Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women
but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God.
The one all-important thing is:
the Gospel of God should be recognized as THE abiding reality.
Reality is Not:
human goodness, holiness, heaven, hell.
It is redemption.
The need to perceive this is the most vital need for the Christian worker today.
We have to get used to the idea that redemption is the only reality.
We fail if we place our desire for our own holiness above our desire to know God.
God cannot deliver us when our interest is in merely our own character.
We cannot be conscious of ourselves...
but recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered and separated by God for ONE purpose--
to proclaim the Gospel of God.
O. Chambers
31 January 2011
29 January 2011
Baptism of Life-Change
The first few months of our Saturday SEEP (Saccanville Evangelical English Program) class, I had to make sure that every class had enough English to keep everyone coming for English. Eventually, the Bible did one of the things the Bible does...drew the students in.
I am overjoyed now to realize that the students are coming for the Bible, and so we don't DO grammar studies any more, English worksheets, pronoun quizzes.
This morning, for over two hours, we studied the Bible in both languages, literally verse for verse, and talked about what it meant...NOT necessarily in English, but to each of us.
And the content was SO good.
Their homework was to read and study Luke 3:1-18, which the Message appropriately calls "A Baptism of Life-Change."
Today's challenge was to go through this with them, and then to work through Jesus's baptism, as well.
Have you read this stuff lately??? GOOD STUFF! (Luke 3:1-18, Matthew 3:1-17).
For 25 men and women, 24 of whom are at the crossroads or just the beginning of a relationship with Jesus, John the Baptist struck at their (OUR) very cores.
John's in the desert, and he receives a message from God. He goes everywhere preaching this message. The theme of the message that God gave him was: A Baptism of Life-Change, Leading to Forgiveness of Sins.
Hundreds of years earlier, Isaiah spoke about John and about his cousin Jesus! "A voice calling in the wilderness will say, Prepare the way for the Lord! Rough ways will be made smooth, and ALL people will SEE God's Salvation."
So, lots of people came to the desert to hear John. Why? Because it was the popular thing to do - That means, everybody was doing it.
"They were que-rous?" Jackie asked several times until I finally realized he was saying CURIOUS.
Yeah! They were curious! So everyone was coming to hear him preach because they were curious.
You know, just like here, if a man and his woman are fighting in the yard, and start screaming, what happens?
Yeah! Everyone runs out of their yards and crowds around them. Why? Because they want to help them? NO! Because they are curious, they want to see what's happening! Everyone is doing it!
SO, everyone is coming to hear John, but John, he KNOWS their intention. Intention. That means, he knows what the motive, the purpose in their hearts, was. Just like God knows the intention of our hearts today!
SO, when he saw many people coming for the wrong reason, he was so angry.
So, John called them a "family of snakes and asked them some difficult questions.
I swear I could hear the "crazy, wilderness man" just literally yelling at us at this point.
What do you think you're doing coming here? Do you really think God is going to be happy because you come to hear me preach, even though you continue to sin? Do you really think God cares what clothes you put on, how many times you go to church, whether you wear more than 2 earrings, paint your toenails, what your country believes or says or does? It's your LIFE that must change, not your appearance.
Don't think you're an exception because Abraham is 'your father!' Who your family is doesn't matter! The religion of your country or family doesn't matter! What matters, what is important, what counts is YOUR LIFE. Is it green, growing, blossoming, producing, rooted and growing in Christ? Because if it is brown and withered and dead and crunchy, if it's dead...it goes on the fire.
OUCH. I'm not sure I would have had the gut John does to say all this to my class so frankly. "Thank you, Lord, for John's message!" I prayed silently as it silenced ALL of us and made us each think about our own lives, our own excuses, our own choice: green or dead. life or fire.
So the crowd says, "Wow. What in the world are we supposed to do?"
And John tells them: if you have two shirts, give one away. Same with your food. Don't take more than you are required. Be just. Be fair. Be content. God will be happy with life change, not appearance change! Leave your sin, and don't continue in it.
The people were more and more interested, and thought, "hmmm, maybe this is the Messiah?"
But John told them, "no! I just use water. I'm not even worthy to take off the flip-flop of the one who is coming, the Powerful one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire."
HE has the rake to clean. He'll gather all the good, sweet sugar cane and put it in His depot, and all the bark stripped off that is good for nothing will be gathered up and burned, JUST like we do here, all the time!
The baptism of Jesus following this had everyone's hands up, and I am SO THANKFUL that visiting professor and friend John joined me this morning to articulate some of the answers.
"If Jesus was more powerful than John, and Jesus wanted John to baptize him, should the pastor of the church be baptized by the people in the church, and not the other way around?"
"What about the way many people here are baptized over and over again? Is that good?"
"What does it MEAN to be baptized by the spirit and fire? How is that different than being baptized with water?"
"How many kinds of baptism are ok?"
"If Jesus was already Holy, why did he need to be baptized at all?"
"If baptism was so important, why didn't Jesus baptize people?"
As I thought through the answer to these and more questions, I felt so EXCITED, renew excited, by the life changing truth of this Gospel I call My Foundation. Excited by the faith I call mine.
We don't GET baptized to become holy, do we? God doesn't miraculously dump water on our heads one day when He decides we're ready. The water baptism isn't God "making" us something. That is OUR choice. Baptism: to SHOW everyone around us that Jesus changed our hearts! John was baptizing, the disciples baptized, pastors baptize, churches. But Jesus? He does the part of baptism that NO one else can...the life change! HE changes our hearts, making us WANT to show others that He did just that.
Jesus changes our heart. His spirit, the baptism of the His Spirit, helps us to become holy, and baptism shows people that.
What a cool moment that must have been, to have the heavens open, the Spirit descending, the voice of God proclaiming "THIS IS MY SON."
And all people shall SEE salvation.
Without diving too deeply into different Haitian church doctrines, baptism in Haiti, denominationalism, etc., we were able to talk about the point. (and to think there are people that think nobody needs Seminary training, or that it is not needed in a place like Haiti! Man alive, was I thankful this morning for the professors and men and women who are at Emmaus studying baptism... communion... marriage... tithing... doctrine... theology to Biblically and correctly ANSWER the many questions of their churches, communities, witchdoctors, etc.!!! )
For homework this week everyone is working on some major Biblical translation projects, and I was excited to see how excited they were to work through Luke this week.
I've never taught or shared anything more exciting, practical, heart-hitting or life-changing in my life...and this morning, I was SO thankful that first my parents, and then SO many more people and classes and studies and churches and the Lord gave me the opportunity to know and study and choose and BECOME these truths. Knowing Him, and having something worthwhile to GIVE are the joys of my life.
Like John, I can't change anyone's hearts. Can't make anyone holy. But I can preach His kingdom, share boldly what He has done in MY heart, and can introduce them to the One Who Can.
We can.
Thank you for your continued prayers and patience as I keep talking too much about this SEEP class!
I am overjoyed now to realize that the students are coming for the Bible, and so we don't DO grammar studies any more, English worksheets, pronoun quizzes.
This morning, for over two hours, we studied the Bible in both languages, literally verse for verse, and talked about what it meant...NOT necessarily in English, but to each of us.
And the content was SO good.
Their homework was to read and study Luke 3:1-18, which the Message appropriately calls "A Baptism of Life-Change."
Today's challenge was to go through this with them, and then to work through Jesus's baptism, as well.
