The fifth segment of the "beauty for ashes" series is in the works, but I wanted to give you a quick update this morning, despite continued internet issues! Matt is still in Port, and has overwhelmed me with excited stories of what he sees the Lord doing in the community and in the lives of our staff and students there (the stories are coming!) We praise the Lord for the way He is working through and in them each, and I know they won't be returning the same men.
Matt, Belony, students and Dave Shaferly on route to Port-au-Prince
Since the earthquake, there have been many times that we have lamented that our dear friends Sam and Cammie were not here, as that they have such strong hearts for evangelism and discipleship and would have just LOVED to be working with the thousands searching anew for their Father. They were missionaries here for one year and left this past October. Monday Cammie emailed to say she was coming, and this morning I saw her off with a large medical team to Port, excited to bring spiritual and physical healing to a hurting people right outside of the city. (Check out their blog)
I praise the Lord for the precious time I had last night and this morning with a dear friend. Her heart is wholly His, and Cammie's presence and heart encourage me and challenge me not to settle for lukewarm Christianity...not to settle for "good things", but to seek His BEST...not to be content with anything less than the abundant and free and full (and hard!) life that He is offering...
I know He sent her to my door in the absence of Matt and in the midst of a difficult time to encourage my soul in HIM. How precious can a few hours be with a Godly friend!
Two new students headed down to Port today, (photos below, please pray!) and Matt and one of the guys already in Port will be returning tomorrow night, Lord willing. The rest will be staying for another week.
Masson, 1st year
Bonamy, 3rd year
"We just can't get enough, Stace!" Matt told me this morning. "You can hear the Holy Spirit speaking through the guys when they are preaching in the evenings, when they are sharing with people throughout the day. SO MANY are genuinely coming to know Him, and being transformed! It's hard to sleep, because you just want to keep speaking His Life, His Truth to people!"
Thank you for your prayers for this group from Emmaus, for the people of Haiti and for Lily and I!
ALSO, YES, Cindy and anyone else...please feel free to use these pictures/stories for presentations/sharing/etc. You should be able to take them directly off of this blog, but if you have trouble, let me know which pictures you would like and I will email them to you!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our afflictions
so that we will be able to comfort those
who are in any affliction with the comfort with which
we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Cor 1:3-4
Bless you for the photos "release"! I will definitely be using and sharing these and passing your blog around to everyone who I can! God is good! He is mighty and true! Praying for you & Lilly as you spend days & nights w/out Matt at home...HE will be your whole comfort. Praying for you...
ReplyDeleteI check daily for a new blog entry. Thank you so much. May God bless all of you and keep you as you do his will. A & L
ReplyDeleteHi Stacey & Matt,
ReplyDeleteRichard and I are so very inspired and encouraged to walk a closer walk with Christ through your blogs. I have shared them with co-workers and plan to share them with a Haitian employee's (over 400) at the local Perdue Chicken Plant in Milford, DE. I and several others were called in after the earthquake to provide crisis counseling to the Haitians. I couldn't believe that 6 months after being in Haiti (we were there in July with Cornerstone Church) that God would call me to continue to work with Haitians in this country - how awesome/how amazing. However, the reactions from U.S. Haitians is very different - frustration.anger and overall distrust. I look forward to sharing your blogs with them in hopes that the Holy Spirit would touch their hearts with the same HOPE/GRATEFULNESS/SALVATION that we have witnessed through your words of testimony.
Daily praying for you and an answer to prayer was to hear of Cammie coming back to Haiti!!! May the Lord continue to bless God's message through your service.
Your Sister & brother in Christ....Vicki & Richard