pride

I've had these videos for a few weeks and have been wanting to share them.  They won't seem all that impressive...some men and women, digging in the dirt, pumping out some water.

But they are OUR men and women, and they are seminary students.  They are pastors.

That may not seem like such a big deal, still.

Let me explain.

One of the first things I noticed about our students when we first moved to Haiti in 2007 was that many of them had extremely long pinky nails.

What does that MEAN? I kept asking, realizing that most things in most cultures mean SOMETHING.

I came to learn that it meant simply that they were pastors.  Do NOT work with their hands.  Are of status.  Don't get dirty, don't dig, don't go in the sun.  Big wigs.  Important.  Educated.  Set apart.  Of status.

I came to be discouraged.

Pride, such a temptation and pitfall for us all.  How do you you teach humility?  How do you teach servanthood?  How do you give poured out hearts?  How do you prepare men and women ready to serve, ready to pour out, ready to die?

How do you follow the scarred hands of Jesus with prestigious nails?

How do you GIVE people a heart to take up their cross and follow Him?  WHEN did that start meaning to people that the road should be easy and pompous and prestigious and full of blessing and riches?  How do you teach that "take up your cross" is SHAMEFUL and bloody, hot and HARD work.

As we asked ourselves all these questions, all we knew to do was to model servant leadership and to teach the Bible.  God's Word...ready to address and transform the human heart, ready to attack the sin nature.  His Spirit, capable of changing the human heart.

We have picked up trash and hiked mountains, sweated and cleaned and dug for years.  We've hired sun-scorched staff members with hearts like Jesus.  The head of our work-study program pulls weeds and moves rocks alongside the students.  Hard work is built into each day.  We've taken any student who ever wants to go on every missions trip we can plan.  We've prayed.  We search for professors near and far who are godly and humble men and women.  We've tried to reject the wisdom of the world for His.  And Emmaus continues, every day, to give and give and give His transforming Word.

We dug all the bills out of pockets and drawers (then went and dug them out of the Heckman's pockets and drawers) and sent 10 students to Baron to help Ezechiel for a month over the summer...to live among the people, to sweat, to darken, to bleed, to cook, to be hungry...to share the Gospel and to work alongside the people.

We've done everything we know to do and given each heart to Him.

So to get these videos, of Pastor Ezechiel, graduate of 2011...head of the church on the mountain, head of the school, down in a hole of muddy water in the sun?  To see our women, in nasty clothes, pulling mud from Brave and Junior?  To see our brothers and sisters, going entirely against the grains of culture to dig and build a well of clearest spring water for the poorest of the poor on the highest of mountains?  To get dirty?  To be shamed?  To be the least of these?

 

A different kind of pride burns.

It's a big deal.

To God be the Glory.

If anyone wishes to come after Me,

he must deny himself,

take up his cross daily, and

follow Me.

--Luke 9:23

Oh Boy, Au Bois

Download EBS's Spring 2011 newsletter here!

It wasn't long ago that seven of our staff and students spent the weekend evangelizing in the remote village of "Au Bois" (pronounced Oh Boy).

This past weekend, one of our students, Jean-Marc, was there again visiting a family member, only to find the community suffering under a lot of spiritual attack.  Over fourteen people seemed to be suffering from demonic oppression or possession, and many people, new in their faith, begged Jean-Marc for help to stand up under the power of Satan.

Usually jovial and boyish, Jean-Marc returned very obviously burdened, and shared his testimony of the weekend on Monday in chapel.  This rapidly spread the burden, and a group of 10 are currently making plans to return this weekend, and hope to spend the whole weekend with new believers and with those Satan seems to be attacking.

"This is no light thing," Belony keeps reminding everyone.  "Of course God has more power.  Of course the power of Satan is nothing in light of His.  But if we go, or preach, or share within our OWN power, we will be defeated.  We must be filled with the Holy Spirit and full of HIS power, not ourselves."

We're all spending the next few days lifting these guys up, and preparing Bibles, clothing, food, etc. for them to take with them for this especially impoverished (in many ways) community.  

The cost of this trip for all ten (food and transportation) should be around $125 dollars.   As always, if you're interested in helping out with any of the missions trips that EBS supports, planned or spontaneous, send help to:

OMS

PO Box A

Greenwood, IN

46142

with EBS Haiti 300300 in the memo line.  

I'll be sending our camera with the team again, and hope to have some good testimony on Monday.  

Please be praying! 

lots of changes & a shocking new reality

Morning, friends!

The sun keeps rising here in beautiful Haiti, and it just seems that everything... from Lily's hilarious morning antics to the soft breeze, waking up to Matt making coffee to the brilliant blossoms...points to Him.  I'm so grateful this morning for this one life He's given us each and the chance each day to celebrate new mercies and to BE more like Him.

Lots of things are going on...

