Wow, what a journey. This week has been the hardest week most of these youth have ever worked in their lives. We leave feeling great about accomplishing what we felt called to do and thankful that through the blood, sweat and mud God used us to further His kingdom. Today was a challenge for everyone is there was very little left in the tank. I would just look around at their faces and saw the fatigue of a long week of work and sacrifice. But they pushed through and today we dedicated a duplex to the families, prayed for them and they moved right in!! What a blessing to be a part of something like that. They were so, so grateful and could not wait to move in. The other duplex is just about done and another is right on its tail. God's people are being provided for one cinder block at a time. Thank you again for your prayers and support. The many months of planning and fundraising for this trip were a blessing and we couldn't feel more loved and cared for by you all back home. How amazing the body of Christ is! We rejoice that the Lord has brought everyone through free from harm and sickness. What an amazing testimony. We all look so forward to seeing family and friends again and returning home. Tonight the challenge was to continue this when they go home. The evil one will desire more than ever to pummel them with lies and temptation to try and get them to forget all that He did on this trip. It's my prayer that each one will never be the same and seek to continue serving the Lord in everything back home. The Lord still has much He desires to do in and through these youth! I'm just pumped to see what all that is :) We love you all and as I've said all along - ALL Praise and Honor goes to our God for what has been accomplished these past 10 days.
For all you parents picking up children tomorrow night at the church - our flight is scheduled to arrive in JFK at 6:05. It is about a 3 and a half hour drive home but I am also going to account for at least an hour to go through customs and load up all our luggage into the coach bus. I'm going to say to plan on 10:30-11pm at the church tomorrow night. If it appears it will be later we'll have them call. Looking forward to seeing everyone!!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The End Draws Near...
Hey all,
God is good! We just got done with our team meeting and discovered that all 5 or 6 people that were feeling slightly under the weather last night are completely better! Sickness has tried to creep in several times but we continue to rejoice at how the Lord has brought immediate healing. To travel home with 27 healthy bodies would be such a blessing! And a miracle in my mind...
Today was another hard day of work and the kids got a lot done. All of the posts for a third duplex in Timonette are set and the roof will be ready to get started tomorrow. Our group has been able to take part in helping largely with 3 different duplexes - which will house a total of 6 families. We've also seen 6 of the tin homes get built in the other town of Parisse. It has been neat talking with the Haitians and hearing their stories. Today Jeremy shared about a conversation he had with a man who had lost both his father and mother in the earthquake. The man was still so positive and declared "don't pity me, I have God. I'm living the life..." Wow, what a thing to say for someone who has just gone through so much. To be able to take part in providing solid housing for these precious people of God is an absolute honor. All of us have been greatly humbled and recognize in a much deeper level the many blessings God has given us. Spirits are still high and there appears to be enough energy in the tank for one more work day :) I did ask the kids tonight who all is ready to go home - and they all raised their hands. I told them thats a good thing because home is reality - and we ought to be excited to continue the things God has taught us and shown us back at home. (I think they were thinking of things more like pizza, good fresh water, warm showers, deodorant and shampoo that actually has a smell, mcdonalds, paved roads, not getting up at 5:30 every morning...) It really is so great to have experiences like these because all of these youth will never forget what it was like to live in Haiti for 10 days. They will forever remember the conditions that others live in and the poverty that much of the world is stricken with - and with that knowledge it is my hope it will propel them to give thanks to the Lord all the more for His many blessings. All we have is a gift from God - we only have it because He chose to allow us to have it. May He receive all honor and glory in every aspect of our lives.
Again I have been so impressed with the attitudes of these youth and couldn't be happier or more blessed with how things have gone. The Lord has been so good and has provided our every need. As one of the youth shared tonight in their devotional - one of the biggest things God has shown all these youth is the power of prayer. We look forward to tomorrow and making the most of our last day here! (we are also all very excited for Fried Chicken Friday - they have rice and stew every night except for every Friday they make a special meal). But more importantly we are excited to give it our all in this last day and to be able to pray for the family that will be moving into one of the duplexes. My post tomorrow night will be the last! Wow, I can hardly believe it. Continue to pray for strength in the last day! (I keep saying last day because Saturday is literally all travel from 8am to 11pm). You can also begin praying for safety in all that travel on Saturday. Be Blessed!