Have you read this stuff lately??? GOOD STUFF! (Luke 3:1-18, Matthew 3:1-17).
For 25 men and women, 24 of whom are at the crossroads or just the beginning of a relationship with Jesus, John the Baptist struck at their (OUR) very cores.
John's in the desert, and he receives a message from God. He goes everywhere preaching this message. The theme of the message that God gave him was: A Baptism of Life-Change, Leading to Forgiveness of Sins.
Hundreds of years earlier, Isaiah spoke about John and about his cousin Jesus! "A voice calling in the wilderness will say, Prepare the way for the Lord! Rough ways will be made smooth, and ALL people will SEE God's Salvation."
So, lots of people came to the desert to hear John. Why? Because it was the popular thing to do - That means, everybody was doing it.
"They were que-rous?" Jackie asked several times until I finally realized he was saying CURIOUS.
Yeah! They were curious! So everyone was coming to hear him preach because they were curious.
You know, just like here, if a man and his woman are fighting in the yard, and start screaming, what happens?
Yeah! Everyone runs out of their yards and crowds around them. Why? Because they want to help them? NO! Because they are curious, they want to see what's happening! Everyone is doing it!
SO, everyone is coming to hear John, but John, he KNOWS their intention. Intention. That means, he knows what the motive, the purpose in their hearts, was. Just like God knows the intention of our hearts today!
SO, when he saw many people coming for the wrong reason, he was so angry.
So, John called them a "family of snakes and asked them some difficult questions.
I swear I could hear the "crazy, wilderness man" just literally yelling at us at this point.
What do you think you're doing coming here? Do you really think God is going to be happy because you come to hear me preach, even though you continue to sin? Do you really think God cares what clothes you put on, how many times you go to church, whether you wear more than 2 earrings, paint your toenails, what your country believes or says or does? It's your LIFE that must change, not your appearance.
Don't think you're an exception because Abraham is 'your father!' Who your family is doesn't matter! The religion of your country or family doesn't matter! What matters, what is important, what counts is YOUR LIFE. Is it green, growing, blossoming, producing, rooted and growing in Christ? Because if it is brown and withered and dead and crunchy, if it's dead...it goes on the fire.
OUCH. I'm not sure I would have had the gut John does to say all this to my class so frankly. "Thank you, Lord, for John's message!" I prayed silently as it silenced ALL of us and made us each think about our own lives, our own excuses, our own choice: green or dead. life or fire.
So the crowd says, "Wow. What in the world are we supposed to do?"
And John tells them: if you have two shirts, give one away. Same with your food. Don't take more than you are required. Be just. Be fair. Be content. God will be happy with life change, not appearance change! Leave your sin, and don't continue in it.
The people were more and more interested, and thought, "hmmm, maybe this is the Messiah?"
But John told them, "no! I just use water. I'm not even worthy to take off the flip-flop of the one who is coming, the Powerful one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire."
HE has the rake to clean. He'll gather all the good, sweet sugar cane and put it in His depot, and all the bark stripped off that is good for nothing will be gathered up and burned, JUST like we do here, all the time!
The baptism of Jesus following this had everyone's hands up, and I am SO THANKFUL that visiting professor and friend John joined me this morning to articulate some of the answers.
"If Jesus was more powerful than John, and Jesus wanted John to baptize him, should the pastor of the church be baptized by the people in the church, and not the other way around?"
"What about the way many people here are baptized over and over again? Is that good?"
"What does it MEAN to be baptized by the spirit and fire? How is that different than being baptized with water?"
"How many kinds of baptism are ok?"
"If Jesus was already Holy, why did he need to be baptized at all?"
"If baptism was so important, why didn't Jesus baptize people?"
As I thought through the answer to these and more questions, I felt so EXCITED, renew excited, by the life changing truth of this Gospel I call My Foundation. Excited by the faith I call mine.
We don't GET baptized to become holy, do we? God doesn't miraculously dump water on our heads one day when He decides we're ready. The water baptism isn't God "making" us something. That is OUR choice. Baptism: to SHOW everyone around us that Jesus changed our hearts! John was baptizing, the disciples baptized, pastors baptize, churches. But Jesus? He does the part of baptism that NO one else can...the life change! HE changes our hearts, making us WANT to show others that He did just that.
Jesus changes our heart. His spirit, the baptism of the His Spirit, helps us to become holy, and baptism shows people that.
What a cool moment that must have been, to have the heavens open, the Spirit descending, the voice of God proclaiming "THIS IS MY SON."
And all people shall SEE salvation.
Without diving too deeply into different Haitian church doctrines, baptism in Haiti, denominationalism, etc., we were able to talk about the point. (and to think there are people that think nobody needs Seminary training, or that it is not needed in a place like Haiti! Man alive, was I thankful this morning for the professors and men and women who are at Emmaus studying baptism... communion... marriage... tithing... doctrine... theology to Biblically and correctly ANSWER the many questions of their churches, communities, witchdoctors, etc.!!! )
For homework this week everyone is working on some major Biblical translation projects, and I was excited to see how excited they were to work through Luke this week.
I've never taught or shared anything more exciting, practical, heart-hitting or life-changing in my life...and this morning, I was SO thankful that first my parents, and then SO many more people and classes and studies and churches and the Lord gave me the opportunity to know and study and choose and BECOME these truths. Knowing Him, and having something worthwhile to GIVE are the joys of my life.
Like John, I can't change anyone's hearts. Can't make anyone holy. But I can preach His kingdom, share boldly what He has done in MY heart, and can introduce them to the One Who Can.
We can.
Thank you for your continued prayers and patience as I keep talking too much about this SEEP class!
26 January 2011
the old hope needed for the new year
On Monday, Matt had the unexpected (until an hour beforehand :) opportunity to preach in chapel to start off the new semester and new year.
He hates preparing last second, and wasn't sure what he would be sharing to our EBS family, and ended up preaching exactly what God knew that everyone needed, and was ready, to hear.
What I love about this being our fourth year in Haiti and about living intimately with those around us is that Matt is truly now able to KNOW his audience, and something I love about Matt is that he also intimately knows His Creator and the Word. So when he is able to well-take The Truth to his well-known family...it's an awesome thing to sit in the back row for.
He started by looking back at the past year, and shared the whole message in a dialog with the audience, a very culturally popular approach.
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010, that Brother Paul would have a fourth baby!?"
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010, that Brother Lucner would finally get married?"
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010 there would be an earthquake, that more than 200,000 of our countrymen would die in one day?" The mood changed.
"Who could have told me that you would spend a month in Port-au-Prince bringing hurting people there to the Lord, planting them a church, raising up leaders, and pouring out your lives?"
"Who could have told me that 10 of you, after losing your homes and everything you knew, would become a part of our family?"
"Who could have told me that thousands would die of cholera, an epidemic that we didn't even know existed anymore?"
"Who could have told me that we would have chaos, frustration, corruption and uncertainty instead of a president by 2011?"
"And WHO on earth could have told me that BD (president of 25 years ago) would be here?" This last question sent everyone uproariously into laughter, the fact Matt mentioned that truly seemed to be the most shocking to everyone.
"WHO!" Matt asked.
"There is no such person," everyone shouted back. "Only God."
"OK," Matt responded, seemingly moving on to a new subject. "Get out your Bibles."
For a while we went briefly through all kind of milestones and fathers in the faith and their stories.
