When Pastor Lubin Beaucejour (pictured, left) of International Center of Deliverance in Wallingford, Conn., set foot in Haiti on January 19th, he came armed with his entire team from his non-profit (Bethesda Evangelical Mission), medical doctors and missionaries. He also came armed with a motto in his heart:

"The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us."

This profound, yet simple motto, would soon become Pastor Lubin and his entire team's sentiment as they embarked upon their ambitious journey to Haiti, days after the 7.0 earthquake brought the impoverished country to its knees.

In this exclusive interview, Pastor Lubin takes Aol. Black Voices on an intimate journey inside Haiti and even sheds light on the devastation from a spiritual perspective: that yet even in the midst of chaos, there is still hope.

Black Voices: What was your initial reaction when you heard the devastating news that a 7.0 earthquake had hit your native land?

Pastor Lubin Beaucejour: At the time, I was shocked beyond measure, especially knowing the infrastructure of Haiti. I knew that Haiti would not be able to receive such a hit and survive. There were such a great amount of casualties. I was so shocked, and I couldn't put it in to words--to see what was happening there, knowing that my family and friends were there and our ministries were there. It was so overwhelming and so very shocking.

BV: You have been an ambassador of Haiti for so many years, providing people with education, food and medical care through your Bethesda Evangelical Mission. How did this devastation affect you personally?

LB: This tragedy has affected me greatly. Although I am living in the United States, my heart is still in Haiti. We really need to look at this situation as an opportunity, as a privilege to help the people of Haiti .While this has hit me hard, I am looking at this disaster as a way to turn things around and continue to do more for the people. BEM Ministry lost a lot of our buildings and properties, but all of those things can be rebuilt. I just left Haiti a few days ago, and I am already looking for a corporate private jet to take another trip back out to Haiti on February 15th; it is my desire to come back with a complete team of medical doctors and nurses with me when I go back. I have been in prayer and am looking to find this jet this week.

BV: How would you describe the atmosphere in Haiti during your most recent trip?

LB: Well, first off, the transit to reach Haiti was an unusual one. I did not have a chance to come the way I usually come; I had to go all the way through the Dominican Republic to reach Haiti. And as soon as I crossed the border, I saw a fleet of trucks in Port-Au-Prince coming to help the people. In Port-Au-Prince, we saw the worst state of poverty. People were looking for whatever they could put their hands on. Thank God that by then, a majority of the dead bodies had already been picked up. But there was this stench in the air, and you could clearly see that there was devastation all around. Everything was in complete disarray. To describe it in one word, it was like a war zone.

BV: Were you in Haiti when the 6.0 earthquake hit?

LB: Yes, I was there. The house I was in at the time was a pretty strong house, but I don't want to give the infrastructure the credit. I want to give the Lord the credit for keeping my team and I safe; all we felt was the shake. The Haitian family we were staying with later expressed to us that they would rather sleep outside, rather than in their own home, due to the fear that their house would collapse. That second earthquake only heightened the levels of fear and anxiety among the people.

BV: Was there anything in particular that you witnessed that sticks out in your mind?

LB: One unforgettable experience I will never forget was visiting the general hospital of Les Cayes, which doubled in population in less than 24 hours due to the fact that that city hadn't had as much of an impact from the earthquake as Port-Au-Prince had. The people of Port-Au-Prince flocked to the city of Les Cayes to take refuge there. The Governor of the Southern Peninsula and the Mayor of Les Cayes had to open soccer stadiums to give the people much needed shelter. We at Bethesda Evangelical Ministry were able to provide medicine, and in some instances, cash to help take care of the people. My team and I took two trucks of food to the Le Cayes hospital, and we went in to each person's room and gave them enough food to eat for three days. I will never forget the pediatrics unit. There we saw a child with one leg, we saw sickly babies, and that sight is something you can never erase from your mind.

BV: As a Pastor, what did you think of televangelist Pat Robertson's recent comment, when he stated that the cause of the earthquake occurred because Haiti made a pact with the devil to escape French oppression?