God is good! We just got done with our team meeting and discovered that all 5 or 6 people that were feeling slightly under the weather last night are completely better! Sickness has tried to creep in several times but we continue to rejoice at how the Lord has brought immediate healing. To travel home with 27 healthy bodies would be such a blessing! And a miracle in my mind...
Today was another hard day of work and the kids got a lot done. All of the posts for a third duplex in Timonette are set and the roof will be ready to get started tomorrow. Our group has been able to take part in helping largely with 3 different duplexes - which will house a total of 6 families. We've also seen 6 of the tin homes get built in the other town of Parisse. It has been neat talking with the Haitians and hearing their stories. Today Jeremy shared about a conversation he had with a man who had lost both his father and mother in the earthquake. The man was still so positive and declared "don't pity me, I have God. I'm living the life..." Wow, what a thing to say for someone who has just gone through so much. To be able to take part in providing solid housing for these precious people of God is an absolute honor. All of us have been greatly humbled and recognize in a much deeper level the many blessings God has given us. Spirits are still high and there appears to be enough energy in the tank for one more work day :) I did ask the kids tonight who all is ready to go home - and they all raised their hands. I told them thats a good thing because home is reality - and we ought to be excited to continue the things God has taught us and shown us back at home. (I think they were thinking of things more like pizza, good fresh water, warm showers, deodorant and shampoo that actually has a smell, mcdonalds, paved roads, not getting up at 5:30 every morning...) It really is so great to have experiences like these because all of these youth will never forget what it was like to live in Haiti for 10 days. They will forever remember the conditions that others live in and the poverty that much of the world is stricken with - and with that knowledge it is my hope it will propel them to give thanks to the Lord all the more for His many blessings. All we have is a gift from God - we only have it because He chose to allow us to have it. May He receive all honor and glory in every aspect of our lives.
Again I have been so impressed with the attitudes of these youth and couldn't be happier or more blessed with how things have gone. The Lord has been so good and has provided our every need. As one of the youth shared tonight in their devotional - one of the biggest things God has shown all these youth is the power of prayer. We look forward to tomorrow and making the most of our last day here! (we are also all very excited for Fried Chicken Friday - they have rice and stew every night except for every Friday they make a special meal). But more importantly we are excited to give it our all in this last day and to be able to pray for the family that will be moving into one of the duplexes. My post tomorrow night will be the last! Wow, I can hardly believe it. Continue to pray for strength in the last day! (I keep saying last day because Saturday is literally all travel from 8am to 11pm). You can also begin praying for safety in all that travel on Saturday. Be Blessed!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Homes, Homes and more Homes
Alo (Hello),
Today was yet another very, very tiring day. Anywhere from building and assembling sets and sets of windows, doors and their frames, to shoveling hundreds of scoops of dirt, to carrying cinder blocks, to chopping down thorny brush with a machete, to mixing concrete... You get the idea :) Today was definitely the biggest test for our bodies. It was actually overall better than yesterday as far as weather because we were blessed with frequent cloud cover, but being the middle of the week and having just done 2 very tough work days made everyone feel pretty stretched. This is quite the challenge for everyone and it is beginning to catch up to some of us. Several are having slight coughs, slight congestion and some sunburn. But we spoke with a YWAM staff and they said that usually happens to almost everyone because of all the dust (it is extremely dry and dusty where we have been working). Still no serious illness so we continue to praise God for that! I am also amazed at how the Lord has prevented injuries to anyone. Looking at the list above of what all we've been doing, combined with the crazy driving they do here in Haiti makes for lots of opportunities for injury. But the Lord has been so faithful to this group - most of the kids have lots of scrapes on their legs from doing machete work, and we've used lots of bandaids for little, minor scrapes but other than that - nothing. This has by far been the most intense missions trip I've been on/lead and it's been so great to watch everyone respond so well. I can tell the kids are beginning to anticipate coming home (I myself am a bit excited for some air conditioning and ice cream :) but they are really grabbing hold of the challenge that we need to end well. We are not done yet - the Lord can do many things in 2 days. We continue to pray He will give us opportunities to extend hope and salvation. A man on crutches was prayed for today by a few people in our group - and afterwards he was able to stand and walk for the first time in 6 months. Who knows what all the Lord has for these last 2 days - all we know is that we desire to be an instrument for Him to accomplish His will! The evil one would wish to bring fatigue and lack of energy and zeal, but our God is bigger and will provide for His people. We continue to feel every one of your prayers - thank you for joining this battle with us. I encourage you as well - end strong! Persevere in prayer over these last 2 days - it's more important than ever as the element of fatigue gets stronger. I do look forward to seeing many of you soon on Sunday and for all in the group to share their experiences and stories with you. As we sung tonight in worship - How Great Is Our God!