"Who knew that Israel would become slaves in Egypt? And who had a plan nonetheless?"
"What about Ninevah? What about Daniel? What about Abraham? What about John the Baptist? What about Paul? What about Creation? Who knew?"
"God alone."
"And who had a plan nonetheless?"
"God alone."
"So tell me," Matt asked, "in what verse, in what chapter, in what book of the Bible did God not have a plan?"
"No where."
"And tell me, in what verse, in what chapter, in what book of the Bible was God's plan defeated, left unfinished, or aborted?"
Silence as everyone thought..."No where."
"So" Matt pulled further "Why are you all depressed?"
And depressed everyone had been. The unfoldings of the past year, and especially these last two months, had most everyone returning sluggish, uncertain, despairing, hopeless.
"Is it possible that God has no plan for Haiti?"
"No."
"NO" Matt almost roared. "It is NOT possible. I don't care what anyone else's plan is. I don't care what OUR plan is. God. Has. A. Plan."
"And," Matt continued, "If that is true, then IS it possible that the plan will NOT come to pass?"
"NO" Emmaus responded, waves of peace, courage, encouragement and strength obviously hitting different members at different times.
"Remember when His plan was a baby?" Matt said quietly. "How much sense did that make? A baby, in the midst of chaos, persecution, terror. And yet God fulfilled that plan, and what does that baby plan MEAN today?"
Quiet versions of "everything" was muttered throughout the chapel.
"Everything" Matt resounded.
Out of time but anxious to finish, Matt passionately and brokenly poured out our testimony of Sophie this past Christmas, when everything in our lives was on the line.
He shared with the students the doctor's confident prediction of definite disaster, the impossibility of returning to Haiti, confirmed best-case-scenario fear and devastation, and even the possible death of Madame Matt and his new baby. He talked about the chaos of those moments, the temptations for despair and fear, and the prayers of His people...even just a very few.
A pin could have shocked our family if it had dropped at that moment and for the first time, I realized how much our miracle casts hope upon Haiti's situation.
As Matt shared God's miraculous plan trumping the facts, the sonogram and the doctors, our family erupted in hooting and applause...just as they did following the earthquake not that long ago...not for Matt nor any man, but for God...for His plan, and for it's inability to fail.
There is a lot I'm not sharing well and not remembering well (Matt is a better preacher than I am a writer) but in 30 minutes on Monday, God obviously shifted the entire disposition, perspective, and spirit of Emmaus.
Was it because anyone has ANY clue what this year has in store? nope.
Because Matt promised some kind of prosper this year? Some kind of "things will be better this year?" nope.
Emmaus is acting entirely different now than we were Monday morning simply because we remembered that no one but our Father knows, that He DOES have a plan for each of our lives and for our little country down here, and because we remembered that He is on the throne...His plan will be.
Whatever it is, that is enough...His plan will be.
We cannot truly believe this and not be changed simply by the knowledge of His control.
Praying today that all of us here and all of you there will be constantly changing due to the increased pursuit of the knowledge of His love, His power, and His promise to never fail.
What I love about this being our fourth year in Haiti and about living intimately with those around us is that Matt is truly now able to KNOW his audience, and something I love about Matt is that he also intimately knows His Creator and the Word. So when he is able to well-take The Truth to his well-known family...it's an awesome thing to sit in the back row for.
He started by looking back at the past year, and shared the whole message in a dialog with the audience, a very culturally popular approach.
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010, that Brother Paul would have a fourth baby!?"
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010, that Brother Lucner would finally get married?"
"Who could have told me on January 1st, 2010 there would be an earthquake, that more than 200,000 of our countrymen would die in one day?" The mood changed.
"Who could have told me that you would spend a month in Port-au-Prince bringing hurting people there to the Lord, planting them a church, raising up leaders, and pouring out your lives?"
"Who could have told me that 10 of you, after losing your homes and everything you knew, would become a part of our family?"
"Who could have told me that thousands would die of cholera, an epidemic that we didn't even know existed anymore?"
"Who could have told me that we would have chaos, frustration, corruption and uncertainty instead of a president by 2011?"
"And WHO on earth could have told me that BD (president of 25 years ago) would be here?" This last question sent everyone uproariously into laughter, the fact Matt mentioned that truly seemed to be the most shocking to everyone.
"There is no such person," everyone shouted back. "Only God."
"OK," Matt responded, seemingly moving on to a new subject. "Get out your Bibles."
For a while we went briefly through all kind of milestones and fathers in the faith and their stories.
"Who knew that Israel would become slaves in Egypt? And who had a plan nonetheless?"
"What about Ninevah? What about Daniel? What about Abraham? What about John the Baptist? What about Paul? What about Creation? Who knew?"
"God alone."
"And who had a plan nonetheless?"
"God alone."
"So tell me," Matt asked, "in what verse, in what chapter, in what book of the Bible did God not have a plan?"
"No where."
"And tell me, in what verse, in what chapter, in what book of the Bible was God's plan defeated, left unfinished, or aborted?"
Silence as everyone thought..."No where."
"So" Matt pulled further "Why are you all depressed?"
And depressed everyone had been. The unfoldings of the past year, and especially these last two months, had most everyone returning sluggish, uncertain, despairing, hopeless.
"Is it possible that God has no plan for Haiti?"
"No."
"NO" Matt almost roared. "It is NOT possible. I don't care what anyone else's plan is. I don't care what OUR plan is. God. Has. A. Plan."
"And," Matt continued, "If that is true, then IS it possible that the plan will NOT come to pass?"
"NO" Emmaus responded, waves of peace, courage, encouragement and strength obviously hitting different members at different times.
"Remember when His plan was a baby?" Matt said quietly. "How much sense did that make? A baby, in the midst of chaos, persecution, terror. And yet God fulfilled that plan, and what does that baby plan MEAN today?"
Quiet versions of "everything" was muttered throughout the chapel.
"Everything" Matt resounded.
Out of time but anxious to finish, Matt passionately and brokenly poured out our testimony of Sophie this past Christmas, when everything in our lives was on the line.
He shared with the students the doctor's confident prediction of definite disaster, the impossibility of returning to Haiti, confirmed best-case-scenario fear and devastation, and even the possible death of Madame Matt and his new baby. He talked about the chaos of those moments, the temptations for despair and fear, and the prayers of His people...even just a very few.
A pin could have shocked our family if it had dropped at that moment and for the first time, I realized how much our miracle casts hope upon Haiti's situation.
As Matt shared God's miraculous plan trumping the facts, the sonogram and the doctors, our family erupted in hooting and applause...just as they did following the earthquake not that long ago...not for Matt nor any man, but for God...for His plan, and for it's inability to fail.
There is a lot I'm not sharing well and not remembering well (Matt is a better preacher than I am a writer) but in 30 minutes on Monday, God obviously shifted the entire disposition, perspective, and spirit of Emmaus.
Was it because anyone has ANY clue what this year has in store? nope.
Because Matt promised some kind of prosper this year? Some kind of "things will be better this year?" nope.
Emmaus is acting entirely different now than we were Monday morning simply because we remembered that no one but our Father knows, that He DOES have a plan for each of our lives and for our little country down here, and because we remembered that He is on the throne...His plan will be.
Whatever it is, that is enough...His plan will be.
We cannot truly believe this and not be changed simply by the knowledge of His control.
