02-05-2018
Mondays in Haiti consist of the two teams that are staying with Supply and Multiply (Magic School Bus and Tent) split up to do two different ministries. We drove to a specific mountain where my team split off to go help build a house while the other team went to spread the gospel.
As a small disclaimer, when I say build a house here, I mean from scratch. So today, Johan, Tim, and I sifted through rocks to get sand. The process is broad, so let me explain. Haiti does not have sand at the beaches, they have rocks. Haitians at the beach take big boulders and break them into smaller rocks, and keep doing that process until there are very small rocks. These men are making about $2 a day. Then, the hand crushed rocks are taken up a mountain to where this house is being built. This is where we come in. We took these small hand-made sifters to put rocks in and eventually come out with sand on the other end. That sand is mixed with water to make concrete to build the house in its entirety. So my morning was full of shaking a wooden sifter, and shoveling a pile of small rocks.
When we finally got done and were making our way down the mountain, we ran into Team Tent speaking with a family. The man of the family seemed very irritated and a little distant. I do not have the complete story, but after a little bit of talking, the family invited the team into their yard. One of the girls from the team told us to come with them and gave a very quick explanation about what the conversation was about. Apparently the man of the household had reservations about Christianity. Through those reservations, he began going to witch doctors with his family, and getting involved with voodoo.
I followed the group into this yard. The time I stepped foot into the area, I felt a different atmosphere. It was very dark spiritually; an extremely somber environment. We got to his house, some tin held up by branches, and stood around them. We asked if we could pray for him and his family. He had a hard time agreeing, but he did. We asked if we could lay hands on him and he replied with a very stern no, going on to tell us we could lay hands on his wife. At this time, the weight of spiritual warfare I feel going on is overwhelming. I am looking at all of my squadmates around me seeing if they were feeling the same thing. We began praying for God to reign down upon this family. I wish I could explain the power I felt the minute we started praying.
We finished praying and wrapped up our time there. We began to walk back to the bus and this experience weighed heavy on my heart. I made my way to the front of the group. Tears involuntaringly began streaming down my face. I began to ask God why my heart was broken so much. He replied immediately telling me, “Son, this is how I feel about them also”. I could not stop thinking of them the whole way down the mountain, and the whole ride back to the compound. And to be honest, they are still heavy on my heart. No, I do not know their names, but I do know they are one family out of many in this area that are wrapped up in false gods. They are blinded by satan as to what they see as “good”. My prayer for myself is that I can walk boldly before them proclaiming the love that God can so freely give them. My prayer for them is that God will break the walls and speak to them in a way they have never experienced before!
Let me remind you all that God is always moving among you. He is always doing work in the lives of others. He just needs you to be willing to go and be the mouth of truth for Him. Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us that God goes before us, and He will never leave us, nor abandon us. God was there with us today with that family. He was in a battle with the evil spirits in that yard, I could feel it.
Walk freely in His truth. Walk boldy in His love. Be one that never misses an opportunity to finish what He has already started!
Humbly,
Preston
