Our time in Haiti has truly been a blessing so far. The pastor that we’re living with has many different areas of ministries that we are able to be involved with. Before I get into what our ministry looks like, I’d like to share a story that Pastor Jean Claude told us on Monday.
There are about 30 people that live in the house where we are located. Some people just drop by for a meal, while others find room on the ground to sleep when there aren’t enough beds. It’s a very welcoming place where everyone knows their place to serve each other in daily chores, and the Lord is sought after in every decision that is made. They have welcomed us into their family and treat us as their own.
With that welcoming, they chose to include us in a house prayer on Monday night. Everyone that is staying at the house gathers together at 8pm to pray together. Children, teenagers, young adults, and elders gather to raise their hands and thank Jesus for His blessings. Pastor Jean Claude told us that they began the house prayer a few months before the earthquake. The night before the earthquake, Monday night, the family gathered together as usual to praise God for His goodness, and on Tuesday disaster struck. Yet, we are here 6 months later and they are still gathering on each Monday to Praise God for being faithful.
This house was basically untouched by the earthquake. A wall that surrounds the house fell on a child; when they tried to take him to the hospital, it was closed so they brought him back to the house. A medical missionary that came to help after the earthquake ended up staying here and helped with his injuries. Natasha, one of the women that lives here, decided to stay home from school on the day of the earthquake, without the thought that her school would crumble that very morning; she wouldn’t have lived if she didn’t feel a need to stay home.
The stories that I have heard make me question how people can think that life is coincidence. These people are seeking to bring the light of Jesus to this nation and God honored their lives and homes with protection from the earthquake. It’s humbling to see people cry out in desperation because they have lost everything, but they still rest in the knowledge that God is really all that they need.
Pastor always says “take me where you want to take me, even if I don’t want to go…Your will, not my own”. Haiti reminds me of the Israelites as they are wandering around after God used Moses to bring them out of Egypt. At times it may seem like He has forgotten them because of the devastation that they face, but He has promised to redeem them. It’s evident that they trust in His complete faithfulness in the joy that they possess. They set a high standard of truly worshiping the Lord with their lives; I have already learned so much from them, and continue to learn on a day to day basis.
Thank you for your continued prayer. Love and miss you!