Praying today that all of us here and all of you there will be constantly changing due to the increased pursuit of the knowledge of His love, His power, and His promise to never fail.
24 January 2011
8 "good stuff"
1. Our Weather
I don't know what it's like where you are, but oh man...it is paradise here. It's been between 80 and 90 degrees each day (26-30 Celcius), crazy sunny, breezy, sweat-shirt chilly in the mornings and evenings and perfect to sleep under a light blanket. Haiti might have a lot of it's own issues, but IT IS NEVER COLD. Right now, that's GOT to sound nice to some of you out there :)
2. Lucner and his Ti-Kay
Previously men's overflow housing at the old Emmaus seminary, this house was a DISASTER. I wasn't sure it would ever be livable, but with lots of help from some of you and lots of others it is not only livable, but just LOVELY. Lucner and his new wife Luna are such a blessing not just to us, but to hundreds of people at the Vaudreil church where he pastors, to the Emmaus, to both communities and to pretty much everyone he runs into. The joy of the Lord is the obvious strength of Lucner, and his wisdom surpasses his years.
Luke and Luna had us over for supper Thursday night, and we just had a blast celebrating our friendship, their new house and new marriage, and what God is doing in Haiti and at EBS.
3. Gertha's Big Announcment
Our first Christmas here, Gertha's fiance drowned with around 200 other Haitians on a boat heading to Turks and Caicos. Until a year ago, she had remained single, but last fall she started dating a young man even taller than she is named Wislin. Three weeks ago their two families finally sat down (without Wislin and Gertha, as is the custom) talked things out, and set a wedding date for May 28th.
Gertha, knowing that Sophie isn't due until June 6th, thought this would be "perfect" so that Lily and I could be there. When I explained to her that there is no way we can be here for a wedding 8 days before the baby is due she was so disappointed...but the families have spoken.
I may not get to be there for the wedding, but I did get the pleasure of wedding dress "shopping" with her last week, which Lily thought was just fantastic, and Gertha found a dress she loved, thanks to a friend of Dodo and Bubba's who sent them back with 11 gorgeous wedding dresses.
4. Civil and the Saccanville Church
About six months ago the head pastor of the Saccanville church was taken into a church planting program, and almost instantly things at the church went downhill. Attendance dropped, preachers were hard to find, and the church really began to struggle with a lack of strong, consistent leadership. Finally, the church met with the Seminary asking for help. For two months, the seminary committed to leading worship and preaching, promising to pray about the future.
The Lord took care of the rest, clearly leading Civil (3rd year student) to step in the Interim Associate Pastor, and not long after led Fan-Fan (staff) to take over the faltering Sunday School program, helping to train the teachers, teach the youth class that didn't have a teacher, and support the program.
Things have been getting better slowly, but today I can honestly say that it was GOOD church this morning. Civil's preaching has been outstanding: Biblical, honest, insightful and well-delivered. Numbers are growing again, and a man came today specifically to become a Christian and we were all able to witness his conversion.
Please keep praying for this group of believers and for Civil, Fan-fan, and many from EBS and the community who are seeking to be and help His church in Saccanville.
5. Other Ti-Moun's
Of the 70+ people living and working on our seminary compound every day, ONE of them is a "ti-moun" (kid.) But a few months a year, when the farm is too frozen to farm, Jacob and Josephine join Lily, and it is SUCH a blessing for us and for her to have some other kids next door, even if they are significantly older than her.
The kids are abundantly patient with Lily, letting her tag along, making her fun gifts...like these elf slippers and new dress, and if they didn't have school, Lily would try to spend 24/7 with Jacob and Josephine.
6. Abel's New Ride
A group of you have gotten together to try to bring some small business loans (which in Haiti, are HUGE business loans, and miracles at that!) to Saccanville, and this past Friday Abel was finally able to buy his tap-tap (the name for a small truck like this used as the main source of public transportation.)
Not only will this help generate income for his family, but it will play a huge role in the continual major transportation problem our staff and students have coming to Emmaus from Cap-Haitien. Saccanville is just SO remote that many times our students will stand in the road for literally HOURS waiting for a ride.
This tap-tap will reserve a morning trip and an afternoon trip for Emmaus students and staff, picking them up and dropping them off at set times and places each day. We're all really excited about this great opportunity, but Abel is downright overwhelmed at this rare chance to better his community and family.
As always, no one was more pumped than Lily, who did NOT want to share the "baby bench" with Abel, but felt sure that it needed to be reserved just for her. Please be praying for this new venture!
7. A New Bell
It might not sound like much, but until today, EBS has still been summed to and from class, chapel, lunch and study hall with Giselain ringing an old brass hand bell. Needless to say, this leads to all kinds of flexibility in when that's being rung, especially on Friday's...her day off.
Finally, over Christmas we had the purchase approved of a bell system, John got it all hooked up, and today, everything is just a little bit easier...and more on-time!
8. Junior's Return
Junior decided at the last minute to return to Port-au-Prince for Christmas break, feeling led to do so. The Lord knew what He was doing because Junior had a fantastic month of ministry down south. Abandoned by his witch-doctor father and family when he was a young teen for becoming a Christian, Junior still doesn't really have a home in Port.
However, the little church he planted and began in Diquini after the earthquake is ALWAYS anxious to have him back and to have him work alongside them. He brought back awesome reports of church growth, dedication, individual spiritual growth, baptisms and developing leaders. However near the end of his trip, right after Haiti's past dictator returned last Sunday, the Seventh Day Adventist denomination in Port exploded with the calculated and guaranteed news that this was a sign that Jesus WILL be returning on May 21st. Thousands of tracts were distributed almost overnight, and the group of new believers in Diquini didn't know WHAT to do with the "news."
Due to the fact school had been delayed an extra week, he was available to spend an extra week with this blossoming congregation in the face of their struggle, and was able to spend hours in Bible study, prayer, counsel and research with them to help them worry not for the day or hour, but to always be prepared for Jesus's return.
Due to classes he has been able to take here the past two years, he was able to use the Bible to shed light on the false "facts" being spread, and to bring peace in a time of turmoil.
I'm so thankful for his time there, for his safe and excited return to Emmaus, and for the few days we've had with him to eat, share, pray and spend time together debriefing his time and preparing for tomorrow!
However, no one was happier to see Junior than Lily...he is one of her favorite people, and always takes the time to follow her bossy leadings! "Junior! Come in my house!"
School started off again today without too many hitches, and Matt is preaching in chapel in a few minutes! And we're off!
I don't know what it's like where you are, but oh man...it is paradise here. It's been between 80 and 90 degrees each day (26-30 Celcius), crazy sunny, breezy, sweat-shirt chilly in the mornings and evenings and perfect to sleep under a light blanket. Haiti might have a lot of it's own issues, but IT IS NEVER COLD. Right now, that's GOT to sound nice to some of you out there :)
2. Lucner and his Ti-Kay
3. Gertha's Big Announcment
Our first Christmas here, Gertha's fiance drowned with around 200 other Haitians on a boat heading to Turks and Caicos. Until a year ago, she had remained single, but last fall she started dating a young man even taller than she is named Wislin. Three weeks ago their two families finally sat down (without Wislin and Gertha, as is the custom) talked things out, and set a wedding date for May 28th.
I may not get to be there for the wedding, but I did get the pleasure of wedding dress "shopping" with her last week, which Lily thought was just fantastic, and Gertha found a dress she loved, thanks to a friend of Dodo and Bubba's who sent them back with 11 gorgeous wedding dresses.