Last week after many years of working here in Haiti, Mary Lou left the Haiti field.  Matt and I worked with Mary Lou on a daily basis for our first several years here, and it just never gets any easier to live life alongside of each other and then have someone leave for good.

Joetta, the field treasurer, also left the field last week, meaning we're missing her humor and friendship and everyone's missing having a field treasurer!

Dave and Marilyn also exited, though not permanently, on Saturday for a few months away of work, travel and rest.  It seems we are always transitioning!

As I shared last month, both Julie and Hannah finished their one year terms and left in January, but the happy news is that they are BACK this week for a visit, to introduce us all to Julie's now-fiance Bill, and to get to say good-bye a little better.  (due to some family needs, Julie had to leave in quite a rush!)  Can't WAIT to catch up with these dear friends and to drill Bill.

Please keep praying for all of these missionaries as they transition: for His enduring and un-matched peace and for His continued clear calling on their lives.

Matt joined Junior this past Sunday in Konpech for a few hours, an afternoon that really opened his eyes and both broke and excited our hearts.  There are around 100 people living in this community, and they shared with Matt that they have all come from 4 people who started the community a LONG time ago, committed to Satan.  The poverty of the village was shocking to Matt, most people showing orange hair (vitamin deficiency) and children aged four or five still breast-feeding to curb starvation.

More shocking then the poverty, however, was this reality:  In 2011, there is a village 20 minutes from the main road where NOT ONE PERSON has EVER heard even an OUNCE of the Gospel.  In Haiti.  Where Christianity and missions, etc., have been around for decades.  Not ONE person in the crowd that gathered Sunday to hear Junior teach how sin came into the world had EVER heard ANYTHING about it.  No Idea.

When Junior told them how the world was created, where Satan came from, who made the trees, how sin came into the world...no one had EVER heard it.  There is an entirely UNREACHED people group living in complete darkness a 20 minute walk from me.

Belony says they've never heard the news because Christians largely avoid areas noted as being 'evil zones' such as Konpech, choosing instead to continually evangelize "safe" areas.

The reality continues...if this is true, that there are 100 people who have never heard one word of the Truth 20 minutes from here, then there are places EVERYWHERE in Haiti, most deemed 'demonic areas', that have ALSO never been reached.  Other people, JUST like you and I, who because of fear of Satan, have NEVER been given Hope.  Who continue to live under complete fear and bondage of Satan...perhaps because they NEVER knew there WAS another option.

(Is it possible, too, then, that in America/Canada/Europe, etc. that there are LOTS of people who have perhaps truly NEVER heard the Gospel?  Completely unreached people?  20 minutes from the church?  Perhaps people Christians largely avoid because they are known as being 'difficult'?  Just a thought...)

I can honestly tell you that until this past month, I would have told you that by now, everyone in Haiti had at least heard the Gospel.  This new reality is keeping us awake at night, and we're pumped to see the students as worked up about this as we are.  IF we believe that God has all power, and that Satan is nothing before our God, than what have we to fear? (as Junior has so boldly shown.)

Suddenly, there is a LOT TO DO!

February 28th (our spring break), a group of 21 students will be working to evangelize a zone not that far from the airport, hoping to eventually plant a church there.  Please be praying now for this upcoming major day of ministry, and please CONTINUE to be in prayer for those HE created in Konpech.

Many of you have been asking for more information about this "Bible story telling method" that I've used in SEEP and that Junior solely uses for evangelism.  I've been working on this blog and will have it up this week: complete with what that method is, how it works, where you can find the materials (for free), what Junior has added to it (which is just crazy, and insanely effective) and more about Konpech.

Thanks for all your continued prayers as we live life, with all it's changes and potential for what God means it to be, with you.

no value to this life...but for one

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people?  

For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers.  We "sit together in the heavenly places..."(Ephesians 2:6). "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it..."(1 Corinthians 12:26). 

If we allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity or spiritual weakness in our lives, everyone in contact with us will suffer.

How many of us are willing?

Willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral, and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ?

THAT is what God means when He uses the word witness.  "You shall be witnesses to Me..." (Acts 1:8).

Why has God left us here on earth?  Is it simply to be saved and sanctified?  

NO.  It is to be at work in service to Him.  Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him?  

Am I willing to be of no value to this age or to this life except for one purpose and one alone--to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ?

When I read this from Oswalt Chambers this morning, these pictures immediately came back to my mind from Sunday evening.  

When I saw how the guys of EBS hiked, saw how they lived for the weekend, saw how they ate, and saw who they ministered to--a completely remote, widespread, poor group of people who could do or offer NOTHING to them--this concept that O. Chambers is talking about took flesh.

A willingness to be of NO value to this present age or life, except for being used for the purpose of discipling others in Christ.  

Being willing to spend all that we are and have for Jesus Christ.  Acknowledging that we are responsible spiritually to God for others.  

Not giving ourselves permission to be selfish, to be spiritually weak, to be careless or to be morally insensitive.  EVER.  So that others do not suffer. 