Today was yet another very, very tiring day. Anywhere from building and assembling sets and sets of windows, doors and their frames, to shoveling hundreds of scoops of dirt, to carrying cinder blocks, to chopping down thorny brush with a machete, to mixing concrete... You get the idea :) Today was definitely the biggest test for our bodies. It was actually overall better than yesterday as far as weather because we were blessed with frequent cloud cover, but being the middle of the week and having just done 2 very tough work days made everyone feel pretty stretched. This is quite the challenge for everyone and it is beginning to catch up to some of us. Several are having slight coughs, slight congestion and some sunburn. But we spoke with a YWAM staff and they said that usually happens to almost everyone because of all the dust (it is extremely dry and dusty where we have been working). Still no serious illness so we continue to praise God for that! I am also amazed at how the Lord has prevented injuries to anyone. Looking at the list above of what all we've been doing, combined with the crazy driving they do here in Haiti makes for lots of opportunities for injury. But the Lord has been so faithful to this group - most of the kids have lots of scrapes on their legs from doing machete work, and we've used lots of bandaids for little, minor scrapes but other than that - nothing. This has by far been the most intense missions trip I've been on/lead and it's been so great to watch everyone respond so well. I can tell the kids are beginning to anticipate coming home (I myself am a bit excited for some air conditioning and ice cream :) but they are really grabbing hold of the challenge that we need to end well. We are not done yet - the Lord can do many things in 2 days. We continue to pray He will give us opportunities to extend hope and salvation. A man on crutches was prayed for today by a few people in our group - and afterwards he was able to stand and walk for the first time in 6 months. Who knows what all the Lord has for these last 2 days - all we know is that we desire to be an instrument for Him to accomplish His will! The evil one would wish to bring fatigue and lack of energy and zeal, but our God is bigger and will provide for His people. We continue to feel every one of your prayers - thank you for joining this battle with us. I encourage you as well - end strong! Persevere in prayer over these last 2 days - it's more important than ever as the element of fatigue gets stronger. I do look forward to seeing many of you soon on Sunday and for all in the group to share their experiences and stories with you. As we sung tonight in worship - How Great Is Our God!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Did Someone Turn Up The Heat In Here??
Hello again!
Wow, does sleep ever sound good right now :) Tonight myself and most of the group is feeling much more exhausted than we did last night. Today was the hardest we've worked yet. They asked if we could leave earlier this morning and go at 7 instead of 8, and what do ya know the youth were totally on board. Us leaders are trying to keep up with these crazy kids!! It is so neat and I am just constantly almost brought to tears listening to these youth and what God is teaching them on this trip. I continue to be amazed at watching how God works. So anyhow, this morning the group worked on mixing concrete right there on the ground and setting the poles for the main frame of one of the duplexes. The girls spent most of the day putting together window and door frames for both of the duplexes and painting them all. It was great to feel like all could contribute (it can be tough at times keeping everyone busy because of such a large group). Myself and another youth helped with some roofing of the one duplex (I remembered I'm terrified of heights) and other odds and ends. The kicker of the day was that they had a huge group go to a new plot of land YWAM purchased in Timonette and gave them all machetes. It made for a great picture. They went and hacked down a quarter of an acre of brush and came back with all kinds of cuts on their legs. They are truly sacrificing their bodies for the kingdom!
