Happy Birthday, Matt!

Today Matt is 27!  Sometimes we feel so young to be doing what we're doing, and other days, like when we go to bed at 8:30 almost every night, we feel way older than 27 :)  Speaking of "older" (WAY older), sending a special "Happy Birthday" to Martin, whom we love, though 98% of his blog posts are smart aleck.

We had his birthday supper last night because we have a meeting and potluck tonight, and were both spoiled by the "Hack Shack" (it's a Sabetha thing) pork chops that Sharon brought us last April (OH man, they were SO good) and the pumpkin pie, featuring Brenda's pumpkin.  The best part, though, was when Lily and I brought out his pie, complete with candles, and Lily was SO excited that she threw her arms out as wide as she could, and yelled, "TA-DAH!"

Matt's gifts from family, friends, Lily and I ALL came yesterday (I was starting to get nervous!) which will make today extra special too.

I am blessed to have Matt in my life for so many reasons, but the BEST thing he does as a husband is always try to grow in His walk with the Lord.  I don't know how God does it, but as Matt learns more about Him and grows more intimate with the Lord, it grows our marriage and helps US grow more intimate.  I LOVE that Matt is more interested in his relationship and standing with God than in ANY other relationship, even ours...It has made being one with him AND the Lord such a gift in my life.

And Lily is so incredibly blessed to have "Poppy" in her life, who is NEVER too tired, too discouraged or too burdened to "drop" it all and chase her around the house, tickle all her "spots", sing songs with her, and go all out with their new favorite past-time, full-out dance parties.  (We're pretty sure Lily thinks it is HER birthday, and June, she will NOT take off her new sparkle outfit :)

Today's chapel service was the monthly English service, which I somehow seem to get chosen to  "default" lead as the English teacher every month.  There is always an extra buzz in the air for English chapels, and everyone is always so excited that the students will only speak to each other in English after they enter the chapel.  (even if this means they are limited to: "Hello!"  "Hello!")  We had a GREAT service,  with a very exciting rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Pastor Matt, a few solo and class performances, and a great sermon on "The Joy that Counts" by Past. Guenson.

I know you're waiting to hear about yesterday's service, which proved to be even more exciting than predicted...a community fight, Matt's muddy trip to the hospital, a packed service (everyone is fine now, promise!) but I'll share the whole story with you tomorrow.   Meanwhile, here's a quick photo of Civil and a community member, testing out the newly producing well!

lots of beautiful feet

How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?

How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? 

And how will they hear without a preacher?

How will they preach unless they are sent?

It is just as it is written,

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!"

Romans 10:14

Whew...there has been so much going on that I've been hard-pressed to not leave anything out. Most exciting thing about this week happens today: 

It was a 3rd year evangelistic outing to "Of the Mangoes"

Then, it was a huge burden for a pastor to plant a church in the area.

Then, it was Civil's vision for water, and Living Water.

Then, it was a collection plate, $90 raised.

Then, a community recognition that poor Christian men sacrificially did what a wealthy witch doctor never thought to.

TODAY completes the exciting whirlwind, and marks the beginning of a long journey:

Eight students and Civil will lead the first Bible study around that dripping well, unceasingly preaching the whole gospel to men and women who have never heard.  

The first service: today.  SO EXCITING.  

Please be praying!  While everything has happened quite rapidly these last days, today marks the beginning of a long and difficult journey of bringing transformation and redemption and new life to an entire community that has been dead, and celebrated it, for a LONG TIME.  "Of the Mangoes" is deeply rooted in Satan and lostness, and planting the Gospel in this dry and thirsty land will be hard work.   His work.  We covet your prayers.

Matt and I have fought so much about who gets to go and who has to stay home with Lily that I think we might just make it a family event :)

WE NEED YOUR HELP.  Two of our own, Lucner and Paul, have been teaching these students, ministering alongside of them.  They have been able to guide these men and women to a deeper walk with the Lord much in part to their continued education.  As they've worked through their Master's degree with Matt, they have been able to bring alive so much more of the Gospel, able to teach the Scriptures in a more accurate and relevant way.

And now it's time for them to go to Jackson, Mississippi for their mandatory 2 weeks residency...and Emmaus, who is working to keep food on the table (literally :) and pay the staff and run the generator, currently has NO money in their continued education account.  