4. Civil and the Saccanville Church
About six months ago the head pastor of the Saccanville church was taken into a church planting program, and almost instantly things at the church went downhill. Attendance dropped, preachers were hard to find, and the church really began to struggle with a lack of strong, consistent leadership. Finally, the church met with the Seminary asking for help. For two months, the seminary committed to leading worship and preaching, promising to pray about the future.
Things have been getting better slowly, but today I can honestly say that it was GOOD church this morning. Civil's preaching has been outstanding: Biblical, honest, insightful and well-delivered. Numbers are growing again, and a man came today specifically to become a Christian and we were all able to witness his conversion.
Please keep praying for this group of believers and for Civil, Fan-fan, and many from EBS and the community who are seeking to be and help His church in Saccanville.
5. Other Ti-Moun's
Of the 70+ people living and working on our seminary compound every day, ONE of them is a "ti-moun" (kid.) But a few months a year, when the farm is too frozen to farm, Jacob and Josephine join Lily, and it is SUCH a blessing for us and for her to have some other kids next door, even if they are significantly older than her.
The kids are abundantly patient with Lily, letting her tag along, making her fun gifts...like these elf slippers and new dress, and if they didn't have school, Lily would try to spend 24/7 with Jacob and Josephine.
6. Abel's New Ride
A group of you have gotten together to try to bring some small business loans (which in Haiti, are HUGE business loans, and miracles at that!) to Saccanville, and this past Friday Abel was finally able to buy his tap-tap (the name for a small truck like this used as the main source of public transportation.)
Not only will this help generate income for his family, but it will play a huge role in the continual major transportation problem our staff and students have coming to Emmaus from Cap-Haitien. Saccanville is just SO remote that many times our students will stand in the road for literally HOURS waiting for a ride.
This tap-tap will reserve a morning trip and an afternoon trip for Emmaus students and staff, picking them up and dropping them off at set times and places each day. We're all really excited about this great opportunity, but Abel is downright overwhelmed at this rare chance to better his community and family.
As always, no one was more pumped than Lily, who did NOT want to share the "baby bench" with Abel, but felt sure that it needed to be reserved just for her. Please be praying for this new venture!
7. A New Bell
It might not sound like much, but until today, EBS has still been summed to and from class, chapel, lunch and study hall with Giselain ringing an old brass hand bell. Needless to say, this leads to all kinds of flexibility in when that's being rung, especially on Friday's...her day off.
Finally, over Christmas we had the purchase approved of a bell system, John got it all hooked up, and today, everything is just a little bit easier...and more on-time!
8. Junior's Return
Junior decided at the last minute to return to Port-au-Prince for Christmas break, feeling led to do so. The Lord knew what He was doing because Junior had a fantastic month of ministry down south. Abandoned by his witch-doctor father and family when he was a young teen for becoming a Christian, Junior still doesn't really have a home in Port.
However, the little church he planted and began in Diquini after the earthquake is ALWAYS anxious to have him back and to have him work alongside them. He brought back awesome reports of church growth, dedication, individual spiritual growth, baptisms and developing leaders. However near the end of his trip, right after Haiti's past dictator returned last Sunday, the Seventh Day Adventist denomination in Port exploded with the calculated and guaranteed news that this was a sign that Jesus WILL be returning on May 21st. Thousands of tracts were distributed almost overnight, and the group of new believers in Diquini didn't know WHAT to do with the "news."
Due to the fact school had been delayed an extra week, he was available to spend an extra week with this blossoming congregation in the face of their struggle, and was able to spend hours in Bible study, prayer, counsel and research with them to help them worry not for the day or hour, but to always be prepared for Jesus's return.
Due to classes he has been able to take here the past two years, he was able to use the Bible to shed light on the false "facts" being spread, and to bring peace in a time of turmoil.
I'm so thankful for his time there, for his safe and excited return to Emmaus, and for the few days we've had with him to eat, share, pray and spend time together debriefing his time and preparing for tomorrow!
However, no one was happier to see Junior than Lily...he is one of her favorite people, and always takes the time to follow her bossy leadings! "Junior! Come in my house!"
School started off again today without too many hitches, and Matt is preaching in chapel in a few minutes! And we're off!
22 January 2011
an "Aha Moment" worth writing home about
This morning was a big morning.
To the outsider, it wouldn't have seemed big. No one could find the key to the church, so a little children's classroom was opened and around 8 am, young men and women hiked up the final hill to the church and bee-lined for the dark room. Six or seven climbed into each tiny wood bench-desk, and I had to laugh at how huge my students seemed crouched over their notebooks overlaying a single rickety plank of wood.
So in the musty room in tiny desks without so much as a chalkboard, we reunited...a pregnant foreign woman and about 25 passionate, 20-30 year old, mostly university educated and very driven young Haitians.
We always begin with about 20 minutes of conversation, and today I gave them the subject of "what I wish for 2011." I expected that politics would come up quickly, and it did...but not in the heated fashion I had expected from a room representing the brightest, most involved of Haiti.
I quite unexpectedly found myself standing before a very defeated group of friends.
"Everything is awful," Donny began. "I mean, we all see pictures of Port-au-Prince, and I am so embarrassed. I am ashamed that the world knows Haiti can't do anything right."
Others jumped in on the same line. "Other countries, the United State (always forgetting the -s here :), they all give us money and help, and what can we show? Haiti probably got more free money in 2010 than ever in history, and look at our country."
"We can't even do an election right," said Benjamin, the biggest and probably most influential guy in the class. "Everything is wrong, and no matter how much we try, WE, the people, can't seem to change ANYthing."
"You know what I want in 2011, teacher?" Ricky asked, a very thin and timid kid of about 20 who has no family and lives on his own. "I want a job. I went to school. I sold everything we had when my family died and went to university. I have a degree. I just want a job. I could DO something if I could DO something, you know?"
An eruption of agreement followed as I saw the great burden in each of the men's eyes. "I want to go to work in the morning," Renauld (pronounced "Ray-Know") said. "I want to work all day and come home at the end of the day and give my wife and our children a little money. I want to pay for MY family."
I felt devastated for their frustration, for their unmet GOOD desires, for their helplessness.
"I have thought something over the break" Renauld said thoughtfully from the back row. He is a very rare light-eyed Haitian, and when he looks at you and carefully pieces his feelings together in English, everyone listens.
"They say that if Haiti doesn't improve and that if we don't have a new president in place by February 7th (the date the Haitian constitution demands a new president), that the other countries will stop giving us money. So I was thinking over break, and I thought about all of the money Haiti has gotten recently and over the last 200 years."
"And," he continued thoughtfully, "I have realized that I don't think it is what Haiti needs anymore."
"We've had so much money, and it hasn't changed anything for 99% of us at all. Things just become more corrupt, and we become more hopeless and angry."
"Hmmm." I said, waiting with the rest of the class for his conclusion to this issue.
"I think," Renauld said carefully, "That Haiti needs to try the one thing it hasn't."
"What's that?" I asked.
Benjamin quipped back in, "I think it's Jesus."
"Jesus." Renauld said. "We've never tried Jesus as a country. We've never lived a way so that He can bless us, like Joseph. I've never tried Jesus for real. We've tried leaders, and money, and freedom and Satan."
"I think this Jesus is the only hope that Haiti has."
