passion and need

This post comes from both overwhelming passion and overwhelming need.

Spending the last two weekends out with students and alumni in the crazy places God has called them to has been so eye-opening, so humbling, so inspiring.

Their stories, the little glimpses that I have lived and attempted to help you live are so God-soaked that it is all Matt and I can do but to be passionately excited about the future of Haiti in His hands.  We are excited about the future and we are excited about the NOW of Haiti.  We are excited every time we see glimpses of how God is using Emmaus, the classroom, our staff, our students, to transform.

And man alive, we need help.  I hate asking for help.  You probably hate me asking for help.  You probably don't need someone else asking for help.

But it's where we're at.  Despite the overwhelming passion, EBS is at a place of overwhelming need to carry on. 

We could not believe more in what we see God doing through Emmaus Biblical Seminary.  As we've given Him our lives, our girls, our youth, our gifts, our talents, our all, He has continually called us to and poured us out at EBS. 

We have men and women going through EBS right now who daily bless, humble, and inspire Matt and I.  Their hearts are right.  Their efforts are tireless.  They are not only studying the Word...they are working in their churches.  They are not just working tirelessly in their churches, but are working sacrificially in their communities.  

They're not focused on them.  They're not focused on Haiti.  They are focused on Him, and called and passionate about what He's doing and wanting deeply to be part of it.  They're giving it all to Him, and He's brought them here.

Just like last year, the funds raised over the summer for Emmaus made us until the end of February...but we need HELP getting through the rest of this school year.  We need HELP feeding and teaching and equipping and sending our students. 

I can't lie...realizing last month that Emmaus badly needed financial help came as a big discouragement to Matt and I.  When we are seeing and experiencing all the things we are seeing and experiencing, you'd think we could be feeding 70 people a day on passion-fumes alone!    

But the reality?  We need help.

We try to freely share our stories because they aren't OUR stories...they are His to do with what He will.  We try to freely share our gifts because they aren't OUR gifts...His, to do with what He will.  And we want to freely share the chance to be INVOLVED at Emmaus because it's not ours.  It's His.

We have 12 students in this year's first year class (all students with one semester or less under their belts), and not ONE of them has one penny of sponsorship.  An entirely unsponsored first year class means that our funding runs out the end of February.  Ran out the end of February.

Most devastatingly, this means that there are NO families or churches or small groups outside of Haiti committed to praying for and daily lifting up each of these young men and women as they work and live and minister.

There is no one writing them encouragement.  There is no one helping us care for them and support them and teach them and SEND them out.  

I can't stand it.  It can't be like that.  

My little family represents the prayers and help and support and love of so many.  And THESE men and women are my family, too.  And as badly as we have needed and appreciated and been blessed by the partnership of many, Jorgia and Aldy need it, too.  

So, I'm taking our blog hostage :)

We HAVE to get these men and women partnered.  If you're new here, this is what that means:

It costs Emmaus $2600 a year to feed, house, teach, train, and send out each students at Emmaus.  Each student raises their own funds of $600 from their families and churches and communities.  

 Then, we work to find the supplemental $2000 for each student.  "Sponsoring a student" means selecting, committing to pray for, writing to, receiving letters from, and supporting that student for that $2000 a year.  For one year, for four years, whatever.

Some of our other students are adopted by a Sunday School class.  Some of our churches "have" a student.  Some families have committed to a student.  However, whatever.

Every single Tuesday, until we have this class fully adopted, supported and prayed for, we will be featuring one student on our blog, on EBS's website, on FB, on other people's blogs...everywhere we know how, until we have that student covered.  Once he or she is, we will move on to the next.

I know $2000 is a lot of money.  And Matt and I would personally support every single one of these men and women if we could.  

We can't.  And I truly believe that that would be robbing YOU of a chance to be in an ongoing relationship with these brothers and sisters.  To have Joane on your fridge.  To write Roudeline a family letter.  To pray for Moliere during your devotional time.  To share what God is doing through Telemarque with your children.  To lift up Louis-Jaque with your small group.

To be a part of what God is doing here in Haiti.

If your church sent a team and Haiti is close to your heart, commit to growing that heart through a relationship with one of these family.  

If your Sunday School class prays for Haiti, grab a jar and make a student your outreach project this year.

If your family is looking for a way to gain His global perspective, I'll mail you a photo of a man or woman you can write to, hear from, grow with.

If despite everything else in your life right now, you pray for Emmaus, for our students, for us, for Haiti, and feel led to do something, please DO.

Because we Trust Him.  Because stepping out on that trust brings such sweetness.

And because our dear family here needs more family!

To help EBS generally now...

 Give here today through EBS

  Give here today through OMS

(with 300300 EBS Haiti as your project)

To support a specific student in the first year class, Bernard is up tomorrow.  I can't wait to introduce him to you...

Pray for each student with me, will you?