It is quite the challenge being out in the pounding, over 100 degree sun for 8 hours straight and to keep up the energy. Many are feeling the effects of lots of sun but noone is seriously burnt or ill from it. Heather showed the beginning signs of sun poisoning on her hands but she feels perfectly fine - we'll just need to make sure we are keeping an eye on that for each person. Everyone is doing really well drinking ridiculous amounts of water and taking precaution when needed. I looked at the weather and it appears it is not going to be cooling down at all in the next few days. Tomorrow has a heat index of 112 and Thursday at 115. Pray that the Lord will protect us from the suns rays and prevent any long-lasting damage. We fully trust He will do that and that all will be just fine. There seems to be no fear in this group and the youth are trusting the Lord to provide and protect for them.
Now for the really cool stories of today... Brianna Garber took a few girls from the group at one point and went around to the tent community set up in Timonette to talk and pray with them. (these people were put in tent houses shortly after the earthquake and YWAM is now working to get them moved to these sturdier "Homes of Hope" - similar to what they're doing with the tin homes in Parisse). So they went from tent to tent and spoke with the Haitians with a translator. They prayed with one woman that was pregnant and feeling sick in her stomach and she immediately began to feel better. A woman that was nearby evidently saw the power behind what we were doing, she approached Brianna and the others and said she "wants to be a good person." Our group than explained to her that she can only find peace in Jesus and she said she wanted to accept Him into her life. Salvation was extended to that woman and she received it! Hallelujah! It didn't stop there though, the Lord had more on His agenda. They also spoke with a man that said he also wanted to live a better life and said that he was not a Christian but that he wanted to be. So, he too became a believer in Jesus and prayed to give his life to the Lord. They also prayed for a man on crutches and by the time they finished praying he had a huge grin and was feeling much, much better. I believe in this stuff, I believe the Lord desires to use His people to touch lives not just spiritually but physically as well - all to the glory of His name. It wasnt like these people started feeling better and said "great, thanks" and moved on. They were compelled to draw to this God of power and to seek Him further. Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow will be yet another hot day and will probably feel long at times. But I encouraged the youth tonight that it is a great sign of maturity and commitment to END WELL. We have experienced so much and feel like we've been able to accomplish great things in Christ's name so far, but we need to end well. So I look forward to seeing how the Lord gives us the strength and endurance to push through these next few days and to give everything we have. Continue to pray for that strength. All 27 are still up and active and feeling physically great. Monica had a minor cough today and her voice was a bit strained so pray the Lord would heal her up. To think we have a group this size and not even one has fallen sick with even a simple upset stomach is by itself evidence of God's provision. The Lord be praised!
Wow, does sleep ever sound good right now :) Tonight myself and most of the group is feeling much more exhausted than we did last night. Today was the hardest we've worked yet. They asked if we could leave earlier this morning and go at 7 instead of 8, and what do ya know the youth were totally on board. Us leaders are trying to keep up with these crazy kids!! It is so neat and I am just constantly almost brought to tears listening to these youth and what God is teaching them on this trip. I continue to be amazed at watching how God works. So anyhow, this morning the group worked on mixing concrete right there on the ground and setting the poles for the main frame of one of the duplexes. The girls spent most of the day putting together window and door frames for both of the duplexes and painting them all. It was great to feel like all could contribute (it can be tough at times keeping everyone busy because of such a large group). Myself and another youth helped with some roofing of the one duplex (I remembered I'm terrified of heights) and other odds and ends. The kicker of the day was that they had a huge group go to a new plot of land YWAM purchased in Timonette and gave them all machetes. It made for a great picture. They went and hacked down a quarter of an acre of brush and came back with all kinds of cuts on their legs. They are truly sacrificing their bodies for the kingdom!