Met Luke?  Know Paul?  Pray for a student?  Believe in what Emmaus is doing?  Wished you could do something more?  We need you help here....Jump over to the Emmaus Biblical Seminary site here and check it out...

They need SENT, and we need help sending them.  Thank you for  being a family we can always come to.  If you don't feel led to help in this way or can't right now, please be praying for these two and for this need.  Lucner's wedding is the second week in November, and Paul's 5th child is due the same time, just two weeks after their return!  Whew!

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!

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.

off to the beach!

 Matt's been promising Lily and I a trip to the beach since before we returned to Haiti in August, and since this is our first weekend without visitors, we are off!  This morning I'll teach in Saccanville, and then they'll pick me up and we'll be on our way!  Looking forward to some good family time and getting away for a few hours!  Matt would rather be doing something fall-y, but since that's not an option, we'll celebrate fall in the sand :)

new feature...

Some good friends persevering with dial-up asked if we could get an email subscription on our blog, so we've added this new feature to the right!

Subscribe with your email address to our blog, and you will be emailed each blog update as it comes.

Thanks for being such faithful support of what God is doing in Haiti and in us!

the choice. the outcome. the Way.

Something I love about the Bible/English course I teach on Saturday's in Saccanville is that it has caused me to search for the clear and simple truths of the Bible. I'm teaching in two languages. I only have 2 hours a week. I'm teaching over 50 students, most of whom know NOTHING about the Bible, Christianity, or the Lord.

So it's GOT to be simple, straightforward, interesting and applicable. Every Saturday morning I come home singing praises that the Bible, our only text book, is JUST that.

At the Seminary, we spend the week studying deep, but for my SEEP class, (Saccanville Evangelical English Program), I fall in love with the beauty and imagery and clearly outlined truth of the Bible, and the way the story of our faith progresses to the point where the ONLY hope we could possibly have is EXACTLY what happens.

This past week, I was preparing the story of Moses's death, and about the Israelite people FINALLY entering into the promised land. For months now we've studied the founding fathers of our faith, miraculous events and heartbreaking betrayal. Finally, the bittersweet Israelite people and their aging leader have arrived at the border of the land promised to them for so many years.

While Moses's feet will never touch that sweet soil, the Lord brought him up the mount to gaze on the fulfillment of His promise, and before the Lord buried Moses, Moses had the opportunity to give one last "Better than Bravehart" speech to the nation he had led, admonished, encouraged and cried over for so many years.

And MAN, it puts everything out there so clearly! It was SO EASY to lay out for my dear students last Saturday....

"The Lord will gather you and will bring you into the land He promised you. And He will prosper you and multiply you. Moreover, He will purify your heart and the hearts of your children to LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may LIVE.

Listen! IF you obey the Lord your God and keep His commandments, if you constantly turn to the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul, He will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand and rejoice over you.

What I'm telling you, to obey His commandments, listen, it is NOT too difficult for you! It is NOT out of reach! It is NOT way out there in heaven so that you could say, 'Yeah, so who in the world is going to go up to heaven for us and make this possible?' It is NOT beyond the sea to obey these commands, that you might say, 'Hey, who's going to cross the entire sea for us so that we can obey?'

It is NOT impossible to obey His commands!

Listen! TODAY I have set before you two choices: life and prosperity. Death and adversity.

I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes, that you may LIVE and that the Lord may BLESS you.

But if your heart turns away and you don't, I promise you, that you will perish. With heaven and earth as my witness, I have set before you life and death! Blessing and curses!

CHOOSE LIFE in order that you may LIVE! Love God, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him. For this is your life! Deuteronomy 30

Shoot. How could I lay that simple but BIG choice that out any better for my students Saturday? Heavens, even Deuteronomy spells it out clear as day. There's no guessing, Family!

"I wonder if I live like this or make this choices what might happen?

Surely this little thing is no big deal, right?

Surely I can love the Lord and be a Christian and go to church but do a few things that He tells us NOT to do...hold a grudge, act out in anger, dress immodestly, lie about finances, not give to the orphaned and widowed, sleep with my girlfriend, think about myself first, not tell people about Jesus, gossip a little bit, worry about tomorrow, do what's best for me....I mean, REALLY, it's IMPOSSIBLE to really "obey His voice and hold fast to Him" in this day and age, right?

There's no real punishment for these things, right?"

(these are just a few of the things my class asked about...)