To my shock, gruffs and nods of affirmation again filled the room, and it was obvious that the class agreed with Renauld.
If I had said that to this class at any point over the last 9 months, I would have lost my class. I might have been scoffed and laughed out of the church.
These aren't "easy" men and women...These aren't people that buy whatever you sell them, aren't men and women that say things without thinking...These aren't men and women who have never seen anything different...these have not been students I have been able to any way convince of ANYTHING...I've just taught through the Bible, and they've just come because they are bored and because English seems like a way to improve their lives.
This whole time, I've believed Jesus to be the only hope for each student, and they have believed it to be English. And in English, and entirely on their own, they have mentally and critically found the only answer to be Him.
Today, their "Aha Moment" brought mine. I am praising the Lord and thankful for all the terribleness. Men, and money, disease and the job market, presidents and world powers have brought Haiti nothing but despair and deep-rooted dissatisfaction. I Praise the Lord...because today what I have never been able to tell them, what I never could have convinced them of, my students selected on their own.
How many throughout history have been led to Jesus with their Brains!
"OK," I said, not wanting to scare anyone off by laughing or crying. "Then let's talk about Him."
And we did. Two hours later everyone headed home clutching precious pieces of the book of Luke, anxious to discuss the life of their Only Hope next Saturday.
It might have just been a discussion in a dark, dirt-floor room in a tiny village called Saccanville, in a tiny, dark, dirt-floor country called Haiti that has been accused of being unable to produce anything but more Haitians...
...but today it produced Joy in His heart, Glory to His throne, Singing from the Heavenly Hosts, and I am confident that today it produced in a bundle of hearts a beautiful seed for salvation.
As long as He so clearly continues to be at work here, pursuing His people, we will be too, and you with us (we pray!) Thank you for your continued prayers for this special group of men and women, and for Haiti.
I have several more beautiful things to share with you that have unfolded in the last days...but this blog is too long. Monday!
To the outsider, it wouldn't have seemed big. No one could find the key to the church, so a little children's classroom was opened and around 8 am, young men and women hiked up the final hill to the church and bee-lined for the dark room. Six or seven climbed into each tiny wood bench-desk, and I had to laugh at how huge my students seemed crouched over their notebooks overlaying a single rickety plank of wood.
We always begin with about 20 minutes of conversation, and today I gave them the subject of "what I wish for 2011." I expected that politics would come up quickly, and it did...but not in the heated fashion I had expected from a room representing the brightest, most involved of Haiti.
I quite unexpectedly found myself standing before a very defeated group of friends.
Others jumped in on the same line. "Other countries, the United State (always forgetting the -s here :), they all give us money and help, and what can we show? Haiti probably got more free money in 2010 than ever in history, and look at our country."
"We can't even do an election right," said Benjamin, the biggest and probably most influential guy in the class. "Everything is wrong, and no matter how much we try, WE, the people, can't seem to change ANYthing."
"You know what I want in 2011, teacher?" Ricky asked, a very thin and timid kid of about 20 who has no family and lives on his own. "I want a job. I went to school. I sold everything we had when my family died and went to university. I have a degree. I just want a job. I could DO something if I could DO something, you know?"
An eruption of agreement followed as I saw the great burden in each of the men's eyes. "I want to go to work in the morning," Renauld (pronounced "Ray-Know") said. "I want to work all day and come home at the end of the day and give my wife and our children a little money. I want to pay for MY family."
I felt devastated for their frustration, for their unmet GOOD desires, for their helplessness.
"I have thought something over the break" Renauld said thoughtfully from the back row. He is a very rare light-eyed Haitian, and when he looks at you and carefully pieces his feelings together in English, everyone listens.
"They say that if Haiti doesn't improve and that if we don't have a new president in place by February 7th (the date the Haitian constitution demands a new president), that the other countries will stop giving us money. So I was thinking over break, and I thought about all of the money Haiti has gotten recently and over the last 200 years."
"And," he continued thoughtfully, "I have realized that I don't think it is what Haiti needs anymore."
"We've had so much money, and it hasn't changed anything for 99% of us at all. Things just become more corrupt, and we become more hopeless and angry."
"Hmmm." I said, waiting with the rest of the class for his conclusion to this issue.
"I think," Renauld said carefully, "That Haiti needs to try the one thing it hasn't."
"What's that?" I asked.
Benjamin quipped back in, "I think it's Jesus."
"Jesus." Renauld said. "We've never tried Jesus as a country. We've never lived a way so that He can bless us, like Joseph. I've never tried Jesus for real. We've tried leaders, and money, and freedom and Satan."
"I think this Jesus is the only hope that Haiti has."
To my shock, gruffs and nods of affirmation again filled the room, and it was obvious that the class agreed with Renauld.
If I had said that to this class at any point over the last 9 months, I would have lost my class. I might have been scoffed and laughed out of the church.
These aren't "easy" men and women...These aren't people that buy whatever you sell them, aren't men and women that say things without thinking...These aren't men and women who have never seen anything different...these have not been students I have been able to any way convince of ANYTHING...I've just taught through the Bible, and they've just come because they are bored and because English seems like a way to improve their lives.
This whole time, I've believed Jesus to be the only hope for each student, and they have believed it to be English. And in English, and entirely on their own, they have mentally and critically found the only answer to be Him.
Today, their "Aha Moment" brought mine. I am praising the Lord and thankful for all the terribleness. Men, and money, disease and the job market, presidents and world powers have brought Haiti nothing but despair and deep-rooted dissatisfaction. I Praise the Lord...because today what I have never been able to tell them, what I never could have convinced them of, my students selected on their own.
How many throughout history have been led to Jesus with their Brains!
"OK," I said, not wanting to scare anyone off by laughing or crying. "Then let's talk about Him."
And we did. Two hours later everyone headed home clutching precious pieces of the book of Luke, anxious to discuss the life of their Only Hope next Saturday.
It might have just been a discussion in a dark, dirt-floor room in a tiny village called Saccanville, in a tiny, dark, dirt-floor country called Haiti that has been accused of being unable to produce anything but more Haitians...
...but today it produced Joy in His heart, Glory to His throne, Singing from the Heavenly Hosts, and I am confident that today it produced in a bundle of hearts a beautiful seed for salvation.
As long as He so clearly continues to be at work here, pursuing His people, we will be too, and you with us (we pray!) Thank you for your continued prayers for this special group of men and women, and for Haiti.
I have several more beautiful things to share with you that have unfolded in the last days...but this blog is too long. Monday!
20 January 2011
Prayers for the New Year
A new year and semester begins at Emmaus Biblical Seminary this weekend, with new students, old students, visiting professors and staff all joining us! We will be thrilled to have everyone back and are anxious to hear a bit about what He has being doing through Emmaus this past month. Please remember us in your prayers!
~Please be praying for the ongoing political instability in Haiti.
We've stopped trying to figure out what in the world is going on. Last week we anxiously asked some good Haitian/Puerto Rican/American friends of ours who have lived in Haiti for over 50 years what they thought about "all of this" that is happening.
"Stacey, hunnie," the wife said, "You don't think. You don't even think that anyone else is thinking. It's Haiti. You just wait and see."
That seemed about right to us :) So "wait and see" we are along with millions of others around us.
I have a great peace in the midst of the almost bizarre and continually changing political tides that the Lord both KNOWS the plans of the rulers of earth, KNOWS what will be when all is said and done, AND holds the power in Haiti nonetheless. "Uncertain future" doesn't equal "fear" if this is the case.
