power, love, water : 3 forms of great news

1)  While the one working generator is chugging along, the fix was not predicted to be longstanding.  However, when the John Deer "people" were contacted in the States and these problems were discussed with them, they mentioned that a LOT of people have had trouble with these particular engines....and now they are sending us TWO NEW ONES.  For Free! This is such fantastic news. 

our heros...Don and Joe

One of our fellow OMS missionaries, Bud, will be back in Haiti in another three weeks, around the same time the new engines are predicted to arrive, and will hopefully be able to get these new engines installed and going!  



Meanwhile, we have had literally NO city power since the first day Don and Joe got the generator up and running, further confirming to us just how much the Lord took care of us while we had no generators.  


2) Did we mention we went to the beach yesterday? :)   It was SO nice...beautiful day, GREAT family time, a very happy Lily, time for all three of us to relax and be together and have fun, and most, just a great time to reflect on how faithful He has been.  Not just in throughout our lives... But just this week!  He is always showing us new things, growing us new ways, teaching us, caring for us, and giving us joy for His calling.  

Watching Lily happily playing in the waves and dancing to her favorite songs just continues to teach us so much about the way that He doesn't just LOVE us (grudgingly, cause He has to), but also happily delights in us (even when we're not so delightful.)  Gets joy from our growth.  When we obey.  When we seek Him.  When we talk to Him...JUST like we get from Lily.  Even when she's bad.   Even when she hears my voice and ignores it.  Though it saddens me, and she suffers consequences, it doesn't take away ONE OUNCE of the love and joy I have for her.  

And that's Him and I.  THAT is really good news.


3) Remember last Spring when we told you about the zone near us called "Of the Mangoes?"  While it is not far from here, it has proven to be quite untouched by the Gospel.  Matt and Belony spent some time there and led several people in sincere conversions.  Then, two weeks ago, our visiting "Evangelism" professor took his third year class there to do a day of evangelism.  


They found that while there was a well known Boko there (witchdoctor) there was NO church, and while people were interested in the Gospel, they had no where to find it after the students left that day.  The third year class was VERY impacted by the people, their desire to know about the Lord, and the lack of Christian leadership or a church.  

They were also very disturbed to see that the community's well was broken, and had been broken for almost a year.  This meant that everyone in the community was hiking to the furthest Saccanville well to retrieve ALL Their water.  For a YEAR (this is over a mile, one way.)  


Upon returning, 3rd year was not at all content to leave the day as a "good experience" and move on.  I talked to Belony that next morning, and we determined to both be praying "secretly" that the Lord might work on one of these student's heart to plant a church in the area.


That EXACT day, Seide Civil (you may know him as "Artist", our song-writing musical evangelist), approached Matt, saying that he felt that God was calling him to plant a church in that area.  Matt talked to him about what a difficult area this might be, but Civil strongly feels that God's been leading him for years to this time and place and people. 

"This is the vision God has given me," Civil passionately explained, "That we fix that well, us students, and that our first service, we stand around that well and have church, and talk about the Living Water."


And that is what they did.  They made an announcement in chapel, gathered up the $90 US needed to repair the well (more than they need for a whole month of school, room and food, got a guy out there, and as of yesterday, Of the Mangoes has water again.  


"It's unbelievable!" a friend from the area told us yesterday evening.  "There has been a booming voodoo temple there for years, and they didn't do ANYTHING.  Then, a group of Christians come and tell us about God, and two weeks after, they fixed our well.  For no reason.  WOW.  EVERYONE is talking about it."


This Tuesday Civil will lead a Bible study/church service with several other students at the well...


I mean, BEAT THAT news!  

While it seems lately that God is just actively hanging out around Saccanville and Emmaus, it has been a powerful reminder of His ever-presence...Of the fact that long before I knew this tiny mud-hut community existed, He was here.  That long before Emmaus had a student, He was in its midst.  That long before I knew that Haiti was a country, He was guiding my steps.  

When His hand is powerfully and swiftly moving...when His hand is silently waiting, It is ever present.

And I believe that to be enough.  For me.  For Emmaus.  For Saccanville.  for the world.