I guess that depends on what we want. It is very clear that we have a choice, and very clear that each choice has it's blessing or curse. There seems to be no middle ground, does there? Life and Prosperity OR Death and Adversity.

"Choose life!" I urged my dear ones Saturday. "Choose life!" Moses urged his dear ones thousands of years ago. "It is your life! You only have one. So Love God, Obey His Voice, Hold Fast to Him, and be blessed!"

Walking home along the dirt road from class Saturday, part of me felt like though we are only in the 4th book of the Bible, that there just isn't much more to teach. There just isn't much more than that choice, is there?

As Innocent said last week. It is such a simple decision, just such a big one.

God went before Israel, just as He is willing to go before us today. And even better, after more years of Israel falling away and falling away, we received the free blood of Jesus, which can overwhelmingly conquer sin, and the Holy Spirit, making it possible for us to do JUST what Moses told Israel to do: stay away from sin. Choose life. Love the Lord with your heart and soul and obey His voice.

The results of my choices hold no mystery. As we watched from Adam to Moses, every single time God's voice was disobeyed, death and separation followed. Every single time one was faithful, he was blessed. And that's just Adam to Moses! I could give you a million personal examples of times I have seen the Lord disobeyed in myself or others and the result has immediately or eventually been separation and a kind of death. And a million personal testimonies of times that His voice has been obeyed, His face sought, and beautiful blessings have followed.

So my class knows that we have the choice of Life and what that looks like. After studying the Bible for 6 months, the students know the Truth that God has given. Now, I just can't wait to teach The Way....

And after all the hours and hours of preparing and teaching, creating and grading, the heart I can always see God working most clearly on is

mine.

we've got power...and GOOD news

I've got to come up with some synonyms for "miracle".

Man! We have had no solid internet for days now, and there has been so much going on to tell you about!

Where to start....we have power! we have water! Two days after Don and Joe got here, they had it figured out and one generator going! Tomorrow, they hope to have the second one running. They've discovered the problems, have been fixing them, and making all kinds of things work (I don't understand at all how, so I won't go there). It is just BEAUTIFUL to have power and water again, and we had a really fun celebration service in chapel on Friday, praising the Lord for caring for us each step of the way.

Yesterday, these three guys headed back to Ohio, where they all pastor churches. Doug (left) taught Evangelism, Bob taught Pentateuch, and Jerry (right) just finished teaching Intro to the New Testament. We had a really good time with all three of them, and the other staff and students were just as blessed to have them here.

Last Sunday we were at Paul's church (pix below), and this morning we were blessed to be at Saccanville church with Joe and Don. They are here until Wednesday with about 100 things still on their lists! Their spirits and friendship have been as encouraging as their abilities, and we're just so insanely thankful for their, and their families, sacrifice.

Pastor Paul on the roof (future sanctuary) of his church, with Pastor Bob, Matt, Bryan, Doug and Jerry.

BUT, the most exciting thing to report is a miraculous (aren't they all!) conversion! There is (well, there was) a witch doctor living in Vaudreil (where the main OMS Haiti compound is) named Innocent. Over the past years, the Lord has put Innocent on the hearts of many, and countless foreign and national Christians have met with him, prayed with and for him, and given him countless opportunities to accept Christ.

While he is always open to discussion, and even asks for prayer, ect., he has never been willing to accept, losing to his greatest slave, money. "If I didn't do this, what will I do for money? How will I take care of my family?"

Last Tuesday, Lucner and Jerry went to see him again, picking him up at a local bar and shared with him salvation once again.

"I know that it is a simple decision," Innocent said, "It is simple. But it is BIG. I can't do that."

They left a little discouraged that once again, Innocent had been so open, but so unwilling.

However, on Friday, Jerry got a call from Innocent, saying that he needed to see him. Matt and Jerry drove back to Vaudreil, hopeful, but not confident that he wasn't just needing money or wanting to debate.

When they arrived, they found Innocent a different man. "I cannot stop thinking about everything you keep telling me, and I'm ready. I'm ready."

"What will I do for money?" he asked them. "How can you help me?"

"I leave tomorrow," Jerry told him. "I can't do anything to help you. But God WILL provide for you. Do you want to trust him to?"

"I'm ready."

Matt and Jerry led him to the Lord right there, and when it was time to leave, Innocent made them a promise.