It took Belo, Daniel, Brave, Jodenel, Augustin, Salnave and Noel so long to get to the indicated "drop-off" point that Belony said their "ribs were shaking."  Three motorcycles finally dropped the 7 of them, and their gear, box of Bibles, sound system and projector, and it was nearing nightfall.  A man met them there, and they began to hike "up and down, up and down, through 7 rivers!" Belony said.  "We had NO idea it was so remote, or that there would actually be ANY people living so far off a tiny road."

When they finally arrived around 6:30 pm (following, of course, a full day of classes), they got settled in and had their first service.  Gathering people just from the nearby homes, they discussed what the weekend would hold, who they came to talk about, and invited any Christians to join them in evangelism for the next day.  They also spent time with all the families living around the little house where they stayed, making sure that everyone in their home area had heard the Gospel before they set out the next day.

Saturday proved to hold even more hiking than Friday did.  With several other believers guiding them, these seven guys split up and hiked from house to house, sometimes covering over a mile between homes.  They talked to hundreds of people about Jesus, prayed with many and preached when larger groups were gathered.

"TONS of witchdoctors" Belony told me.  "The areas were SO remote and so largely untouched by modernity and the outside world that almost everyone we met practiced ancient forms of Voodoo, just like generations before them."

"Terrible physical work," Daniel shared last night.  "Terrible physically!  It was rough!  But man, spiritually, we were working in a gold mine all weekend.  GREAT spiritual work.  SO many people had never heard about Jesus out there."

One of the most interesting conversations they shared with me was with one particular witchdoctor.  They talked to him about the truth, and they talked to him about Heaven.  

"Yeah, but I don't WANT that," he told Belony angrily.  "I don't WANT to be in Heaven, and I sure don't want to be with God.  I can't wait to go to hell...I've been living for it my whole life.  Satan is my master, and I WANT to spend eternity with him.  Don't act like being with God is something everyone wants.  I know who Satan is, and he's who I want."

Belony said he just gently invited the furious man to their movie that night, and moved on.  "That was one of those times," he said, "where I felt peace to wipe the dust off my feet.  There are always going to be people, I guess, who deliberately and willingly choose hell.  Once that decision has been made, all I can do is love them and pray on."

Everywhere these groups went, they invited everyone to come together that night to see "The Jesus Film", the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.  

They finally came back together exhausted around 2, ate some lunch and prepared for a big evening service.  Despite the fact that only 12 people lived nearby, Belony joyfully shared that around 300 people came for the movie and service, many hiking the same miles that the guys had hiked that morning.  

Can you imagine what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it would be for people living out in complete wilderness like this with NO power, NO roads, NO water, NO politics, NO news...to gather for an outdoor movie??

The guys, of course, took full advantage of the huge crowds.  From 5-7 they held a service, preaching the whole gospel, sharing salvation, singing praises, answering questions, etc.  At 7 they started the film, and when it ended around 9, the crowds stayed until past 11 pm asking question after question about what they had seen.  (I wish I had pictures of this!  Belo said they were way too busy to be taking pictures, which I'm sure was true :)

The next morning, they led a Sunday morning church service in the school, geared towards young or new converts to try to direct them in the "what now".  Daniel (4th year) preached the message, sharing practical places in the Bible and advice to start growing in the Lord.  

Around noon they headed back, all anxious and urgent by the time they hit Emmaus for the many surrounding zones that they were unable, as only 7 in only 2 days, to speak to.  When I think of ALL the zones just like this one throughout Haiti and all of the people living in them...living and dying without knowing Christ...then think of how many zones like this in the world...

mh.

So thankful for what He did through these seven this weekend, and what He is doing in the hearts of many today that we will NEVER know about, because of seeds that were planted this weekend in previously untouched soil .

How AWESOME to know that all of the people who heard the Gospel this weekend actually SAW it first: men pouring themselves out as broken bread, as drink offerings for the sake of Love, and for NOTHING in return.  Those who had never once heard of what Jesus has done for us SAW their first example this weekend.

And as if you could price on it: $71.75.  

Why has God left us here on earth?  Is it simply to be saved and sanctified?  

NO.  It is to be at work in service to Him.  Am I willing to be broken bread and poured out wine for Him?  

Am I willing to be of no value to this age or to this life except for one purpose and one alone--to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lily got twin love monkeys from Aunt Lisa, which were quickly named "Mippy" and "Jelly", and now she is stoked that today is "Happy Birthday, Valentines".  If there are presents, it is Birthday.  Now she wants a cake and candles.  Thanks to Jenn, Lydia and Erika, hopefully a Valentine's cake will be in the works for tonight!

We had torrential downpours of rain all night and morning, so she was the ONLY thrilled person in Haiti this morning... stomping through the rivers of rain in the yard.  Everyone else is rather grouchy, wet and muddy :)

February's EBS "Missions Trip of the Month" was a great success, and everyone is safely home.  I have an awesome report to give you and the guys took along my camera, making the report all the better.  I'll share it all with you tomorrow, but for now...

