds to other DTS alumni serving in Haiti. He expresses his gratitude to Greg Hatteberg, director of Alumni, in the following correspondence.
October 28, 2010
Dear Greg,
Thank you so much for your abundant prayers on our behalf and Haiti. Our country of 51 years has suffered so greatly and continues to suffer. We appreciate you carrying Haiti on your heart.
We are extremely grateful for the wonderful gifts you made to the different alumni ministries in Haiti. They are being used and will be used to rebuild the ministries which were horribly affected by the earthquake on January 12. Amazingly, my wife and I left for the States on Monday, the day before the earthquake. It was our first time out of Haiti together in more than four years. We found out on Wednesday that our Fellowship House home of 31 years was destroyed.
As my wife and I stood before the rubble of our house when we returned to Haiti in April and viewed the piles of stones, in our deep sadness we saw riches in the rubble. From the dead and lifeless stones emerged living stones. The ministry to the business and professional community will continue through the living stones God has raised up.
My wife and I thank you so much for your gracious offer of continued help. This encourages and blesses us tremendously. . . . Again, thank you and may God give His grace in abundance.
In Jesus' amazing grace,
Don
November 4, 2010
Don,
Thank you for responding to the final DTS Haiti fund disbursement. We've now heard back from the DTS alumni and will be mailing you a check. . . .
. . . Your sacrifice and service is so appreciated. We hope these funds will be a help and encouragement to you.
We will continue to pray for you as you serve Him. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you! It has been such a privilege to watch and see the Lord work through you and the alumni of DTS!
In service to you and Him,
Greg Hatteberg
November 30, 2010
Dear Greg,
Winnie and I just arrived home Saturday evening after two months of travel participating in Missions Conferences in Scofield Memorial Church in Dallas, Texas, as well as Arlington, Virginia, and three churches in the Lancaster area in Pennsylvania. The trip was also an occasion to enjoy family members and visit long time friends we hadn't seen in many years.
In the tons of mail awaiting our return was your above and beyond gracious gift from the "Disburse Haiti Fund." We will use this to the best of our God-given ability. Winnie and I prayed together this morning for wisdom in the disbursement of the funds. The gift is a wonderful encouragement and will certainly help us to personally cover extensive personal losses due to the earthquake, but will also benefit our friends in Haiti who have suffered loss.
Winnie and I extend to you our deepest gratitude. Thank you. As I shared with many communities of believers on our trip, God's grace can be written in bold letters over all that has happened. Riches have come from the rubble of our Fellowship House home in terms of living stones who continue the ministry and in turn witness to the truth of God's sufficient grace.
In His amazing grace,
Don and Winnie
