Not awesome.

Sunday morning, Matt preached at Fev.

I finally got to go.

As we headed home a few hours later, I was incredibly touched and proud, overwhelmingly proud of our staff and students who have been faithfully faithful to making Him known in Fev.

Don't get me wrong.  

I wasn't incredibly proud because Fev was awesome.

I was incredibly proud because Fev was NOT.

It wasn't awesome at all.  It is a patch of dirt with a stick and a tarp.  With holes.

The people come, not on time, not in crowds, not in nice or matching clothes, not in cars, but carrying broken plastic chairs on their heads, mostly women and children and old people.

Chickens mill, the dirt is too rocky and uneven to get your chair to sit flat, the little boys in front of us were playing with a broken condom turned balloon, and all around the little patch of church-plant are  the crumbling mud huts of the witchdoctors and their temples.  

It took about 2 minutes to realize that the new converts and curious attendees have NO church in their backgrounds...no "Christian" in their culture...no Christ in their traditions.  

From the hymns so well-known throughout Haiti that this group struggled painstakingly through to the incredibly basic lessons of our students still difficult for the small body of new believers to understand...it was obvious that it was not long ago that those who walked in darkness saw a great Light.

For over six months now, our students have BEEN here.  Hung out here, taught here, evangelized here, gone door-to-door and door-to-door again, built relationships, shown up, preached the Gospel.  

Again and again and again and again.

I have been to Fev.  

And there is NO glory in it.  No reward, not earthly.

There is nothing but a million opportunities to be discouraged.   

But I saw in Jorgia's beaming face NONE.

There is nothing in Fev but about 200 people who have very very little.

But I heard in Walnique's passionate voice NO interest in that.

  There is nothing in Fev that would require one of our most brilliant seminary student to be challenged.

But I followed in Rujerry's praise NOTHING but humility.

 There is nothing in Fev to draw ANYONE.  To keep anyone.

But as Junior proudly introduced me to new sister after new brother in Christ after the service, it was clear that there was NO place he'd rather be in the world.

Our crew is BEING EXACTLY Christ in exactly where Christ came for this Christmas.  

It may be a rocky patch of dirt, but it is on fire, my friends.  It glows.

Christ, whom they knew NOTHING about and never thought they would, is alive and well in this dirt patch surrounded by stick voodoo huts.  He is becoming truly known, truly tasted, truly sought, truly loved.  

By perseverance and patience and the great love for Christ of many...and I get to live with them...and find family in places like Fev. 

Praise the Lord.