This is just one of seven rivers the guys had to ford during their 2 hour hike (following a 4 hour motorcycle ride) to the zone where they would be working...  WITH all their things, 12 Bibles, a projector, a screen, speakers, fuel for a small generator and food.

 This is the house where all seven guys, along with the family already living there, stayed for the weekend.

Several new Christians and five new converts received precious cargo from these VERY rare visitors: Bibles.

We also had a good ministry weekend with Matt preaching at a Gesner's church (2nd year student) on Sunday in Grisongaurd.  This church proved to be QUITE far away and was an early morning for all of us (the service STARTED at 6:30 am).  We left the house at 6:30 and it took over 90 minutes on terrible roads to arrive.  

However, we had a great time and were blessed to see where Gesner works, were able to share the day with Maxi, Kerline and several of the students, and were blessed to worship with yet another group of people excited about Christ in their lives.  

Gesner (2nd year), bottom left, is the associate pastor of this church, with the children's choir, Matt and Lily, and Jean Marie (2nd year, tall guy in the blue shirt) and other members of the church leadership.

prayer reminder & hope for the drummers

Please be praying this weekend for Belony, Brave, Salnave, Jodenel, Noel and Daniel who will be heading to "Au Bois" (Oh Boy) for a weekend of ministry there.  They will leave today around 1:00 and plan to participate in door-to-door evangelism in this community today and tomorrow, show the Jesus film to the entire village Saturday night and then finish with a large outdoor service Sunday morning.

We need to thank any of you who have been here recently or recently sent some "extra cash" for "whatever God leads."  You're sending these six men today into this un-evangelized part of Au Bois this weekend. (three motorcycle taxi's there and back, a box of Bibles and food for the six of them for the weekend)  I am REALLY excited about what they have planned, and most, am just excited about CHRIST in these six and the impact I know that will have.  I wish we were going...

***

Two nights ago when Matt and I were laying in bed unable to sleep because the Voodoo drums at Noah's were pounding SO LOUDLY, the Lord gave me a different perspective.  (The Noah story is KILLER good, if you have a few minutes).  Normally, the erratic and deafening drumming is irritating, or discouraging, or frustrating (because it wakes Lily up!).  But Wednesday night, the Lord gave me a spirit of excitement.

This is why:  Belony, the evangelist/staff/past student that you have heard so much about, has his own Paul story.  A gifted musician, ten years ago it was Belony who was pounding for different witchdoctors, Belony who as a youth spent all of his time practicing and playing the drums and leading various satanic services.

As I lay there, thinking about Belony today, Belony AFTER meeting Christ on the road to Damascus, as I thought about ALL the people who have come to know Him because of Belony...of Pehpay, who was led to the Lord and brought back from the near dead because of Christ in Belony....Belony, leading dozens to the Lord after the earthquake just by boldly proclaiming the whole Gospel...

I felt NOTHING that night but excitement for the young men whose hands were slapping the cow skins right then and banging on 5-gallon buckets.  If God could take Saul and then bring about ALL that He did with Paul, if God could take the old Belony and then bring about ALL That He IS doing in Belony today, then I have nothing but excitement for those that are participating in Voodoo today.

One sunny day, Belony just put down his sticks, left the fire and followed Christ and became a fisher of men.

The POTENTIAL of Christ-died-and-rose-again-for-them is ELECTRIFYING.  Until He comes, there is hope for the drummers of Saccanville, hope for Konpesh, for Au Bois, for Haiti, for the world.

Thank you for your prayers this weekend!

PAP trip testimonies

-Julie Briggs, OMS missionary with Bethesda Medical Clinic

On Thursday morning the 14th October, three missionaries, four member of staff at the seminarary and eight of the students took the 8 hours journey down to Port au Prince. Thankfully they have been working on the road and the last four hours of the journey was all on smooth (mostly) paved roads. Coming into Port I sort of expected things to be different. It has been 10 months since the earthquake yet to be honest I did not see alot of change. There is a bit less rubble by the side of the road, a few buildings have been rebuilt and a few new houses have been built however in general there are still thousands upon thousand of people homeless and sleeping outside in tents, in makeshift homes which are made of a tarp yet have a tin door with a wee padlock. 

We drove right up to the top of the hill and arrived in Diquini to be greeted by Junior (our seminary studnet who has lived there for six months to lead the church) and several members of the church, one of the teenagers came over hugged me and said 'hi Julie'which amazed me, its been six months since I had been in Diquini. That evening we started with a service I think there were around 100 people there with a lot of people sitting outside the actual church 'building'. Matt preached the gospel clearly and simply and 12 people came forward at the end of the service to give their lives to God. 

