Guy Melton
Founding / Sr. Pastor – Oasis Church of South Florida
Pembroke Pines/ Fort Lauderdale Florida
Married 35 years to Tonia Gilmore Melton
Three adult sons
2 Grandsons, 1 Granddaughter
Pastoring a church with more than 80 countries represented presents some unique challenges but also some tremendous opportunities. The cultural diversity in South Florida and in Oasis Church allows us to experience life from many vantage points. Along with the experiences comes responsibility. For years I have felt a responsibility to assist our members to be sensitive to the countries and to make a difference to their home country.
As I prayed and considered where Oasis Church could do the most good, I looked throughout the Caribbean and even Central and South America since we have so many families from these countries and they are close to South Florida. The last place I felt a leaning was the country of Haiti. I felt there were just too many problems , from economic to political and other issues that were just to big to get my arms and mind around.
Two years ago, I began to have a burden for the Haitian people when watching a program on one of our major networks about the slave and sex trade happening between Haiti and the United States. My heart was broken and decided at that point I had to do something. After about 6 months of praying and considering what we could do as a church, the Earthquake hit on January 12, 2010. Billions of dollars flowed to Haiti and thousands of people went to help. While our church gave financially and with a semi trailer of goods to send, my feeling was our calling was for far longer than just the Earthquake. As I prayed for partnerships we could personally with it seemed like forever to find them. But once we found one, it has been like the floodgates have been open. We now have partnerships in all most all areas of Haiti. Most are associated with the members of our church, which has several hundred Haitians. Some are our own members and their families developing and building ministries and services to meet the needs of the elderly, education of children, rescuing and ministering to orphans, and starting churches that meet the spiritual needs as well as the community and social needs. Water is a major problem and we are now partnering with several organizations to bring clean drinking water to villages with none.
We are partnering with organizations and leaders that are already serving the people of Haiti. We vetted and get to know each one before sharing our resources and talents. Haiti can be a black hole for billions of dollars if it is not tracked and those receiving it being honorable and trusted. The partnerships we have are with people for the most part having been in Haiti for decades and have proven their value by the organizations they have built. They are ministering; serving, building, educating and loving the people of Haiti whether we are there are not. We are not interested in starting new ministry or a new organization. We don’t desire to be the face of anything in Haiti. We want to come along side of those who are doing a great work already and can even do more with our small and limited resources and talents. While a number of our Haitian members and others have already been ministering in Haiti and traveling back and forth, this summer we will also send 3 different groups to Haiti to bring Medical, Education, and spiritual help to those in the regions in and around St. Marc and Pignon.
Why am I riding a bike 1500 miles from Miami – New York City? I want to put my actions where my words are. As a pastor people hear me speak thousands of words from the pulpit. In this case they needed to see me speak with my actions. I needed to lead out in what is going to be a mission for the rest of my life and ministry. While I have never been an avid bike rider I felt this was a way I could call attention to the needs in Haiti and encourage others and challenge others to find something they can do for hurting people, whether in Haiti or the country they are from. Find a need and meet it. Actually you don’t have to look for needs, they are all around us. They find us. Find what God wants you to do and do it.
The purpose of the Bike Ride is to raise funds for Haitian Children and families in dire need, raise awareness of the drastic needs in Haiti and to challenge others to do something that is “Radical “for them. Why $55,000? I began thinking I could raise $10,000. That seemed massive and almost impossible being that South Florida has experienced the worst economy and recession in my lifetime. Most of our people at Oasis have had major financial setbacks, from losing jobs to losing houses. But after much consideration and prayer God laid $50,000 on my heart. I felt if $10,000 seemed impossible, well so would $50,000 and if I could raise that it would be of God for sure. I added $5,000 to that, since I turn 55 years old two days before I head out on the road on May 1st. so $1,000. For every year I have lived. Ultimately my goal is to raise $1,000,000.00 for the children and people of Haiti over the next 15 years. (All monies raised will be held and distributed by Oasis Church from a special account set up for Haiti. The funds and disbursement is overseen and approved by the leaders of Oasis Church a non profit organization of 20 years )
How will I do this? Many have asked many questions. Will I ride alone? Will I have back up? Will I camp, will I stay in Hotels. Will I ride day and night. How many miles a day will I ride? When will I arrive in NYC and how long will the ride take? Those are just a few questions.
It started in January with a 5 mile ride on my beach cruiser as I considered if this is really what I wanted to do and could I really do it. I have increased the miles weekly, ride daily and ride up to 40 miles at least once a week at this point. The goal is to get up to riding 70 miles in a day prior to the Ride that begins May 1st. It has been several months of reading, discussing with real Bikers and buying the many accessories it takes to Ride. I never would have imagined how much it takes to take Cycling really serious. From the right clothes, to the right bike, seat, shoes and tons of other details. The mapping is being done for each day and it began with goggling a map from South Florida to New York City. In the last month, we will bring the details down to how far we will ride each day the specific road and where we will camp at night. Everyday will be an adventure of riding where I have never ridden before and most cases never even been.
I will ride the best roads I can to stay as close to the East coast of the United States as possible. I will have a camper that is being loaned to me following me most days and will stay in it at night. There are volunteers who will drive and accompany me for approximately a week at time. Each week another volunteer will join me. Each of them are not only giving of their week but joining me as a 1,500 miler, meaning they are raising $1500 towards our goal of $55,000.
My goal is to ride 55 miles a day. I will take one day off a week from riding, hopefully it will be Sunday. There will be days I will probably ride 70 miles and some days I might only ride 30 miles depending on wind, hills, and weather.
I do not expect this to be easy. I expect it to be the greatest physical and psychological challenge of my lifetime. But when I think of the challenges of the typical Haitian living on between $1. And $2. A day and lives just to survive, it will keep me motivated. I am riding so the kids of Haiti who do not have a public education system like we do here can have an education provided by independent church and private schools. A child that may never have a chance to go to school can be educated for as little as $100. A year and this includes a meal a day, which might be the only meal they would have. As I ride I will be riding for the child or parent who might die of cholera or malaria just because they don’t have the few dollars it takes to have the medicine they need. The needs in Haiti go far beyond the Earthquake disaster and will be there throughout the country long after the quake cleanup is done.
I will be open to speaking at churches along the way or other gatherings. I will not try to fill everyday with meetings and speaking since it will take all I have in me to get on the bike and ride for more than a month, 1,500 miles.
Thank you for your interest in this “Radical” endeavor of mine and I invite you to join me as we make a difference one child at a time for the future of Haiti and their children. It won’t take a lot by many people, but a lot of people doing something. I want to challenge you to prayerfully consider what “Radical” calling God might want you to endeavor. Something bigger than yourself that will make a difference in someone else’s life.