"Come back tomorrow, and I promise that all of this stuff will be gone," Innocent said, nodding to the talismans, trinkets and ceremonial items in his temple. "I'm done. I have a new life."

The next morning they stopped at his place on their way to the airport to drop off a few books the Seminary has helped translate on the foundations and beliefs of Christianity.

"I slept WELL," Innocent said, showing them his empty temple. "I have peace. I don't know what I'm going to do. But I have peace."

THIS IS EXCITING STUFF! It is the FIRST time since we've been here that we have seen a witch doctor convert, with so many being unwilling to give up the "business" for possible poverty. For YEARS different visitors, missionaries and national friends have asked for prayer for Innocent, and last week, all these prayers came true.

No one, not even God himself, could MAKE Innocent leave a life of serving Satan. NO one could convince him to follow Christ. The God of the Universe can't MAKE us love him. We have to choose to. Simple. But BIG. Because it's not just a choice like what to have for lunch. It is a choice that changes EVERYTHING.

Innocent's choice on Friday changes EVERYTHING. HOW exciting is that! "Changes Everything" is exactly what Innocent, me, Haiti, needs.

Jesus, who had NO sin, took on sin so that we, who had NOTHING holy, could be, and therefore be in relationship with a holy God. Changes EVERYTHING.

Praise the Lord! Please be praying for Innocent as a new Christian making a giant leap of faith.

Does it seem like there are a ridiculous amount of miracles taking place lately? Yay! It is just AWESOME to be a reporter for the Divine Events Coordinator.

Thank you for all your prayers!

the fragrant oil of Saccanville, freely received

We have been sharing our experiences with you since we first went to language school in Canada, January of 2007.

Over these last 773 posts, we have shared a lot of beautiful things with you. We've talked about so many beautiful people, so many beautiful lessons that the Lord has brought us to. We've shared a hundred beautiful opportunities to talk to others about the Lord, and just as many beautiful moments where our hearts have been broken alongside of His.

But last night, I was speechless and floor-humbled and emotionally overwhelmed by a beautiful outpouring of sacrifice, for us, by our little community here in Haiti.

Though Don and Joe worked most of the day, previous work on the generator seems to have fried some vital systems, and they were unable to get power going. Around 4, we lost all our water and power, and expected another sticky and black evening.

Poor Don and Joe were REALLY nasty (no offense guys) after working on the generator all day, we were all glossy with sweat, and Lily was sticky with sweat, cookie and bugspray. In case you haven't been here yet, this is NOT a glamorous life we lead :)

However, everyone took good courage, and we were all happily sitting around the literal LAST light bulb still burning on the whole campus (our inverter was treating us to one final strain of power) playing Scrap-Out, when Abel and Maxi knocked on the door.

I grabbed the door for them only to see that they were laden with brimming buckets of clear water.

"What in the world is this?!" I exclaimed, scooting the buckets across the floor quickly while they returned with another load.

"Water is life!" Abel laughed, quoting a common Haitian proverb, "And we know Lily needs to bathe! We pumped it for you!"

Lily loved her bucket bath as much everyone else!

"Where did you get all these buckets?"

"Everywhere! This one is Kesner's, that one is Magloires. This is my wife's, and Sheila gave us this one."

"Enough! That's plenty of water! Let's take some to the students!" I said, my mouth beginning to feel like sandpaper as I realized what their past HOURS had looked like while we played games.

"Already done!" Maxi grinned. "Two people had huge water barrels, and they emptied and cleaned them for us, and we pumped them full, and then we borrowed the tractor and loaded them on there and put them in front of the cafeteria. Everyone is bathing now!"

With five visitors, sticky sleepy Lily and a kitchen overflowing with dirty dishes unable to be washed, I dug right into work, bathing Lily and splitting up water for our five visitors. I got Lily to bed, the house now completely dark, and cleaned up what I could in the night.

"Let's go check on everyone," I said to Matt, and we left sleeping Don, Joe and Lily and walked the few yards to the school. As soon as we left the house, we were both AMAZED by the sky. Without once ounce of electricity in all of Saccanville, the night sky was just BRILLIANT with stars, shimmering white clouds and a glowing half moon. A small breeze surrounded us as we walked, and man, I don't know if I've ever felt so blessed.

My heart wasn't the only one welling with Hallelujah. As we rounded the trees we found a whole congregation of friends, both from the community and from the seminary, flaney-ing (hanging out) on the front walk of the cafeteria.