Over the next two days we spent the morning in the local community praying with people and sharing the gospel with other people who didn't yet know. I was out with one of the pastor's and it always amazes me how open haitian's are to talking about God. Like we just arrive at their house and everyone is sitting outside anyway and ask can we come and have a chat and they are like yes sure. We didn't have one person who didn't want to talk to us. One young guy we talked to was sitting with his friends and they were all very 'cool', long hair, ears pierced etc. We shared the gospel with the group and asked them what they thought, the young guy said he knew God was there after he saw what God did for him because he wasn't hurt in the earthquake. However I went on to explain its good to say thank you to God for those things, but what is even more important is that we are sinful and God did something even greater he sent Jesus to die for our sins and now we can have forgiveness and a relationship with him. The guy said he wanted to be saved but he had to wait until he was a better person, until he cut his hair and took out his earrings and until he had some 'nice' clothes for church. It was great to be able to tell him he can come to God just the way he is, he doesn't need to change first that it is God who will do the changing within him. Right there in front of his 'cool' friends he got down on his knees and prayed. He asked God to forgive him of his sins and said he wanted to Serve God with his life. 

Later we went to the house of a lady called Marie. She had just become a christian recently and asked us to come into the house to pray with her, while we were there one of the pastors asked if she had anything in the house which she wanted to get rid off. He asked this because she was very involved in Voodoo before she became a christian. She went into the corner of the room and pulled out a bag of something, she explained she had been sick and had gone to a witch doctor for 'medicine' to help get her better. She didn't want anything to do with Satan anymore and therefore didn't want it in the house anymore, we agreed to take it and burn it. Then we prayer for her and over her house...a place and a life which has belonged to Satan had now been changed to a life for God. That night she got up in the service and explained to the church how God had changed her life. 

Burning the stuff from the witch doctor

The other thing which Junior has been doing with help of some people from the states is building houses for some of the families. I can't exactley remember but I think they have built 12 houses. He bought the materials and the people built them themselves. Marie has one and they really are nice, they are made of blocks and cement and have an nice tin roof. 

The house in the distance with the new tin roof is one of the new houses

We also ran a kids club on friday and saturday where we had singing, a memory verse, a story from the bible and some games. It was really great and the kids remembered the song we taught them in English from the time when we were there in April.

The first day of the kids club

Word got out on the second day and we had over double the amount of kids.

Even though we had a great trip with many lives changed for God and the church encouraged, the situation is still desperate. There are so many people sleeping in tents still and from what I saw of the city it doesn't look much different to how it did in April when I was there. Every night we were there it rained and when it rains in Haiti it really rains heavy. The Saturday night there was a huge thunder and lightening storm, it was the loudest and longest thunder I have ever heard in my life. I was staying inside a building on a bed dry and safe and I was still scared. All I could think of was the thousands of people who were sleeping outside under the cover of a tarp or a tent....I can't imagine it would provide much protection from a storm like that. The thunder and lightening lasted for a good hour and it rained most of the night. When we got up the next day we heard that one of the families 'homes' on the hill had blown down in the storm. Please continue to pray for the people in Port, pray for Organisations who are building homes for people, pray for the government which actually will be changing this month as it is election month and pray that the money which has been pledged from so many other places will be sent and used wisely to help the people of this country.

Driving out of Port after the rain

home safely!

The glowing, singing, laughing EBS group is safely back from Diquini, with tons of stories, praises, joys and prayers to share!  This sounds like EBS's best trip yet in many ways...and we have a lot to share with you!  Soon...

Lily and I need some Matt time and some break time, so we are heading to the beach for the day...We'll have stories posted soon!

 

Diquini trip!

I won't have any photos until they return, but the team is having a fantastic experience  in Port!  They arrived safely after only about 9 hours on the road and jumped right into an evening service.  Over a hundred people came, and 15 stayed afterwards to accept the Lord as their Savior.  Friday and Saturday, the morning began with Emmaus prayer time, followed by walking the children through the basic's of the Bible.  Then, from 9-12 the group went from tent-to-tent throughout Diquini, praying with people, talking to them, encouraging them, inviting them to Bible study and services, and inviting them to follow Christ. 

From noon-1 they are resting and eating, then meet with new believers from 2-3, lead and participate in Bible studies from 3-5, prepare for the evening service, and then lead the evening service from 6 until finish. 

Reports have all been positive, and Matt has been really thrilled to see the group bond and behave as "true Christian community."  The zone has been grateful for the encouragement and further feeding, and the group has also been thrilled to see that the leaders Junior trained and left in place have been doing really good work and seem to be truly after the Lord's own heart.

This morning, Sunday morning, they plan to have a large service from 6-9 am, and then get back on the road, hopefully returning before dark!  Thank you for your prayers!  I'll have photos and more specific testimonies in these coming days!

Praise the Lord!

settling for bed sheet security

When we were little, my sister had a theory that no amount of common sense could steer her away from.  As long as she had a sheet covering her, there was no bad man, no monster, no scary dream that could touch her.

