big dreams, big prayers

This morning I received an email from Marilyn S’s sister (a missionary here with OMS for 40 years), reminding me of something I hadn’t thought of.

“It’s so ENCOURAGING to see/hear how God is moving in a mighty way in Haiti, bringing “beauty from ashes” – IN HIS TIME. Your reports have brought tears of joy to our eyes many times – mingled with tears for the suffering of the Haitian people.

It puts all the years of many missionaries & Haitian believers patiently plowing, planting, cultivating, watering, feeding & praying (sometimes with discouraging setbacks) into perspective – just a brief moment from God’s point of view! You’ve been blessed to see firsthand what many missionaries and Haitian believers and friends of Haiti have been hoping and yearning and praying for for a lifetime!"

Just this past Friday, a group of fellow-believers were here, crowded onto our couch and talking about all that they are hearing and seeing. Though they have sought the Lord for years, they clearly just never expected to see their fellow country-men turn from their ways and seek Him.

They had never even thought to pray that Mardi Gras celebrations would be replaced by days of prayer…it just couldn’t happen.

And yet for 3 days now, we have heard loud songs of praise ringing out in Sakenville, the two Christian churches boldly broadcasting a God that has been waiting and waiting and waiting for His people. And since the day after the earthquake, we have heard NO voodoo drums, in an area that we frequently fell asleep to the pounding and chanting of demonic ceremonies.

They had never thought about having a Christian leader, as that president after president has been a “different driver, same bus” polluted by corruption, brutality, dishonesty and partnerships with gangs and far worse, with Satan.

And yet for over a week now, we have heard claims that Port-au-Prince is demanding a Christian leader, a God-follower to lead Haiti in an entirely different direction.

The area of Diquini had never thought of, or even desired, a church. Now, after only three weeks of seminary students and staff doing one-on-one evangelism there, over 500 men, women and children have become Christians, all begging for feeding. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that it was our dream that a seminary student from Port-au-Prince (we thought, one that would be coming in the next weeks) would return to Diquini one day to begin a church.

Yesterday, our one and only current student from Port-au-Prince answered the call to go, even though it means falling behind in school, and Tuesday he leaves with three others to begin house churches, discipleship and leadership training throughout the mountaintop of Diquini.

Our friends had never thought about masses of their countrymen ASKING for the Lord, and instead had continued to pray that they might bring one here, another there, to His throne throughout years of evangelism and Godly-testimony.

And yet this morning a student came to our door, unsure of the details, but claiming that he received a phone call this morning from Port-au-Prince that thousands, perhaps TENS of thousands of people received an invitation to make God THEIR God last night during a huge prayer service that had taken the place of Mardi Gras. (more details as I find them).

They had never prayed for these things, never dreamed of these things, and honestly, neither had we. And yet, as Linda reminded me this morning, for dozens and dozens of YEARS, so many people have dreamed and prayed and worked and died and hoped and evangelized and lived for such things.

And today, I am seeing it.

Might we all dream bigger dreams, family, pray bigger prayers, lift bigger hopes, before our Bigger God.

For He who is able to turn decades of prayers and planting and a month of horror, death and sorrow into beauty and LIFE is able to do far more than we had every dreamed or prayed or hoped.

Here is an email that an engineer consultant for Port-au-Prince Christian Radio sent to his friends…

I think that I will remember this day as one of the most significant in my life, not because of what I did, but for it's meaning. In fact, what I did today was insignificant, and may have even distracted from me fully engaging in the day.

Today was the one month anniversary of the great Haitian earthquake.

About 3 days ago the Haitian president announced that there would be 3 days of holiday from work for the purpose of fasting and prayer. This is absolutely historic. If you have ever been in Haiti as a visitor or missionary, could you ever have imagined such a pronouncement? Could you image such an announcement from the U.S. president.

This morning I saw a young Haitian-American woman, the leader of a work team, crying because the Americans could not understand the incredible importance of this day and wanted to go about business as usual. Remember, it was only about 6 years ago that a former Haitian president called the nation to come together to rededicate the nation to Satan.

This was not "a minute of silence for the deceased" or something as equally insignificant. Whatever the president might have originally intended, this because a real commitment for the Haitian people. As I sit here this evening, I can hear the preaching coming from a nearby church. Services have been going on all day. Let me tell you what I saw and felt today.

Peniel and I had planned an inspection trip up to the Artibonite Valley today. Right or Wrong, I don't really know, but since it was the only opportunity, we went ahead with the trip. As we left the guest house about 7:30 am, we were met by throngs of well dressed people headed to various churches. The sounds of Christian music and worship filled the air everywhere. The next observation was that there was NO traffic.

Port-au-Prince streets are always clogged and overflowing with bumper to bumper traffic. This morning there were only a few vehicles on the roads, a few small buses (tap taps), some UN and military vehicles, and a few private cars. We had clear sailing through town. The same was true of foot traffic. Usually the streets are clogged also with people walking. Today there were only a few and many of them dressed for church. The only place that there were traffic blocks was in front of several churches where the congregations had overflowed the buildings, and the yards and had moved out into the streets as well.

The next observation was that EVERYTHING was closed! We could not find even one business or gas station open. There were no intercity buses running. Whereas the sidewalks are usually overflowing with millions of street venders, we only saw a few here and there. The huge outdoor market near the wharf where thousands work each day and spread out to cover most of the street, was EMPTY.

Where were all the people? They were in churches and makeshift meeting sites. Every church (except a JW church) had services going on, almost always overflowing into the streets. Beside broken down churches, services were taking place outside. In homeless camps, there were services. Everywhere the nation was gathered to worship and pray. No, I did not see any voodoo, Islamic, or Buddhist services. This scene was repeated in every town and hamlet that we passed during the day.

Tonight, Pastor Ignace, who is sharing the room with me, asked this question: "Can people still say that Haiti is a voodoo country?"

What has been happening and is continuing to happen in Haiti did not happen because of the earthquake. It has been happening because the Haitian people know how to pray. This is a tremendous outpouring of God's power as the result of prayer. Twenty years ago I started praying for the Gospel to change the Haitian culture. I think that I am seeing God do that work.

The only sadness that I feel today is for our own nation. While a nation that has long been under Satan's domination is turning to God with total commitment, our nation, founded on Godly values has rejected God and rapidly trying to forget that his name even exists. Let us pray for revival.

Jerry

(all photos from the road between Cap and Port)

Happy Valentine's Day!