It is quite the challenge being out in the pounding, over 100 degree sun for 8 hours straight and to keep up the energy. Many are feeling the effects of lots of sun but noone is seriously burnt or ill from it. Heather showed the beginning signs of sun poisoning on her hands but she feels perfectly fine - we'll just need to make sure we are keeping an eye on that for each person. Everyone is doing really well drinking ridiculous amounts of water and taking precaution when needed. I looked at the weather and it appears it is not going to be cooling down at all in the next few days. Tomorrow has a heat index of 112 and Thursday at 115. Pray that the Lord will protect us from the suns rays and prevent any long-lasting damage. We fully trust He will do that and that all will be just fine. There seems to be no fear in this group and the youth are trusting the Lord to provide and protect for them.
Now for the really cool stories of today... Brianna Garber took a few girls from the group at one point and went around to the tent community set up in Timonette to talk and pray with them. (these people were put in tent houses shortly after the earthquake and YWAM is now working to get them moved to these sturdier "Homes of Hope" - similar to what they're doing with the tin homes in Parisse). So they went from tent to tent and spoke with the Haitians with a translator. They prayed with one woman that was pregnant and feeling sick in her stomach and she immediately began to feel better. A woman that was nearby evidently saw the power behind what we were doing, she approached Brianna and the others and said she "wants to be a good person." Our group than explained to her that she can only find peace in Jesus and she said she wanted to accept Him into her life. Salvation was extended to that woman and she received it! Hallelujah! It didn't stop there though, the Lord had more on His agenda. They also spoke with a man that said he also wanted to live a better life and said that he was not a Christian but that he wanted to be. So, he too became a believer in Jesus and prayed to give his life to the Lord. They also prayed for a man on crutches and by the time they finished praying he had a huge grin and was feeling much, much better. I believe in this stuff, I believe the Lord desires to use His people to touch lives not just spiritually but physically as well - all to the glory of His name. It wasnt like these people started feeling better and said "great, thanks" and moved on. They were compelled to draw to this God of power and to seek Him further. Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow will be yet another hot day and will probably feel long at times. But I encouraged the youth tonight that it is a great sign of maturity and commitment to END WELL. We have experienced so much and feel like we've been able to accomplish great things in Christ's name so far, but we need to end well. So I look forward to seeing how the Lord gives us the strength and endurance to push through these next few days and to give everything we have. Continue to pray for that strength. All 27 are still up and active and feeling physically great. Monica had a minor cough today and her voice was a bit strained so pray the Lord would heal her up. To think we have a group this size and not even one has fallen sick with even a simple upset stomach is by itself evidence of God's provision. The Lord be praised!