Please keep praying for the many who don't know the Lord, for some kind of peace to come in the midst of all this, and for Godly leadership, even if only in the church!
~Please be praying for the new classes, new visiting professors and new students.
Emmaus is blessed to have three new students joining us mid-year, three visiting professors joining us Saturday (one who has never been) and lots of new classes being offered. My English classes alone have grown from 25 students total to 39 students total, I'm working through the syllabus for a new computer course, and Matt will be teaching a new advanced Greek Translations class.
Wisdom literature, Theology of John Wesley, Contemporary Religion, Hermeneutics, Isaiah, Church History, Synoptic Gospels, 1st and 2nd Samuel, Pastoral Theology and several other classes are also being offered throughout the semester.
~Please be praying for the advancement of His kingdom in spite of political instability.
Despite uncertain days ahead, our EBS staff is really praying that the classes, missions trips, evangelism efforts and church ministries planned for the months ahead will not be delayed or cancelled, but will be able to move forward for His glory. Please be praying that the Lord would continue to kindle callings and movement in the student's hearts for ministry and their fellow man DESPITE the possible distractions of the times.
~Please continue to be praying for the good health of our families and the student's families.
Despite continued battles throughout Northern Haiti with cholera, our staff and student body has continued to avoid illness. Please pray for continued protection while everyone is traveling each day and week, and for continued vigilance against cholera.
~Please pray for my SEEP class, which begins again with the birth of Jesus this Saturday.
After having to take several months off of the Saccanville Evangelical English Program due to Sophie, we are starting again this Saturday in the New Testament, working through the birth of Jesus again and then getting into his life and person in these following months.
Please be praying for this time that I have in front of 50 non-Christian members the surrounding communities to preach and teach His Word. When we finish in April, every student will have heard the "whole truth of the Gospel" and continue to have the opportunity to answer His call for their lives.
~Praise the Lord for the help of TWO missionary families right now, helping to make all the visitors and daily upkeep of Emmaus possible.
~Praise the Lord for the growing relationship between our EBS community and the Saccanville community.
Students and staff are now working full-time in the Saccanville church, Bible studies, Sunday school, community Bible studies and community outreach, and the relationship is continuing to transform both Saccanville and Emmaus.
~Praise the Lord for His continued grip on Haiti.
He who never grows weary and whose patience endures continues to be faithful to personally pursue Haiti. We continue to see the Lord at work EVERY day in our lives and in the lives of those around us, which encourages us to persevere.
I once saw Ellen doing a skit about the news, in which she joked that the news, interlaced with commercials for anti-depressants, was enough to keep anyone down. "Why don't they just get on there and say, 'EVERYTHING IS GETTING WORSE'" she joked.
It's not just Ellen that has noticed :) The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the days of a Christian will be increasingly hard, with many of our fathers in the faith triumphantly finishing in persecution, torture, prison, loneliness and pain...and joy. It's not SUPPOSED to be getting easier! Life in Haiti and anywhere else isn't supposed to be getting "better" in a materialistic sense.
But we ARE supposed to be growing more faithful...more urgent...more devoted to Him. If Paul, who as you will remember had a rather rough start, was 'shouting from the rooftops' of prison in the midst of hunger and trial and abuse to "rejoice in the Lord always!" as he preached to anyone in the cells around who would listen, then surely we can muster up the faith in HIS glory and power to joyfully, passionately and purely serve Him in the midst of hard days and hard times!
Please pray this for us and for the men and women at Emmaus, as we are praying for you!
THANK YOU for being a praying people.
~Please be praying for the ongoing political instability in Haiti.
We've stopped trying to figure out what in the world is going on. Last week we anxiously asked some good Haitian/Puerto Rican/American friends of ours who have lived in Haiti for over 50 years what they thought about "all of this" that is happening.
"Stacey, hunnie," the wife said, "You don't think. You don't even think that anyone else is thinking. It's Haiti. You just wait and see."
That seemed about right to us :) So "wait and see" we are along with millions of others around us.
I have a great peace in the midst of the almost bizarre and continually changing political tides that the Lord both KNOWS the plans of the rulers of earth, KNOWS what will be when all is said and done, AND holds the power in Haiti nonetheless. "Uncertain future" doesn't equal "fear" if this is the case.
Please keep praying for the many who don't know the Lord, for some kind of peace to come in the midst of all this, and for Godly leadership, even if only in the church!
~Please be praying for the new classes, new visiting professors and new students.
Emmaus is blessed to have three new students joining us mid-year, three visiting professors joining us Saturday (one who has never been) and lots of new classes being offered. My English classes alone have grown from 25 students total to 39 students total, I'm working through the syllabus for a new computer course, and Matt will be teaching a new advanced Greek Translations class.
~Please be praying for the advancement of His kingdom in spite of political instability.
Despite uncertain days ahead, our EBS staff is really praying that the classes, missions trips, evangelism efforts and church ministries planned for the months ahead will not be delayed or cancelled, but will be able to move forward for His glory. Please be praying that the Lord would continue to kindle callings and movement in the student's hearts for ministry and their fellow man DESPITE the possible distractions of the times.
~Please continue to be praying for the good health of our families and the student's families.
Despite continued battles throughout Northern Haiti with cholera, our staff and student body has continued to avoid illness. Please pray for continued protection while everyone is traveling each day and week, and for continued vigilance against cholera.
~Please pray for my SEEP class, which begins again with the birth of Jesus this Saturday.
After having to take several months off of the Saccanville Evangelical English Program due to Sophie, we are starting again this Saturday in the New Testament, working through the birth of Jesus again and then getting into his life and person in these following months.
Please be praying for this time that I have in front of 50 non-Christian members the surrounding communities to preach and teach His Word. When we finish in April, every student will have heard the "whole truth of the Gospel" and continue to have the opportunity to answer His call for their lives.
~Praise the Lord for the help of TWO missionary families right now, helping to make all the visitors and daily upkeep of Emmaus possible.
~Praise the Lord for the growing relationship between our EBS community and the Saccanville community.
Students and staff are now working full-time in the Saccanville church, Bible studies, Sunday school, community Bible studies and community outreach, and the relationship is continuing to transform both Saccanville and Emmaus.
~Praise the Lord for His continued grip on Haiti.
He who never grows weary and whose patience endures continues to be faithful to personally pursue Haiti. We continue to see the Lord at work EVERY day in our lives and in the lives of those around us, which encourages us to persevere.
I once saw Ellen doing a skit about the news, in which she joked that the news, interlaced with commercials for anti-depressants, was enough to keep anyone down. "Why don't they just get on there and say, 'EVERYTHING IS GETTING WORSE'" she joked.
It's not just Ellen that has noticed :) The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the days of a Christian will be increasingly hard, with many of our fathers in the faith triumphantly finishing in persecution, torture, prison, loneliness and pain...and joy. It's not SUPPOSED to be getting easier! Life in Haiti and anywhere else isn't supposed to be getting "better" in a materialistic sense.
But we ARE supposed to be growing more faithful...more urgent...more devoted to Him. If Paul, who as you will remember had a rather rough start, was 'shouting from the rooftops' of prison in the midst of hunger and trial and abuse to "rejoice in the Lord always!" as he preached to anyone in the cells around who would listen, then surely we can muster up the faith in HIS glory and power to joyfully, passionately and purely serve Him in the midst of hard days and hard times!
