However, Matt set off with a prayer and came back pumped: "That was GREAT!"
Not only was lateness not an issue, but all the men were there before Matt was! They set up in the basement of a church. They had no electricity, but the room was below the main road, so it was a little cooler than expected. Matt had 18 students for this first class, and no one minded at all that there would be no diploma or certificate involved. They wanted to learn the Bible better, and wanted no recognition, no breaks and no credit.
Matt taught an hour of Hebrew first (the original language of the Old Testament), and then spent the second hour teaching the book of Psalms. This is a VERY well memorized and commonly used portion of Scripture in Haiti, but Matt quickly realized that no one knew how to interpret it, how it works with the rest of the Bible, or what significance much of the book has.
The men were downright excited the whole 2 hours, and nothing excited the teacher in Matt more than students who are hungry to learn the Bible. This is going to be a fun ministry this year!
A group of men who live close to us rode there and back with Matt, but on the way home Matt had to stop at the market to buy me a flat of eggs. The men were all quite confused by this, a man going to the market to do inferior 'woman's work', and when he returned to the car, they were all silent until one of them finally said, "Wow. You must really love your wife! I would never go to the market to get eggs for my wife!"
Matt thought this was quite amusing, but I am excited about how this ministry opportunity is also giving him 3-4 hours a week to live a Godly life alongside of Christian men that he would have no opportunity to work with otherwise!
We're settling into a schedule and getting to know our new students, remembering again that Christ in us, Christ in the men and women we are teaching, IS the hope of glory for Haiti! Praise the Lord that He chooses to use us!
We proclaim Him,
admonishing every man and
teaching every man with wisdom,
so that we may present every man
to be complete in Christ!
Colossians 1:28
GO MATT. YOU ARE ARE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeleteLove to hear of the ministry "outside the walls", which we trust will bear much fruit! Love you both, Mishlers
ReplyDeleteHey Stacey! It's your old pal Molly. I just wanted to leave you a note. I've never commented on your blog before, but i read it all the time and share it with people at work. You always inspire me with your love and dedication to you work and your dreams and your goals. I would still love to come to Haiti like we planned on all those years ago. Your family is beautiful and you seem happy and fulfilled with what your doing. Please let me know if you need anything I can send you a package (can i do that?) Oh, and a friend told me that if you don't have rat poison you can put a little bit of dry powder concrete in oatmeal and that will kill them!
ReplyDeleteI think and pray for you often.
Love,
Molly