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Stories & Blog
In the Wrong Place at the Right Time
HAITI — Meet Ruben: illustrator, painter, musician. He loved the arts from childhood, but in Haiti, where basic survival is the focus of every day, artistic talent isn’t a highly valued skill.
“You need to get a job,” Ruben’s family told him. “Go and study computers.”
So he did. He moved to Port-au-Prince and began to take classes. Then on Jan. 12, 2010, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit. Ruben’s classroom collapsed and most of the students died inside. But Ruben wasn’t in class that day! His computer had a virus and he had taken it elsewhere that morning to be fixed.
With Port-au-Prince in rubble and chaos, Ruben moved back home to his family and his friends at the nearby House of Hope (HOH). He had spent many of his teenage days at HOH, a Crossworld partner ministry for children with long-term medical needs. Though Ruben didn’t need the medical care, he soaked up spiritual nourishment at HOH, where people loved him and encouraged him to use his God-given abilities.
“Thank you for letting me return — this is where I feel safe,” Ruben said to the staff at HOH. “God spared my life in the earthquake! I want to serve Him from now on, but not with computers. I want to serve Him through art.”
“If your family agrees, we will sponsor you to study art,” said Jenny, a Crossworld worker at HOH.
Ruben’s family did agree, and now he is finishing his art degree in Haiti. For each break, he returns to HOH to do crafts with the younger kids and encourage them in their faith. (See the photo above.) He performs concerts around northern Haiti, using music to tell people about Jesus. And when he finishes his degree, he’ll be able to get a job and provide for his mother and younger brothers. True to his word, Ruben is using art — both his gift and passion — to serve Christ.
“You need to get a job,” Ruben’s family told him. “Go and study computers.”
So he did. He moved to Port-au-Prince and began to take classes. Then on Jan. 12, 2010, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit. Ruben’s classroom collapsed and most of the students died inside. But Ruben wasn’t in class that day! His computer had a virus and he had taken it elsewhere that morning to be fixed.
With Port-au-Prince in rubble and chaos, Ruben moved back home to his family and his friends at the nearby House of Hope (HOH). He had spent many of his teenage days at HOH, a Crossworld partner ministry for children with long-term medical needs. Though Ruben didn’t need the medical care, he soaked up spiritual nourishment at HOH, where people loved him and encouraged him to use his God-given abilities.
“Thank you for letting me return — this is where I feel safe,” Ruben said to the staff at HOH. “God spared my life in the earthquake! I want to serve Him from now on, but not with computers. I want to serve Him through art.”
“If your family agrees, we will sponsor you to study art,” said Jenny, a Crossworld worker at HOH.
Ruben’s family did agree, and now he is finishing his art degree in Haiti. For each break, he returns to HOH to do crafts with the younger kids and encourage them in their faith. (See the photo above.) He performs concerts around northern Haiti, using music to tell people about Jesus. And when he finishes his degree, he’ll be able to get a job and provide for his mother and younger brothers. True to his word, Ruben is using art — both his gift and passion — to serve Christ.
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