No matter how hot it was, she had that sheet tucked up under her chin to keep her safe, and made it  a habit to never let her toe peek out or her arm dangle dangerously outside.  As she got older, we would laugh about that almighty sheet, which somehow gave her peace of mind though it had no power to protect her.

Yesterday evening, with John and Dorothy gone with the truck, Matt nine hours away, and no electricity, I felt like my little sister without a sheet.  Somehow, I had gotten comfortable with the idea that lights equal security.  Having Matt in the other room.  Having students living next door.  Having a vehicle to flee in, if necessary.

And being on the compound entirely alone with Lily last night in the pitch dark had me wrestling with fear.  If we had had lights, I wouldn't have thought twice.  But feeling my way through the house for a match and a candle had me checking all the locks, checking all the rooms for lurking strangers, thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong.   Somehow along the way, I have put my security in light bulbs, a tiny little inanimate object that couldn't possibly keep me safe from a mosquito, much less a break in or emergency.

Lily couldn't sleep due to the intense heat and swarming mosquitos, and as I laid on the floor next to her bed, singing her songs, I realized how my situation came dangerously close to the travesty spoken about in Romans 1, that I have been teaching my second year class.

"For even though they KNEW God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator!"  

Far be it from me to exchange the protection of an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful Creator for the foolish speculation that a lightbulb, or my husband, or a vehicle, or a baseball bat...a thin sheet...could protect me!

As I thought through this with my mind, God absolutely brought a verse that I haven't thought about in years to my heart: "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?"  Psalm 27:1.

My LIGHT.  That was all I wanted last night:  Light, and Salvation from not just harm, but fear.  And in the same moment He gave me the verse that I had mindlessly memorized as a child, He gave me that, too.  I truly believed, with my whole heart, that HE was my Light and my salvation, the stronghold of my life, and immediately, the fear was gone.  I scooped up tossing, itching Lily and walked out into the night, no longer cowering in the false security of four block walls.

The night air was twenty times cooler than the still air inside, and the quarter moon shown so brightly that His light illuminated our path.  She fell asleep as we walked, pointing her chubby finger at the "MOON!" and "Twinkle Twinkles!" (stars).

You might think that I credit far too much as being miracles.  I tell you about miracles every week, and maybe that doesn't seem possible to you.  But what God did last night for me was a miracle.

I had a heart and a spirit of fear.  I sat in the dark afraid and alone, and in a mater of minutes, where NOTHING changed, He spoke to my heart and changed EVERYTHING.  Even if He had come down in the form of an angel and fixed the generator last night, I would not have had the same joy, peace, and protection that I had last night basking in the Light of His Salvation.

What are your bedsheets today?  Maybe, like me, you don't even know that they are there!

I am so thankful that He allowed all my comforts to be stripped away last night so that I could realize where I had been relying on creation, when I COULD be relying on the Almighty Creator!

Matt and the group arrived safely yesterday after only 9 hours on the road, and just in time for a bit of rest and then a large service last night.  Over 100 people came, and the staff and students did an awesome job leading and ministering to those dear ones.  Matt had the opportunity to preach, and fifteen people stayed afterwards to talk to the Emmaus community about receiving the God of Matt's sermon in their lives.

When I spoke to Matt last night, he was overflowing with Hallelujah's, grateful for the direct and beautiful way that God had brought them to the right place at the right time for the right reason, and brimming with pride at how the Emmaus community had displayed passion, humility, and servant leadership to the homeless and still devastated group of His creation in Diquini.  These next days promise to be exciting!

Thank you for your continued prayers!  Today, Gertha, Micheline, Lily and I are going out for our bi-annual, "when Matt goes on a missions trip the girls go out to lunch" luncheon at La Kay.  God has blessed me so constantly through these two beautiful woman, and I always come away from time with them grateful for the family God has gifted me.

and they're off!

After much back-and-forth, Lily and I decided to stick it out on the home-front.  With so many responsibilities and things and people to care for these next days, Matt didn't need to be worrying about Lily, too.  SO, after a short time of worship and prayer and a group photo, they were off at 6:30 this morning, tired but excited about the coming days.

I find myself once again fiercely proud of this group of men and women, voluntarily giving up their rare vacation days to spend 11 hours in the sun on a  dirt road, followed by three days of pouring themselves out to a people they have never met.  Giving them the one thing that cannot be taken away, the one thing they have to give: more Jesus.  There won't be any comforts these next days, no expectations for power or glory or praise, just a job to do, to unceasingly preach the whole Gospel.

I am also so proud to see so many staff members going.  We know how busy their lives are here at the Seminary, and some of them leading churches, raising children, teaching Sunday school, etc.  And yet Elizay, Giselaine, FanFan, and Belony all went along today, too, truly modeling for the students servant leadership and the importance of ministry, and creating a great opportunity to build relationships alongside of the students as they all minister together.  Ok, I'm getting jealous again!

Please be praying for them these next days, and for Junior, as they travel, work and preach.  Pray that He would be glorified in every element, and please pray especially for Matt as he drives and works to keep them all fed, rested and spiritually nourished so that they can minister well.

Another small item for prayer, the generator :(  Last night when Matt started it up, it did not sound good AT ALL.  He shut it down, prayed, and then got it going again more smoothly.  However, after an hour, it started pulsing and making terrible noises again, and finally died completely.  The generator, I fear, is just plain DONE.  We are still waiting on new engines, and for Bud to come in next Monday to replace them once they come.

God has taken care of us too many times for me to worry now, and I keep remembering that if we hadn't been without power for days before, we never would have had the beautiful experience of Saccanville's water.  SO, I'm not even praying for power, just that He would continue to care for us.  Only John, Dorothy, Lily and I will be living on the compound the next days, so even if have no power or water, we'll just be able to joyfully give up the same things our brothers and sisters above are giving up these next days!  Matt, however, didn't like leaving us with the adventure :)

Thank you for your prayers, your support and the encouragement of all your comments and emails.  I will keep you posted on the trip as Matt and I are able to be in communication!

gettin' ready!

Whew!  These last days have been busy with preparing for Thursday's trip!  Buying casava and peanut butter, "tarping" the bed of the truck, finalizing who is going, working with Junior to arrange for food and services...

 I keep going back and forth about Lily and I going.  I HATE missing out on this, and know that Lily would have a blast with the students and being a part of the children's ministry.  I would LOVE to be there, and to have a chance to see the stories and capture the photos first hand.  However, the 12 hour-one-way ride in the back of a long-bed truck and very "flexible" living and eating arrangements have me wary.  Ah, normally "Stacey" and "mother" go along together quite well, but I am struggling with this one!

The group has grown a bit larger, too, with several members of the local church joining us, and a few other missionaries with OMS.  Junior has been excited to find the church doing well in Diquini, and very ready for a few days of good feeding.

Please be praying for traveling safety, that the Lord would be softening and preparing hearts, that the students and staff would be Spirit led, that the first-year students and others would have life-changing experience, and that many would grown in Him, or come to know Him!  These are exciting days!

Today's Top 8 Praises!

couldn't do one without the other...

1) Praise the Lord for next weeks missions trip!  

In just a few days, Matt, with what has turned into just under 20 others in tow, will be heading the bumpy 11-hour road back to Port, and everyone has spent lots of time planning, programing and preparing.  Junior headed down there yesterday to check on the church plants and to prepare better for the EBS team.  

Double praise, we have almost all the money we need for the trip!  THANK YOU to those of you who have emailed prayers and/or support!  We are still a few hundred dollars down, but I have a birthday on the way, and yes, I still get "birthday money!"  (you should never be too old for this.  hopefully :)  I couldn't have dreamed up a better gift, so whatever we don't get covered is covered!  Praise, praise!  They are going!

2)  We praise the Lord for the way His Word comes ALIVE whenever we study it, work through it and teach it.

I'm working through Romans with my Biblical English class (2nd year), and the language alone in the first chapter is so powerful that I can't teach through it sitting down. The guys can't help but "Amen!" and "Oh, Jesus, You are Good" throughout the study. 

 Matt's Psalms class continues to be one of the major highlights of the week, not because the students are fantastic (though they are) or that he has been able to teach in English (one of the first classes that has reached this capacity), but because the subject matter is SO powerful.  

I taught the birth of John the Baptist this morning for my Saturday class.  Each time I just "share" the story, it is good.  But when I come to a part that must be exact, and I say, "The Bible says that...", the message is SO much more powerful.  

Tomorrow Matt will preach Romans in the Saccanville church, and we know that if all he did was read the Word, that it will be a powerful service!

There is a lot of "good" stuff out there for people to learn, a lot of things that the Haitian people don't know.  

But we LOVE that our job isn't to teach them mathematics, space travel, world geography or computers, but the Word of God.  There just isn't anything better, because while a lot of other subject matter improves knowledge or improves living, His Word is the only thing I've ever read that CHANGES my heart.  Deeply indwells His peace.  Addresses everything that I am and that He is....

Praise the Lord for His Word and the chance to share it!

3) We truly praise the Lord for The Office.  I know.  A lot of you probably hate it.  But this is the ONLY television show that Matt and I have EVER followed, and season 7 finally started again! Ever since introduced to it by Mia and Elisa in 2006 we have been hooked, always able to forget the realities and burdens of life and find 25 blissful minutes of side-splitting hilarity.  It is just OUR sense of humor.

  

When we moved to Haiti, we thought we were finished, till someone taught us how we could download each new episode from here for $2.99.  Every Thursday, you have a chance to watch it if you're stateside, and every Friday morning, we start the download, pumped for our weekly $3 Friday night date night and a new 25 minutes with Jim, Pam, Andy and Michael.  