Monday, July 26, 2010
A True Haiti Experience
Bonswa,
Well, it is safe to say we officially got our first FULL, 100% Haiti heat experience. Up until today it has been unseasonably cool and we have had great cloud cover which really was a blessing. Today was very hot and sunny and everytime I looked at anyone in our group they were drenched in sweat. It was awesome!! It really is so rewarding to put in such a hard day of work realizing that it is being done all for the glory of God and for His kingdom purposes. It makes it all worth it and then some. Today 5 youth along with Dustin and Janelle went to Parisse to work on more tin homes like we did on Friday. The rest went for the first time to a town called Timonette and began working on the Home of Hope we paid to be able to build. To our pleasant surprise we found out the base is so pumped about having so many people on base right now (there's over 120) that they want to maximize the work we can get done. We are no longer doing a single home - we are doing 2 duplexes! That's equivalent to 4 homes. They have a goal of seeing our team along with another one complete these 2 duplexes by Friday and to start the foundations of a 3rd one. Let me just say these youth are so awesome - when they heard we are doing even more work than planned they cheered and were like "lets do it!!" They have been above and beyond what I could have hoped and I find myself tonight so full of joy seeing the Lord speak to and mature every single one of these youth. There are few things that could bless my heart more. And this is only day 5 - half way :)
We put in a good hard day of work today as I mentioned and made great progress. The kids all got to contribute and many have blisters, scrapes and bruises - and they're loving it. I sense the light bulb continues to go on as they realize there is nothing more fulfilling, more important or more joy-giving than kingdom work. How awesome is that! Everyone did well soaking up the liquids today and all stayed perfectly hydrated - just lots of red, sunburned faces (I even used spf 100 someone gave me and my face got pretty burnt - didnt event know they made spf that high). But we're ready to take on another day and see what God has in store. Tonight was yet another awesome time with our group as we've gathered and will continue to gather every evening. These have been some of the funnest and most moving times as unity is very strong and the attitudes are so positive. These youth pray with an authority that I haven't heard from them before. I have the best possible position - I get to watch and see what God is doing in each life in our group, but yet be continually transformed and encouraged myself. God is so good. AMEN?!? His name is worthy to be praised above every other name in heaven and on earth. Even here in Haiti, the devil does not have control, God is to be feared and worshipped. We feel the burden for this country and join with the vision of YWAM to see this nation turn from being a curse to a blessing. The Lord be praised.
FYI - everyone is STILL 100% healthy. There has been sickness that has come on some of the group, but each time they have been prayed for by others in the group and each time it has dissipated by the next day. We are seeing the Lord move in great ways... I'll say it every time - thank you for your prayers - continue to battle with us and the believers here! If there is one thing myself and the rest of our group is learning on this trip... it's the power of prayer.
Well, it is safe to say we officially got our first FULL, 100% Haiti heat experience. Up until today it has been unseasonably cool and we have had great cloud cover which really was a blessing. Today was very hot and sunny and everytime I looked at anyone in our group they were drenched in sweat. It was awesome!! It really is so rewarding to put in such a hard day of work realizing that it is being done all for the glory of God and for His kingdom purposes. It makes it all worth it and then some. Today 5 youth along with Dustin and Janelle went to Parisse to work on more tin homes like we did on Friday. The rest went for the first time to a town called Timonette and began working on the Home of Hope we paid to be able to build. To our pleasant surprise we found out the base is so pumped about having so many people on base right now (there's over 120) that they want to maximize the work we can get done. We are no longer doing a single home - we are doing 2 duplexes! That's equivalent to 4 homes. They have a goal of seeing our team along with another one complete these 2 duplexes by Friday and to start the foundations of a 3rd one. Let me just say these youth are so awesome - when they heard we are doing even more work than planned they cheered and were like "lets do it!!" They have been above and beyond what I could have hoped and I find myself tonight so full of joy seeing the Lord speak to and mature every single one of these youth. There are few things that could bless my heart more. And this is only day 5 - half way :)
We put in a good hard day of work today as I mentioned and made great progress. The kids all got to contribute and many have blisters, scrapes and bruises - and they're loving it. I sense the light bulb continues to go on as they realize there is nothing more fulfilling, more important or more joy-giving than kingdom work. How awesome is that! Everyone did well soaking up the liquids today and all stayed perfectly hydrated - just lots of red, sunburned faces (I even used spf 100 someone gave me and my face got pretty burnt - didnt event know they made spf that high). But we're ready to take on another day and see what God has in store. Tonight was yet another awesome time with our group as we've gathered and will continue to gather every evening. These have been some of the funnest and most moving times as unity is very strong and the attitudes are so positive. These youth pray with an authority that I haven't heard from them before. I have the best possible position - I get to watch and see what God is doing in each life in our group, but yet be continually transformed and encouraged myself. God is so good. AMEN?!? His name is worthy to be praised above every other name in heaven and on earth. Even here in Haiti, the devil does not have control, God is to be feared and worshipped. We feel the burden for this country and join with the vision of YWAM to see this nation turn from being a curse to a blessing. The Lord be praised.
