We continue to be blessed by your thoughts and emails and most by your prayers.
We want to ask you tonight to please be praying for Lucner. We talk about him all the time, as a fellow staff member at Emmaus Biblical Seminary and classmate at Wesley Biblical Seminary and most as a good friend. On Sunday his little brother left for Port-au-Prince, and began classes on Monday at a university there.
They have heard news that several people living in the building where he is living are dead, but they have no idea if Luke’s brother is among them, or hurt or safe. There continues to be no phone service, so they cannot call or communicate.
We also have a first year student, Junior, who is from Port-au-Prince and has continued to be unable to locate or hear from any member of his family, church or friends…
These are just two specific families you can please be praying for. The Bensons are safe, but we have gotten word that the orphanage and guest house may be entirely destroyed. We are working on getting Luke and his father to PAP if they continue to receive no news.
After flooding last year that killed thousands of people in Gonaive, followed by this, killing tens of thousands, Matt and I couldn’t help but ask the Lord, “How can Haiti survive this? How could we take any more?”
A passage a student brought to my attention this morning keeps coming to mind…
Matthew 24
His disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the signs of Your coming, of the end of the age?”
And Jesus answered them and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. There will be wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for these things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated because of my name.
At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and be full of hate for one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Because lawlessness in increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will end will come.”
We’re not big “reading into the signs of end times” people, but I think this passage answers our question, “How much more?” with “MORE.”
We are living in wars and battles and famines and earthquakes, but if this is all “merely the beginning” then there is still much to endure. If many will rise up to kill us, and if people’s love will grow cold, then we have much to endure. The hope in this passage that keeps my heart from despairing is the finish: “The gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations…” What a beautiful promise.
Our students continue to sleep in the chapel because they are too frightened to sleep on the first floor of a two story dormitory. Please pray for their peace…We’ll be having an informal prayer service tonight at 8:30 pm (January 14th) and are all praying about how we can use these new huge facilities to help care for many of the displaced and despairing. It seems that giving people a safe place OUT of Port might be just as beneficial as taking things IN to Port.
I know everyone is anxious to DO something, and there are obviously a LOT of people who need a LOT of help right now. Please continue to pray, and soon as we have some concrete, trustworthy and practical ways to get whatever is needed to those who need it, we will let you know at this site. We are working with people in PAP to figure out what is needed and how to get it there…
THANK YOU.
***UPDATE: Lucner and his father are heading to Port-au-Prince this morning to find his brother. His countenance this morning was just heartbreaking…please continue in your prayers.
***UPDATE: one of the phone companies is back up (not the main one, but a secondary one)! Lucner’s brother is badly hurt, but alive! Luke is on his way to find him and help him. Praise the Lord…
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