Jean Bily Telfort is general secretary of the National Committee of Eglise des Freres Haitiens (the Church of the Brethren in Haiti).
Jean Bily Telfort is general secretary of the Comité National of Eglise des Freres Haitiens, the National Committee of the Haitian Church of the Brethren. He wrote the following on Dec. 31, as 2011 transitioned into 2012 (translated from Kreyol by Jeff Boshart):
To: Church of the Brethren USA
The peace of God be with you.
I am extremely happy today to give you this year-end greeting.
2011 – What a support and comfort 2011 was for me.
2011 – Well done in the way in which you helped my country Haiti.
2011 – We will be saying goodbye to 2011 in 7 hours.
2011+1=2012 – By faith in Jesus I’m wishing you a great 2012.
2012 – May you have blessings in your lives.
2012 – May you have progress in your lives.
2012 – In 2012 may God’s protection be with you.
2012 – May 2012 bring you good things that you have never seen in your lives.
2012 – May you have a year of good health for your families.
2012 – May this be a year in which God spares his children from danger, as he says, “I am with you always until the end,” and in Psalm 23, “The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not fear anything.” May his grace cover you each day of your life.
All that comes tomorrow will be good for you because the bride is waiting for her bridegroom. All will be well as we already have the oil or gas (Holy Spirit) in the lamp, therefore we need not fear for tomorrow.
I will finish by saying that I love you and thank you for how you all helped my country, my church, and my family.
A special thank you to Brother Roy (Winter) for the size of the love that God placed in your heart so that your thoughts and your work could help my country. I remember the condition my country was in. I saw how you were crying and that made me feel that in God’s family there is no discrimination. With your interventions, Br. Roy, the social condition of the lives of many people changed. Thank you because you agreed to support me with a salary as part of BDM’s (Brethren Disaster Ministries) activities. That helped me a great deal with my family. Thank you Br. Jeff (Boshart), Br. Jay (Wittmeyer), and everyone else. May God bless you greatly.
Happy New Year 2012.
La pe Bon Dye ak nou.
Mwen reyelman kontan jodi a poum ba nou denye salitasyon sa a.
2011 – Se te 2011 sipo ak sa te ye pou mwen.
2011 – Byenfe nan fason ke nou te ede Ayiti peyi pa m lan. Mwen pwofite di nou.
2011 – Remesiman pou tout sa nou te fe mwen pandan ane 2011 lan.
2011 – 2011 ap di nou babay apre 7h de tan.
2011+1=2012 – Pa la fwa nan jezi map deklare Bon ane 2012.
2012 – Benediksyon sou la vi nou.
2012 – Pwogre sou la vi nou.
2012 – Se 2012 pwoteksyon k’ap soti nan Bon Dye.
2012 – Se 2012 bagay ki bon ke nou pat janm fe nan lavi nou.
2012 – Yon ane de sante pou fanmi nou.
2012 – Yon ane ke Bondye va epanye pitit li yo de 2012 danje, ka li di. Mwen avek nou jouk sa kaba epi nan som 23 senye a se Beje nou nou pap pe anyen gras li va kouvri nou chak jou nan lavi nou. Tout sa ki va vini demen mwen ak ou lap bon pou nou paske nou se yon demwazel kap tan n menaj nou. Sa ki pi bon seke nou gen deja lwil ou byen gaz (Sentespri) nan lan lanp nou deja donk ke nou pa sote pou demen.
Ma fini pou mwen di nou kem renmen nou anpil e mesi pou tout fason nou te edem swa se peyim legliz mwen fanmiy mwen mesi.
Yon mesi espesyal pou fre Roy pou yon gwose lanmou Bondye te mete nan ke w pou te kapab panse anpil travay anpil pou w te ka edepeyim. Mwen sonje nan sitiyasyon peyim te ye. Mwen te we jan ou tap kriye mwen te fremi we sa. Sa te fem santi nan fanmi Bondye a pa gen diskriminasyon. Ak entevansyon ou yo fr Roy lavi sosyal anpil moun te chanje mesi paske nou te dako sipotem ak yon sale nan aktivite BDM. Sa te edem anpil ak fanmi m. Mesi fr Jeff, FR JAY, AK TOUT LOT MOUN. Ke Bondye beni nou anpil.
Bon ane 2012.
Fr. Telfort Jean Bily