First things first, I’m better. (to prove it, I did a mile and a half hike to a waterfall today and jumped off a 25 foot cliff…) Thank you so much for your prayers. I’ve gotten emails about at least a dozen churches praying for me, and it’s a bit overwhelming to see the body of Christ standing behind me like y’all are…and God is faithful to answer the prayers of his children.
It’s been exciting to not only watch the way God has healed my body, but to watch the things he taught me in the midst of being down. Some of those things are probably mentioned below…
(but before that, because it’s an awesome picture, here I am with the IV on my arm…)
We have had the blessing of working with some amazing contacts this month. Amos, translating for me above, is Haitian borne and has as pure of a heart for the people here that I’ve ever seen. In the picture above, I’m preaching to a community that he very specifically is burdened for. I’m learning that passions are contagious, and if someone can show me their heart, it’s easier to develop a similar heart for the people they love.
I’ve had the joy of sharing the gospel in a lot of various situations this month. Earlier this morning, I shared the Good News with a man wearing an American Flag shirt. As the group and I shared with him, it became apparent that he was living in a home heavily involved in the practice of Voodoo. He was afraid that if he accepted Christ it would mean that his family would abandon him, that he would go without food, or that he’d have no money to purchase clothes. But because of the power of Scripture and the Holy Spirit, he was able to get past his excuses and find real freedom, joy and love in Jesus.
Amos and Lubens (another YWAM contact we’re working with this month) have shared that two of the things the Haitian people in Jacmel struggle with is that God is bigger and more powerful than the visible effects of voodoo, but also that there is hope through Christ. Can I help these people to believe that God is a God who calms storms, even if they don’t see the waves die down? Can I help them to know that Christ is their hope, even if they remain in poverty, hungry, and naked?
I’m going to make a bold statement and say that the answer to that is no. I, in my own strength, cannot. No cleverly crafted argument will win their hearts. But the Holy Spirit fell on a lot of hearts this month, tearing down walls built up over years. As we read scripture, and shared the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God moved. It’s funny, I don’t know exactly how to explain the spiritual warfare I’ve seen this month, because honestly, it’s been real and it’s been heavy…and I probably wont go into detail here because I’m still studying scripture to show myself approved unto God as a workman who knows how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. But God is teaching me that the heart of all spiritual warfare was done at the cross. It was on the cross that Christ disarmed all powers and authorities. It was on the cross that Satan was crushed under God’s heel. And I stand with God. Whatever is under his heel is under my heel. The cross brought freedom, the cross brought hope, the cross brought forgiveness, and the cross brings rest.
So more than ever, we preach Jesus crucified. Paul laughed at the simplicity and seeming foolishness of that message, but admitted that he preached one thing, Christ crucified. So I do the same…and that’s hope. That’s freedom. That’s joy. That’s peace.
Kids continue to be the ones who respond as we teach the gospel. The kid on my lap in this picture is a boy by the name of Saint Hubert. (It’s too sweet of a name to make up!) He lives at the orphanage on the YWAM base. It’s funny, because at breakfast this morning, I heard the Lord ask me a question. He asked me, “What are the orphans teaching you?” I thought I had misunderstood the question, cause I was sure the question God would ask me is, “what have you taught the orphans?” To that question, I had lots of answers. We led a VBS…I taught them all sorts of stories, showed them love, etc. But that wasn’t God’s question.
Instead of listening, I’ve been busy talking. Instead of learning, I’ve been busy teaching. But God has shown me he wants me to be a man who is able to find Him in the way an orphan plays with a rock in the front yard. He wants me to learn of His love and compassion as these children share clothes and look out for each other. He wants me to appreciate the blessing I have in the Godly parents and grandparents he has given me. So today I start learning more than teaching. I start listening more than talking.
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Prayer requests:
-tomorrow is our last day of ministry in haiti. pray that we end well. pray that our drive back to the DR will go well.
-pray for a team we’ve shared meals with. they have a machine that turns salt water into chlorine to purify water. one liter of salt water makes enough chlorine to clean water for 500 gallons. their ministry is spectacular, and i ask you pray the Lord allows them to bring these gifts to as many people as possible. their names are Tash, Eddie, Hannah, and Chad.
-pray for the numerous children and adults we’ve prayed with to receive Christ this month. i specifically ask you to pray for a man named Gregory.
-our translator, Yugens, is a great man who is learning scripture well and is asking great questions. pray that the Lord continues to bring people into his life to disciple and train him up as he prepares to one day walk into the position he feels the Lord calling him to, to be a missionary to all of the Caribbean.
