This is going to be more or less an update blog. Being that I didn’t have great internet in Haiti, I was unable to really share what was going on but I’m going to do my best to give you some insight into this past month for me.
In my last blog I mentioned the long cross-country trek that I made in a rickety van from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince. I arrived safely and immediately jumped into planning for the WR June Relief trip and the July squad logistics. Throughout the month, I met with quite a lot of pastors and ministry contacts that we would be working with for the summer months. I have to say, God opened doors in ways that I could never have imagined. I truly felt like he had ordained my steps. People were just so open to the vision and we were excited to hear their dreams for reaching their people. Needless to say, the World Race teams are in for a real treat when they head to Haiti this summer. These people are on fire and are expectant of the Lord’s movement in their nation.
I spent a lot of time also with the STM program that was on the ground in Port-au-Prince. Seeing as how this will be my community over the summer, it was extremely important for me to get to know them and invest time in community. I brought my guitar down mainly for personal time with Jesus, but it turned out to be a huge blessing. I was asked to lead worship several times for the incoming STM teams and it brought me such joy. I love being used by God to cultivate an environment and atmosphere of worship. Matt Redman says in one of his songs to “let worship be the fuel for mission’s flame”. It is so true. When we are able to get on board with God’s agenda through entering into worship, I believe we truly start seeing things the way that he sees them. We gain vision. So it is something that I very much find necessary in the mission field.
I visited several orphanages, made friends with some translators, and prayed with pastors. I heard their needs. I heard their hearts for their own people. I am so thrilled that we get to be the CHURCH to these people. God is the only one who gives hope, yet he chooses to use his body to accomplish his purposes on this earth. What a tremendous honor and joy it is to serve him! God has given me a heart for the Haitians and I can’t wait to get back down there.
Tomorrow I travel to reunite with the J-squad. I have been looking forward to this day ever since I left them on December 2nd. I pray that it will be a time of fun, fellowship, exhortation, and renewal. I get to spend a whole week with them praise God! After that, I will return home to prepare for the summer. I will be contacting our ministry partners in Haiti, making final adjustments, and spiritually preparing. I am hopeful and expectant to see God move in mighty ways, he always does. Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement as I continue on this journey. May God bless you all and I look forward to blogging more upon my return from Thailand!