"Hello! How are you?" I called as we approached, the light of the moon more than enough to guide our steps.

"Ah!" grinned Giselaine, arms lifting to the night sky. "I have everything that I need! That first night was hard, but now? I see that He takes care of our every need, and tonight we have all that we could ask for."

"The moon! Light!" Edlin called from his chair.

"Look!" Madame Abel said, pointing to two large barrels brimming with water, beautiful as alabaster jars. "Water!"

"Ah!" said Nicole, rapidly twisting Mona's hair into all kinds of wild braids. "The glory of God!"

We all chattered for a while, and as we walked home, blessedly reminded of what a precious and rare community of believers we have here at Emmaus, Matt said, "Uhhh. I so frequently overestimate my contribution to what God is doing here at EBS...here in Haiti. That special group of people, the way God provides for all our needs, these students and their call and their love for their people... I didn't do one thing to make that happen! We're just a tiny little fraction of all of this, aren't we? Just one speck-star in the entire space of His plan."

I realized as I lay in bed soon after, pouring out my blessed heart and overwhelmed tears to the Lord, that this might have been the first time since we moved to Haiti that the Haitian people were actually able to HELP us (in direly needed physical way.) Day in and day out, people come to us as foreigners to help them. When they need food, they ask us for help. When they need work. When they need education. When they need shelter, medicine, transportation, clothes, they ask us.

As foreigners, as Americans, we are perceived as having infinitely more resources than everyone else around us (and frankly, we do...), and so are an obvious source of aid in desperate times.

But when WE need money, we come to you! When we need food, I ask and you send us a box. When we needed baby things, you sent them. When we need transportation, you helped us buy a truck. When we needed language classes, you helped pay for them. When we need medicine, you help us buy it, or even let us call you while you're on vacation at 6 am and give us medical advice! When we needed shelter, you helped us rent our home. When our generator breaks, you send us funds and experts and prayers.

But last night? We needed buckets. And we needed water. For 50 people! And we needed light. And you couldn't help us with that! I never once thought to go to our community and ask them for help.

They have NOTHING. Never had a drop of running water from a faucet in their home. Never had a drop of water that they didn't throw themselves into pumping. Never had an ounce of electricity running through their walls, never flipped a switch and had light.

Never.

And yet last night, without anyone asking, in the inky black night, Saccanville dumped out their own precious water, scrubbed their best buckets and barrels clean, strained their backs to pump gallons of water from their sole pump, filled each container to the brim, and carried them to the Seminary. Carried them to our home. For us.

A community that we joined to serve, a community that we became a part of to die to, laid out their best, instead, for us.

I don't pretend to know why God does or allows what He does or allows. But just maybe all that this whole generator thing was for, was so that Saccanville, village of poverty and voodoo and flickering lights of Christ, could be missionaries to the missionaries.

Just as it has brought us such joy these years to give to our brothers and sisters here, Saccanville gave last night with laughter. With celebration. With joy, pouring their precious precious oil on the feet of Jesus in Emmaus Biblical Seminary.

As I lay there in the dark, sweating to sleep after my scrumptious bucket-bath, I realized that while we have given and prayed, worked and loved, preached and taught, lived and learned for three years in Haiti...we are only just now a part of this Haitian circle of life, of God's woven fabric for Haiti, because we have received.

Freely received.

Don and Joe have arrived safely and dumped their bags in our house before practically jogging up to the generator house...their new home away from home :) The whole Emmaus community is quite excited to have them...Please pray for divine wisdom, safety and energy as they work during one of the hottest times of the year in a VERY hot and stuffy block depot. YAY for help!

And YAY for lovely Brenda, Don's wife, who not only sent along help and the hope of power and water, but also precious gifts of Hershey's syrup, pumpkin pie filling for Matt's upcoming birthday, popcorn, Crystal light, and other gifts! I've had to stop Lily in her tracks twice now on her hike out to the generator house, calling, "DON? DOOOONNNN!"

days of power

My mind is just whirling from the past days...no electricity has meant no internet, but I am praising the Lord this morning for some city power, some water, and a chance to share with you!

You all must be praying, because these past stretching days have brought some beautiful things to pass.