Please pray this for us and for the men and women at Emmaus, as we are praying for you!
THANK YOU for being a praying people.
18 January 2011
a day escape and what we can do for HIS name
As you've been hearing, the potential for things to be heating up politically very soon is growing, and with classes starting Monday and visiting professors coming this weekend and more meetings this week than we can remember, yesterday we did the ONLY thing we could do: went to the beach :)
We called it Family Day and all our resident families headed off after about an hour of checking the political climate and calling a few people to make sure the long trek was safe. Our Chief Security Advisor, Abel :), finally sent us off at 9 with his blessing, and we never heard or saw a lick of anything exciting (except a few men fighting over a chicken), Praise the Lord.
And it was GREAT. The weather was perfect, everyone had a fantastic time, and we were even joined by this bizarre bird that ended up becoming quite friendly. Dodo was the bravest of them all, though, with the bird making itself quite at home on her head until finally Lily said, "Go Away!"
We brought the kayak, snorkel gear, brownies and water guns, too, which really just resulted in a lot of behaving like children :) It was wonderful, and just what everyone needed...an escape...with so much good work and potential home-bound-ness ahead.
Today we are refreshed, getting ready for our first staff meeting of the year at 9, and ready to go!
John and O. Chambers helped my spirit get there, too, this morning with this reminder:
How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, being "witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord, which will be satisfying to Him WHEREVER He may send us. Beware of anything competing for your loyalty with Jesus, even service.
I guess it is the US sin-chip in us that makes us so concerned about what He is doing for us, how He is meeting our wants and needs and desires. But what a joy to think about today as a chance instead to satisfy Him, investing my total being. Who among us EVER decided that we wanted to live a slightly soiled, compromising, and undevoted life? And yet, it comes if we aren't deliberate about purity, unabashed devotion and NOT compromising.
Praise the Lord for a new chance today to just be His, and to please Him just with our love and what pours out of us because of that love.
I also loved in John 20 when Jesus starts re-appearing to people after his resurrection. He reappears to Mary, but as he speaks to her, her perspective was somehow veiled and she didn't understand that it was Him. He asks her a few questions, addressing her as "woman", and she remains in the dark.
"MARY!" he finally says, and that was all it took. "Teacher!" she exclaims, falling to the ground and clinging to her God.
She didn't even recognize a man she had intimately encountered a hundred times....until He said her name.
What a thrill of hope this gave me this morning for our little corner of the world. Instead of being frustrated that a people who have encountered Him SO MANY TIMES still live in darkness, I will wait and share with anticipation for the day when He calls their name (praying that maybe in some way we might be a part of that!) and the scales suddenly fall...making them realize that it is HE whom they have seen SO many times before.
Don't give up hope!
We called it Family Day and all our resident families headed off after about an hour of checking the political climate and calling a few people to make sure the long trek was safe. Our Chief Security Advisor, Abel :), finally sent us off at 9 with his blessing, and we never heard or saw a lick of anything exciting (except a few men fighting over a chicken), Praise the Lord.
And it was GREAT. The weather was perfect, everyone had a fantastic time, and we were even joined by this bizarre bird that ended up becoming quite friendly. Dodo was the bravest of them all, though, with the bird making itself quite at home on her head until finally Lily said, "Go Away!"
Today we are refreshed, getting ready for our first staff meeting of the year at 9, and ready to go!
John and O. Chambers helped my spirit get there, too, this morning with this reminder:
How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, being "witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord, which will be satisfying to Him WHEREVER He may send us. Beware of anything competing for your loyalty with Jesus, even service.
I guess it is the US sin-chip in us that makes us so concerned about what He is doing for us, how He is meeting our wants and needs and desires. But what a joy to think about today as a chance instead to satisfy Him, investing my total being. Who among us EVER decided that we wanted to live a slightly soiled, compromising, and undevoted life? And yet, it comes if we aren't deliberate about purity, unabashed devotion and NOT compromising.
Praise the Lord for a new chance today to just be His, and to please Him just with our love and what pours out of us because of that love.
I also loved in John 20 when Jesus starts re-appearing to people after his resurrection. He reappears to Mary, but as he speaks to her, her perspective was somehow veiled and she didn't understand that it was Him. He asks her a few questions, addressing her as "woman", and she remains in the dark.
"MARY!" he finally says, and that was all it took. "Teacher!" she exclaims, falling to the ground and clinging to her God.
She didn't even recognize a man she had intimately encountered a hundred times....until He said her name.
What a thrill of hope this gave me this morning for our little corner of the world. Instead of being frustrated that a people who have encountered Him SO MANY TIMES still live in darkness, I will wait and share with anticipation for the day when He calls their name (praying that maybe in some way we might be a part of that!) and the scales suddenly fall...making them realize that it is HE whom they have seen SO many times before.
Don't give up hope!
16 January 2011
friends!
What a great weekend with lots of good memories!
Yesterday, Abel turned 50 and Kerline (Maxi's wife) turned 34, so we had a great afternoon visiting and celebrating these two friendships. Birthday's are just not that big of a deal in Haiti. In fact, when we entered Kerline's singing "Happy Birthday", half her family said, "Today is your birthday?" Nonetheless, we took them both cupcakes and sang for them and talked about some our favorite things about them both, which prompted their families to do the same thing and we ended up having a really special time at both houses.
This week ahead is a BIG week with lots of meetings, students moving back in, financial registration, a slew of marketing projects, several new students for orientation, and new classes to prepare for.
Yesterday, Abel turned 50 and Kerline (Maxi's wife) turned 34, so we had a great afternoon visiting and celebrating these two friendships. Birthday's are just not that big of a deal in Haiti. In fact, when we entered Kerline's singing "Happy Birthday", half her family said, "Today is your birthday?" Nonetheless, we took them both cupcakes and sang for them and talked about some our favorite things about them both, which prompted their families to do the same thing and we ended up having a really special time at both houses.
Myolene and Abel...looking good at 50!
Maxi and Kerline...Maxi told us Kerline's birthday gift this year was a kiss...and I'm PRETTY sure that's what he gave her LAST year :)
Then today, we went with Dodo and Bubba to Paul's church...hadn't been there for a while and I STILL hadn't met Envangela. It was great to meet the baby, who we thought looks JUST like Paul, and to catch up with the whole family. Most, it was just great to be in church, a church that is consistently alive, healthy, and excited to be together and in His presence. Being there is always our joy, and today was no exception.
This morning Lily even decided to leave Mom and Dad and join the kid section (even though the kid-oversee-er chick was SERIOUS about the kids staying in their chairs and being quiet :) Lily LOVED being one of the kids and having a baby to stare at.
One of our second year student, Mogene, works in this church as well.
Lily thought she fit in as one of the kids, but most of them never stopped staring at her the whole service.
Dodo and Bubba had quite the following as well.
Evangela was precious and content...and not even two months yet!
DoDo and Bubba joined us for lunch, and now everyone that's not old or pregnant is playing soccer, soaking in another beautiful day. In a bit we are heading down the road to see off our dear friend Hannah, whose one year term is up and she heads back to Oregon tomorrow. Another sad good-bye! We've lost Julie, Hannah and Erica in the last month, and Matt, Lily and are feeling the loss of these three joyful, positive, encouraging and hilarious friends.
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