LB: I think Mr. Robertson didn't get enough sleep when making such a comment! This is not the time to really find out what the people did or did not do; it is not even human to think like that as an evangelist. I think that if he could take back those words, he would. It was a lack of wisdom at that time. We all know that Haiti has a background in Voodoo, but we also know that Haitian Christians are dedicated people. If you watch the major news network, you see people giving glory to God right next to dead bodies. The spiritual level is truly high. I do encourage the continuity of preaching the gospel so that the people can be stronger after the tragedy. An earthquake can hit anywhere. Earthquakes hit California, here in the United States and also the Middle East. So does that mean that God has cursed California and the Middle East? No. I know that nothing happens outside of God's knowledge. So for whatever reason, He allowed this earthquake to take place in Haiti, then so be it. As for me, I look at this from another perspective--perhaps God allowed this earthquake to happen to lead us to restore Haiti as a country.

BV: What do you think God wants us to take away from this disaster?

LB: For the people of Haiti, God's message is loud and clear: He is the author of life, he gives and he takes away. Nothing can happen unless God allows it to happen. For us, we need to look at this as an opportunity to help man kind. This is not the time for us to look at the recession and let that stop us from giving. We should all look at these people who have nothing and make a sacrificial offering.

BV: In the midst of the turmoil, what did you observe as far as the Haitian people's patriotism?

LB: The people's responses have been two-fold: For example, a lot of people want to leave Haiti because they don't have a place to stay. But I find that the majority of the people want to stay and witness the rehabilitation of their country. There is a dual way of thinking, depending on the person's personal philosophy, their way of thinking, and who you talk to. The faith-based community wants to stay and rebuild their country. Those who do not have much hope, just want to go.

BV: America is really rooting for Haiti, as well as many others. Nations are coming together to help the country. What is Haiti's perception of America?

LB: The people's expectations are very high. Right now, America is being respected by the Haitians for all the work they are doing. I applaud President Obama's efforts. He did not just say a prayer for the people of Haiti, but he is actually doing something to help the people. I admire the fact that our President asked for help by joining forces with [former] Presidents [George W.] Bush and Bill Clinton in a bi-partisan effort to help the people. When I was there, I saw our military personnel helping with security; there was some medical attention and food distribution.

BV: The people of Haiti appear to be a strong and resilient people. Every day you hear of these miraculous stories of people being rescued, surviving for weeks without food. Can you attest to the people's strength?

LB: For some reason, the people of Haiti have a strength that only God can give. We are talking about a people who are witnessing a 70 to 80 percent unemployment rate, which is extremely high. We complain in America when the unemployment rate reaches 10 percent, we are thinking that the world is coming to an end. The people of Haiti are used to this type of misery, so they tighten their belt for whatever comes. Most Haitians are malnourished because they just don't have the means to eat 3 meals like we do here in America. I believe that it is their dedication, their strength and the blessings from above that allows the people to endure and survive in the midst of devastation such as this.

BV: What does Haiti need the most right now?

LB: Haiti needs an entire rebuilding of its community. The infrastructure of the law, the buildings, the streets - everything must be rebuilt. Besides people's prayers, and God bless you's, the people of Haiti need help reconstructing their country so that it can rise above poverty. They need job creation and sound structure. We need to turn something so bad into something so good and help restore Haiti the way it should be. We need to help put law in order, and make it a country that we all can be proud of.


BV: Do you have any words of comfort, or wisdom you'd like to impart with the people of Haiti?

LB: My heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones in Haiti. I can't even imagine how the families would feel at a time like this. I was fortunate enough that my family was untouched, but if I put myself in their shoes, I don't know how they could stand and not weep every day. But we know that the word of God says that all things work together for those who love Christ. So to all those in Haiti, keep the faith, keep praying, keep your hope high, better days are ahead. I can't even imagine that Haiti would see worse than what we've seen within these last couple of weeks. For all of those who do not have a relationship with God, I would encourage them to experience a relationship with God; otherwise they will not have peace. To my beloved Haiti, you are a courageous nation, stand strong and continue to fight the good fight together. Stay in a state of unity, and Haiti can be back stronger than it was before.

Help Haiti here.