While we've had some hot days and some shower-less nights, everyone's attitudes have been brilliant, and not one complaint has fallen on my ears. Lily is happy to not be bathing, we've had enough city power at times to pull all the drinking water that the 70+ of us need, we are the only Seminary I know of that now has a designated "pee in the garden" rule, and last night was SO uncharacteristically cool that everyone slept well without fans.

EVERY time the situation has neared "urgent", city power has popped on, something our dear friend and maintenance man Abel marvels as a complete miracle. "I have never seen such consistent city power in my life!"

And on top of that, several people have made some beautiful sacrifices, making this "camping" experience a short-term adventure. Don Hulmes, our friend who has helped us out of many binds with his presence and experience, is on the road again, flying in Wednesday morning with a good friend of his, Joe. Joe is a John Deer diesel mechanic (the kind of generators we have) and we are so blessed by both of their sacrifices of work, money, comforts and family to come on such quick notice!

We also couldn't get the parts that we needed for at least three weeks, and a dear friend to us both made some phone calls and those parts are arriving at Don's house TODAY, and he is also sending Don and Joe himself!

THEN, we couldn't afford the parts, because they are ridiculously specialized and expensive, and our faithful and loving friends at NorthRidge Church just picked up the whole tab (THANK YOU, NORTHRIDGE, from all of us at Emmaus!). This is not the first time that NorthRidge has jumped in to help in a time of dire need, and their practical and sacrificial Jesus-love on us continues to be such a blessing and encouragement in our lives.

And finally, and perhaps the biggest gift because it is that which only HE can provide, is, in the words of Nicole (3rd year student), that "last night, God came down and dwelt among us. It was AWESOME."

Around 7:30, Matt, Lily and I checked in on the students to make sure everyone had enough drinking water, and everyone was happily hanging out in the cafeteria with a few flashlights. The plan was for everyone to go to bed early, then get up early with the sun to study for classes that they had been unable to study for that evening.

But despite early bedtime, this morning my guys were noticeably exhausted. They did indeed all go to bed at 8 pm. However, at 9:30, Junior (1st year student) was shaken awake by "hands that gripped my face and were chocking me! I was scared, and I couldn't breath or move, and in my mind, I called, 'JESUS!' and I heard his voice clearly tell me to pray."

Junior lay in bed praying desperately for several minutes, until he heard Jesus speak again. "Now, get up! Pray!"

So he did, bounding out of bed and quickly shaking awake all of his room-mates. They all began to pray, and several heard a voice telling them to "Pray, Pray." They woke up all the men in the dorm, then all the women, and from 9 pm until 1 am, our beautiful student body did just that...PRAY.

They prayed and shared, read and prayed, in deep darkness with only a few flashlights, and all testify this morning to feeling the intimate presence and urgency of the Lord to be praying for Emmaus Biblical Seminary, for Saccanville, and for their Haitian people. They testify to feeling the Spirit intimately with them as they prayed and shared together, and this morning, we have a different student body. Tired, but bound...excited, but burdened...urgent, but full of hope and praise.

"It is no common thing!" Nicole said again, "to desperately want the Lord with 30 other believers and ask Him to come and to meet Him! It was such a gift...He is such a gift. God is at work!"

And it's the seventh day of school???

Sometimes, living in the heat and hardships of Haiti, we wonder what in the world He has called us to. But most days, like today, we are SO GRATEFUL to have a seminary in our front yard, to share Lily's "firsts" with this beautiful family, to bear His yoke alongside of men and women such as these, and to live Christ among the redeemed and the dying in this small corner of His world.

As I type, I can see the third year class and their professor walking around the buildings, hands lifted and waving in silent prayers, leaving the classroom for a few moments to do something far more important than learning...

Thank you for joining us in prayer for power, for Emmaus, for Haiti...for the world.

power update

How I smell might be getting worse :) With no power all day yesterday except occasionally a touch to run the fridge, we finally ran out of water around 8:00 pm. Even though several people had worked on attaching a new small temporary generator for two days, nothing was working. We brought a few tiny solar yard lamps inside for light, and I had pulled enough water for the seven of us and the students had enough for themselves. Before bucket baths and a hot fanless night, we all prayed together for the Lord's provision and most, presence.

Remembering David's words that "Even the darkness isn't dark to you, O Lord", I went to bed by His Grace with peace in my heart and joy on my lips, praising Him for his sovereignty...making Him the ONLY one I know that is NOT controlled by the heat, the darkness, the weather, water.

