Brian and Lynette Smith of Meadville, Pennsylvania, have been endorsed to serve as missionaries in Haiti through American Baptist International Ministries (IM). They will work in partnership with the Haitian Baptist Convention.

Brian, well-versed in construction and the manager of a flooring enterprise in Meadville, will work with both local and visiting mission teams in building and maintenance projects for the Cap Haitien Eye Center, the Christian University of Northern Haiti and the Convention Hospital.

Lynette, a doula student at DONA International, will focus on sharing God’s love with the women of Haiti, provide instruction on basic hygiene and self-care skills and also lead creative art workshops to empower women and children in their gifts of creativity.

The couple’s home church is Cambridge Springs First Baptist Church, where, Lynette explains, “We came to learn about IM through the congregation’s support of missionaries and through service in the church’s mission committee.” Brian’s first international mission trip was to Tijuana, Mexico, where IM missionaries Adalia and Ray Schellinger influenced his faith journey. “Ray has been a mentor to me,” Brian says.

Much prayer, thought and a visit to Haiti led the couple toward service there. “God has taught my wife and me many valuable lessons through trials and tribulations,” Brian explains. “While in Haiti I could see how the different detours we have taken in life have taught us skills, experience and valuable lessons for working with Haitians in need. While considering many countries and ministries for our work, we came to plainly see that Haiti is the best fit for us.”

Lynette says, “I cannot wait to serve my Haitian brothers and sisters in the name of Jesus by providing life skills and love to empower and encourage them to new hope and to sharing that hope with their neighbors.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people in their everyday lives and simply ‘doing life alongside’ them,” Lynette adds. “This ministry will combine my past experiences and skills with my passion for women’s health, making things new and most importantly sharing the overwhelming unconditional love and grace of Jesus with a people that have taken a special place in my heart.”

In addition to helping to care for the building and maintenance needs of the Convention, Brian explains that he is “most excited to teach Haitians a trade and craft so that they can support their families while at the same time showing them the love that Christ has shown me.”

“Brian and Lynette are great examples of how God calls us through experiences when we are open and listening to God’s voice,” comments Adalia Gutiérrez Lee, IM area director for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean. “God can use every skill and passion we have to serve others with love and compassion. I am so grateful to be serving with colleagues who so lovingly and freely are following God’s lead.”

An inspirational Bible passage for Brian is 1 John 3:17-18: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word and talk but in deed and in truth.” Lynette is moved by Ephesians 2:1-13. She summarizes: “It’s God’s gift from start to finish! God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”

As an endorsed missionary couple, the Smiths will be working in the months ahead to build their Mission Partnership Network. They will be inviting individuals, groups and churches to partner with them by committing to share the spiritual, relational and financial support needed to begin her ministry in Haiti.

The couple has two sons—Richard, 10, and Calen, 4—who will be continuing their studies in the International Christian School in Cap Haitien while living with their parents.

To learn more about the Smiths' ministry, visit their profile page on the IM website. You may send words of encouragement and support by emailing them at brian.smith@internationalministries.org or lynette.smith@internationalministries.org.

IM welcomes comments on Facebook.

For more information, contact catherine.nold@internationalministries.org.

American Baptist International Ministries works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God's reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation.