konpech, more heartbreak and a new direction

Matt, Lynton and Junior spent yesterday afternoon in Konpech and found the community to be very much so in mourning.  Irene was a bit of a matriarch for the community, and Matt met over 10 of her children.  No one minded them being there, and appreciated their sympathy and prayers, but no one was interested in talking about the Lord, either.  That's ok.  This is about the relationships, and I believe their presence yesterday helped those continue to grow.

On Friday, Matt was finally able to discretely capture a few images of Konpech...

Below, some of the trees "inhabited by demons."

Junior, next to one of the BIGGEST trees I've ever seen in Haiti, another "untouchable" dwelling.

This stick below is what is left of the most sacred tree that Konpech had.  The community believes strongly that if you touch this twig that you will die, and that it holds the most power for their village.

The new community "battery", this time a sheet, to replace the one that Junior originally destroyed.  Again, a "battery" is an object placed at a crossroads to protect a community and to curse or kill intruders.  It is supposedly inhabited by a demon, and anyone that touches it will die.  (you're starting to follow by now that there is a LOT of "threat of death" in Voodoo.)

Please put Konpech, Junior, Belony, Matt, Lynton and others working there on your long-term prayer list.  I am anxious to get out there and meet some of the people I have been praying for, but do not want to go at the expense of Matt not being able to go, as that he is a much stronger support and theological help for Junior.  With Little Miss at home, it's one or the other...He'll open the door when it's right.

Meanwhile, I'd also like to ask your prayers for a rather heavy task we have ahead of us this morning at 11.  Friday brought us just crushing news that requires a direct confrontation of the blatant sin of a dear, dear friend today.  We are just heartbroken over this situation in which what was desired was chosen over what HE desires (aka, sin), and deemed 'best' over what He has clearly deemed BEST.    

Because of His love and our love, it cannot be overlooked or swept out of the way, and direct confrontation is always so hard, though often, the right approach.  Please pray for us as we try to articulate in a loving, gracious and unwavering fashion His love and ours, His requirement of Holiness in His children, OUR requirement for holiness in our intimate relationships with believers.  We are hoping and praying for sincere repentance and transformation and restoration in Him.  Also praying for a lot of wisdom on our part to know what our role needs to be in that. 

We have encountered SO MANY of these similar situations in the past 10 days that it has been very hard not to be discouraged.  Matt was asked to preach during a Student Visitation to a large church yesterday, and felt very led to start in Hebrews 2:1-4

"We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."

...and then RE-lay what it means to be a Christ-follower, to be saved, to have died with Him on the cross AND to have life with Him through the resurrection, to be IN HIM, etc...

That service yesterday was a truly HOLY time.  The Spirit spoke through Matt in such a clearly inspired and passionate way, the large congregation was clearly moved by the Spirit, and Matt and I both individually felt very led by the Lord in this rather new direction.

Up until these last months, we have mostly felt led the past four years in community evangelism and in the training of the men and women who are leading the church.  But we are now beginning to feel very led and empowered to start putting some additional focus (in the classroom and in our daily lives) addressing the idea in the church and in Christians that being converted is all that matters.  On Sanctification (becoming HOLY like He is) and not just on Justification (being justified by the cross.)  On being IN HIM, and not just on being "a Christian", being "converted."  

As He shares more of His heart with us on this, we will share with you.  

For now, I KNOW that He didn't ask us to "be holy, as I AM holy," (1 Peter 1:16, Leviticus 11:44) thinking all the while to Himself that it is not possible.  For now, I KNOW that His perfect plan for each of our lives includes a lot more than doing what we want and then claiming the cross.  

The cross is not to be "name it and claim it."  Either we died to sin and to ourselves with Him and rose again as NEW creations with Him, no longer slaves to sin and working towards being like Him, or we didn't.  We can't stand by, "saved", personally untouched by the cross and just "throw it out there" every time we choose what we want over what He wants, every time we sin.  

He came, and died, and rose again for MORE than what we're seeing in the "Christian" lives of those around us.  We do need to keep preaching the cross.  But not without the MORE.  

Can you tell we're feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late :)  There is SO much going on...not just work, but spiritually.  Pray that we would be sharp in Him, only possible through lots of good "Mary" time at His feet.  You know by now that "Martha" is more my nature :)