It's not far from our minds, either, that 99% of Haiti, and perhaps 80% of the globe lives every day with no electricity, no running water, no fans, no internet...so humbling as we worry about a few days!

However, not even an hour later, for the first time in 24 hours, city power kicked on, and we jumped up happily to refill all of our buckets and to grab quick showers. This morning, I am delighting in a pot of hot brewed coffee, the beauty of twisting the handle and water pouring out (we're on city power again!), and most, in the reality that He, the Living Water, is all I NEED, is all I am desperate for.

We are off to town for church and lunch this morning, saving water and power by not being here. The students return tomorrow, and our dear friend Don is flying in Thursday with a John Deer mechanic and all the parts we need (hopefully) to get things going again. Please continue to pray for lots of city power, wisdom as we arrange for 70+ people to live here this week, and that the Lord would feed our hearts.

how I smell : it's a matter of life and death

As Lily, Doug and I walked to the furthest end of Saccanville yesterday to visit Jil, my mind kept swirling around 2 Corinthians 2, where the Lord had challenged my heart just that morning.

Thanks be to God,

Who always leads us in triumph through Christ

Picking our way around murky puddles and heaps of smoldering garbage, weaving past bearded goats and ribby cows, I was astounded once again by the majestic backdrop of mountains and vibrant palms... touched once again by the happy beauty of brilliant blue huts and old women snoozing in straw chairs, silver braids reaching out in all directions.

And manifests through us

the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place

"Bonswa, Good afternoon" to dozens of people as we pass, almost all of whom I recognize well, recalling as we pass the days that we had talked about Lily, talked about the Seminary, prayed together over sick children, dead husbands, empty pots...remembering the sweet moments when we talked about Jesus in each tiny dirt yard.

Jil's old house

For we are a fragrance of Christ to God

among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing

...dozens of children gather along the way to grin at "Lee-Lee", and it is SO easy to see in their wide smiles and eager eyes that they were formed by the hand of God, so easy to see that they are greatly loved by Jesus.

To the one, an aroma from death to death

To the other, an aroma from life to life.

I have long since stopped thinking about the stark contrast of my wavy blond locks, stopped worrying about the accent in my chatter, the unwavering stares towards the foreigner. In the midst of the banging pots and squawking chickens, clinking dominoes and shouting children, I am only one thing: the fragrance of Christ.

As I bounce Jil's bare-butt baby and marvel at their dry and strong new home, I worry, instead, about what I smell like to God. What about when I am selfish? judgmental? irritated? short? Am I the fragrance of Christ then?

Jil's NEW house!!!

No, I guess I am the fragrance of ME, then, which we all know is not the stench that God deserves or desires to be smelling.

But if God desires to be inhaling Jesus from this world, then I guess we each might just be the ONLY hope of Jesus fragrance where we are. I might be, you might be, the ONLY sweet aroma to God in our family/workplace/community/____________.

So many that I walked past with a greeting and a grin might be that death to death person. Their life on earth without Christ, lived in death, separation and darkness, and so...their eternity, lived the same. And to them: we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are perishing.

And a few cheeks I kissed along the way yesterday were warm with the lifeblood of Jesus, living true life-abundant on earth and with joy for an eternity of life to come with their Savior. And to them: we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved.

Yet there is no mention, here, of those going from death to life...a life lived in death and darkness can't spend eternity in His glorious light! This sweet aroma that we're called to ingest through relationship with Him and emit to the world around us won't be drawing others to Him once we are before His throne. It is NOW, on earth, that the transition from death into life must be made...and it is our precious gift to be able to play a role in that for others!

We are not like many, peddling the word of God,

but as that we are from God, with sincerity,

we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

As I prayed with Jil and Milove, Wedensis and Kendia, straddling the stream of open sewage lining their yard, it was in the sight of God. I pray that He breathed deeply in the moment, savoring the sweet smell of Jesus that so abundantly has covered the sewage reek that Stacey, without Christ, has to offer.

What a huge calling we have, family, just to BE.

To be Christ's scent.

To be holy as He is.

To be His possession and no one, nothing, else's.

Thanks be to God,

who ALWAYS leads us in TRIUMPH in Christ

and manifests THROUGH us the SWEET aroma

of the knowledge of HIM in EVERY place.

Amen (may it be so).