FYI - everyone is STILL 100% healthy. There has been sickness that has come on some of the group, but each time they have been prayed for by others in the group and each time it has dissipated by the next day. We are seeing the Lord move in great ways... I'll say it every time - thank you for your prayers - continue to battle with us and the believers here! If there is one thing myself and the rest of our group is learning on this trip... it's the power of prayer.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
A Day of Worship
Greetings,
What a blessing it is to hear praises ringing to the Almighty God from completely different people groups and cultures - people from all over the world gathered today to worship - the same God! This morning we had the great privelege and humbling experience of going to the St. Marc prison. The YWAM staff has gained great favor in the eyes of this prison and it has allowed them to come and lead a worship service for the prisoners every single Sunday. I spoke at length with the Haitian YWAMer who leads this ministry and he said over half of them have already made commitments after just 1 year. It was a tough thing to see - the prison cells are all 20' by 20' and all of them were crammed full with 25-30 prisoners. It was worse than any of us thought it would look like. Phillipson (the Haitian who leads this) began singing to open the service and I was amazed at how loud and heartily the prisoners sang the songs. What an amazing place to minister the gospel of Jesus - to declare there is hope for these men and a God that loves them. The youth were able to do their drama in the prison and it still moves me everytime I see it. Afterwards we heard that a lady was speaking with men in one of the prison cells after the service and he asked what the drama had been about (he couldnt see because everyone else was cramming the prison bars) and she said she barely finished telling him and he immediately came forth and said bluntly "Pray for me." The Lord is using us in different ways and its rewarding to hear examples of how He is ministering to their hearts. I'm quite sure this is an experience none will forget. We have absolutely nothing to complain about.
We then had the weekly church service here at the YWAM base from 6-8pm. It is such a joy to see the way the Haitians worship the Lord. They spoke often tonight about the need for the people of this country to rise up and seek change in the name of Christ. The Lord is bringing change to this country and we feel honored to partner with them during these 10 days as they push forward. The kids did their drama again in the evening service and did such a good job. It has to be my favorite drama ever. We pray it was a blessing to those who saw it! We continue to feel your prayers and believe they are making a difference. At this point all 27 are still healthy and noone has felt ill. Janelle was able to be up and about today and we're trusting the Lord has it completely under control. Tomorrow we begin a long week of work, work, and more work. We will start to work on the Home of Hope in one of the poorest areas of Haiti and will continue building tin homes for Port-Au-Prince victims. Pray for strength, hydration, and good weather! We've been blessed so far with lots of clouds which drastically changes the heat - pray for more of them. May the Lord continue to be exalted in all that we say and do.
What a blessing it is to hear praises ringing to the Almighty God from completely different people groups and cultures - people from all over the world gathered today to worship - the same God! This morning we had the great privelege and humbling experience of going to the St. Marc prison. The YWAM staff has gained great favor in the eyes of this prison and it has allowed them to come and lead a worship service for the prisoners every single Sunday. I spoke at length with the Haitian YWAMer who leads this ministry and he said over half of them have already made commitments after just 1 year. It was a tough thing to see - the prison cells are all 20' by 20' and all of them were crammed full with 25-30 prisoners. It was worse than any of us thought it would look like. Phillipson (the Haitian who leads this) began singing to open the service and I was amazed at how loud and heartily the prisoners sang the songs. What an amazing place to minister the gospel of Jesus - to declare there is hope for these men and a God that loves them. The youth were able to do their drama in the prison and it still moves me everytime I see it. Afterwards we heard that a lady was speaking with men in one of the prison cells after the service and he asked what the drama had been about (he couldnt see because everyone else was cramming the prison bars) and she said she barely finished telling him and he immediately came forth and said bluntly "Pray for me." The Lord is using us in different ways and its rewarding to hear examples of how He is ministering to their hearts. I'm quite sure this is an experience none will forget. We have absolutely nothing to complain about.
We then had the weekly church service here at the YWAM base from 6-8pm. It is such a joy to see the way the Haitians worship the Lord. They spoke often tonight about the need for the people of this country to rise up and seek change in the name of Christ. The Lord is bringing change to this country and we feel honored to partner with them during these 10 days as they push forward. The kids did their drama again in the evening service and did such a good job. It has to be my favorite drama ever. We pray it was a blessing to those who saw it! We continue to feel your prayers and believe they are making a difference. At this point all 27 are still healthy and noone has felt ill. Janelle was able to be up and about today and we're trusting the Lord has it completely under control. Tomorrow we begin a long week of work, work, and more work. We will start to work on the Home of Hope in one of the poorest areas of Haiti and will continue building tin homes for Port-Au-Prince victims. Pray for strength, hydration, and good weather! We've been blessed so far with lots of clouds which drastically changes the heat - pray for more of them. May the Lord continue to be exalted in all that we say and do.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sea Urchin Adventures
We started off the morning with a quick breakfast, all thankful for a good night's sleep. Then we headed to Moulin Sur Beach Resort along with the other YWAM volunteers for a day of relaxation (and some adventure with sea urchins). We enjoyed the warm water, but not for long. Everyone was hesitant to continue playing in the water after Janelle stepped on an over-zealous sea urchin who responded by embedding multiple black spikes into her feet. As the kids prayed over Janelle, Monica and Jenna attempted to remove them on the beach with the primitive materials at hand, but after an hour and a half of digging with no success, they let her rest for another try back at the base. The kids enjoyed the pool instead, along with a yummy Haitian lunch buffet. The weather and blue ocean water were beautiful, and the girls enjoyed collecting shells while the boys performed complex acrobatics at the pool.
Everyone was tired but happy after arriving back on the base. After dinner, Jenna and Monica performed minor surgery with instruments from some medical staff on the base while Dustin provided excellent moral support. Two spikes were freed, and several appeared to have disappeared. The few remaning spikes were too deep to remove but will be monitored closely by the nurses. Janelle did great through the whole experience and assured everyone that she is confident that the Lord will continue to heal her feet. We are thankful for Jenna and Monica's abilities on this trip (and baby Peifer is doing great!).
During this time, the kids shared a really powerful worship time and ended up praying for a girl from the base who is sick. One staff member mentioned that she felt a pure and raw presence from the worship and prayer. The kids were really moved during this time and began singing praise songs in the direction of the girl's tent. One YWAM staff member also mentioned how impressed she was by our young group's maturity and how prepared they were for the work in Haiti. The kids are really doing well at keeping a positive attitude and are finding the Lord's presence in the midst of the many challenges seen everywhere in Haiti. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we look forward to the work the Lord has for us here!
- Posted by Jenna and Janelle
Everyone was tired but happy after arriving back on the base. After dinner, Jenna and Monica performed minor surgery with instruments from some medical staff on the base while Dustin provided excellent moral support. Two spikes were freed, and several appeared to have disappeared. The few remaning spikes were too deep to remove but will be monitored closely by the nurses. Janelle did great through the whole experience and assured everyone that she is confident that the Lord will continue to heal her feet. We are thankful for Jenna and Monica's abilities on this trip (and baby Peifer is doing great!).
During this time, the kids shared a really powerful worship time and ended up praying for a girl from the base who is sick. One staff member mentioned that she felt a pure and raw presence from the worship and prayer. The kids were really moved during this time and began singing praise songs in the direction of the girl's tent. One YWAM staff member also mentioned how impressed she was by our young group's maturity and how prepared they were for the work in Haiti. The kids are really doing well at keeping a positive attitude and are finding the Lord's presence in the midst of the many challenges seen everywhere in Haiti. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we look forward to the work the Lord has for us here!
- Posted by Jenna and Janelle
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