***"Got Power?" Update***

Thank you for your generator prayers. We have been blessed with many non-coincidental hours of EDH (city power) these last 24, with many prayers, and with lots of different ideas/options/decisions/offers of help, etc. Please continue to pray for a good, glorifying, effective, efficient option, and that we would clearly know what route to take. We are grateful that most students will be going home for the weekend this afternoon, making it much easier for 10 people to survive off little power and water than 70.

As that this ministry is one that we have received by His mercy for His glory, please pray that we would not lose heart, and that we will seek for it to be fixed in His way and time. Pray for clear direction.

Thank you so much for being a praying and helping and loving and encouraging and admonishing and sacrificial family, all that the Word asks us to be unto one another!

got power?

While we have two generators at Emmaus, one of them went down this summer, and our second generator just went down a few moments ago. Please be praying for this potentially urgent situation, as that our pumps all run off of this power source. While we could go without lights, computers, and fans for days, our refrigeration will only last 12 hours or so without power, and with no water, the 70 people currently living at Emmaus will be unable to function. Showers, toilets, drinking water, etc....

Please be praying for the situation, as that the missionary who usually works with the generators is out for 6 weeks, and there does not currently seem to be anyone else in the area that knows how to fix this issue. We may also try to get a borrowed generator in here and working for a few days....still brainstorming :) Sporadic bouts of city power also benefit Saccanville from time to time, so we are praying these next days and hours might be full of precious national power!

Please be praying for all those involved, that God would grant wisdom and a miraculous touch to our generator, for the city power to flow as it never does, and for a spirit of joy in the midst of some uncomfortable circumstances for staff, students...and us!

THANK you!

We made it down to the OMS compound today and frantically did all the things with their internet that we have been unable to do the past week! Here's some photos to catch you up on these fantastic past days...

Director Bryan and Dean Lucner (translating) sharing a welcome message to all the returning students.
Staff retreat on Saturday at the Christophe was a huge success, with everyone from the night watchman to the Rector hanging out over lunch and swimming. Dean Paul's fantastic bellyflop might go down in EBS history.
Bryan, this time with Matt translating, was the first chapel speaker of the 2010 school year, sharing a powerful message of servant leadership with the EBS community.
These first days have been full of a lot of, "Wait...what do we do about THIS?" moments, which Bryan has been helping everyone work through. It has been so good to have extra and wise help during this potentially stressful time.
The first days of class have started well, though a few of the visiting professors were too sick today to teach, with the same stomach bug that Matt, Lily, Bryan and I had this past weekend.
Pastor Jerry Poff and Belony, translating, are teaching Intro to the New Testament to the first year class....
...while Pastor/Comedian Doug and Joab, translating, are teaching Evangelism to the third year class. Bob Petruccio, Gueson, Matt, Paul, Luke, Fan Fan and I are also all teaching other Bible courses or language courses.

Tuesday was a special day in the life of Emmaus and the Saccanville community, as we began the year with a Convocation ceremony and the installation of Bryan as Director. Reverend Harold Brown, long time missionary with OMS and chairman of the Seminary Board, and his wife Mary (whom I have grown to love this past week) came to spend a few days with us and to help instate Bryan as "Rector." (Rector is the Haitian term for a president in a theological setting).

Pastor Elizay, who will be serving as a type of assistant Bryan, Matt and Lucner this year, Matt Ayars and Pastor Paul Vilmer
One of the most intimate portions of the service allowed the faculty and administration to come around Bryan and pray for his life and service at Emmaus.
Two different choirs joined us, as well as many members from various churches, and lots of friends from the Saccanville community...maybe future students at EBS???
Bryan's convocation address focused on the road to Emmaus experience shared in Luke 24 and Emmaus' calling to be an atmosphere where students can meet face-to-face with Jesus, be therefore transformed, and go into the all the world bearing the truth of the Gospel.

The first year class then committed to leading lives of holiness and service, and the congregation committed to lifting them up in prayer and helping them as they serve the Lord in Haiti.

These young men share a special Wesley Biblical Seminary connection. This group of professors and senior administration have all earned, or will soon earn, their Master's degree from Wesley Biblical Seminary, the place where Paul, Guenson, Matt and Luke met Bryan as a professor and Coordinator of Online Education. This is a special group of young men, all of whom feel deeply called and committed to making Christ known in Haiti and around the world! (and yeah, Bryan IS really tall :)