Then last week my dad sent us three new movies!  We've only watched the new Robin Hood so far, but we really do praise the Lord for giving us little luxuries like comedies and movies, popcorn, icy Cokes, fans, a couch, decaf coffee, etc. to step out of everyday life in Haiti and into our own culture for a few minutes!

4) Praise the Lord that the generator has been temporarily fixed again.

New engines are on the way, but for now, we are running way better than we were a few days ago.  Also, the students headed off to break today, so we went from 70+ using the generator to 4...it will be much easier to live off little power with just the four of us!  He carried us through...

5) Thank the Lord for His provision.  

Due to the massive amounts of people asking for help each year during this time for schooling, we always commit as a family in advance to be "crazy" generous, as He has been with us.  

Each year, we have had the great joy of seeing the Lord provide for someone through His money that was in our hands.  We commit to saying YES to each person that God really lays on our heart.  No matter what.  And each year, whether that meant our 10% tithe, 30%...50%, EVERY time, the Lord has cared for us in ways that we didn't even miss it AND got to overjoyedly be a part of seeing kiddos off to school, parents brimming with the joy of being able to provide that luxury for their child. 

This year, I couldn't even get through the day without giving His money to Micheline for her four children.  Micheline is incredibly timid, sweet and quite of spirit. Insanely proper.  It is a rare day that she is bold enough to call me Stacey, instead of Madame.  But she was so overwhelmed with joy that she dropped her umbrella and gave me a HUGE hug, something she never does.  It was better than...just about ANYTHING.  HE DID THAT for me.  

James, at 28, headed back to grade school on Monday, determined to finish what his mom couldn't help him do when he was a child.  I mean, how many people get to be a part of sending a 28-year-old to third grade?  

Kesner's daughter died last year, leaving he and his wife in their 70's  to raise a five-year-old, who headed to the Saccanville Church school on Monday.  

One night two years ago, it was SO incredibly hot and our inverter broke in August.  We tried to sleep for hours, but were so tormented by the heat and mosquitos, that finally a very angry and frustrated Matt headed out at 2 am to fight with the inverter.  

One of the night watchmen, who had never had fans a night in his life, spent TWO HOURS with Matt that night, patiently soothing Matt's less-than-saintly attitude and finally helping him fix it.  He has never once asked us for anything, but came to Saccanville last week, just broken over his four sitting school out.  They went to school this week, too.  Such a joy!

There are hundreds of children in Saccanville alone who are hanging out in their mud yards this week, just like always.  I'm trusting God to provide for them.  But we are SO incredibly thankful this week that God gave us gifts that we were able to middle-man for Him to some precious precious people.  What a joy!

6) Praise the Lord for the internet, which has worked beautifully ever since I complained about it :)  We downloaded last night's Office episode in  a record 55 minutes!

7) Praise the Lord for EBS's new sound system!  

As far as I can tell, EBS has never had a sound system, and ever since we moved to Saccanville, it has been hard to hear in chapel.  Also, every time we do crusades, we were putting out big money to rent a sound system.  

However, two visiting professors (whom I'd love to brag upon but will keep them nameless) last year noticed the need, and last month, ordered every piece of equipment we could have wanted.  

Last week, speakers, mics, stands, cables and things-I-don't-know-what-they're-called arrived, right in time for a  great week in chapel AND to head off to Port for the crusade next week.  

Everything is working so well, the students and staff are thrilled, a friend in Port is loaning us a free generator, and for 5 days, hundreds upon hundreds of people will hear the gospel preached because of this insanely generous gift.  We praise the Lord for how He answers prayer in His way and time!

8) Finally, we praise the Lord for Miss Lily, who is a girl in every sense of the word.

She is talking so much, putting together phrases such as "Poppy be back here soon?" and "Mommy, please? Doggie movie?"and best, "Mommy, hold you! Please!  Mesi!"  

She changes clothes 10 times a day and will play dress up or "No more monkey bed", which means that she jumps from our bed to a mattress on the floor over. and over. and over.  

She is healthy, she is happy, and we are overjoyed to watch her become a part of the Emmaus community in her own right.  I LOVE walking with her in the afternoons and watch her wave furiously at a group of student, "HI GUYS!"  I love that she knows all the cooks' names, and "helps" them in the kitchen each morning.  I love that every time she hears the truck pull up, she yells, "Hi, Abel!" and that when she hears the lawnmower, she looks up, grins, and says, "MAXI!"  I love when we pray together at night and she runs through all of her friends, "Gertha, Micheline, Shayla, Junior, Doggie..."

We are so grateful for the sheer gift of Lily.

....and that we have a two week break to catch up on work and family!  

...and that my dear sister got a job this week!  

...and that Matt's mom got out of a job she hated this week!  

...and that He continues to protect us in the midst of so much here-and-there and electrical work, etc! 


 ...and that He has given us such a faithful team of supports and prayer warriors and friends!  

...and that He is gracious when we aren't, patient when we aren't, faithful when we aren't, generous when weren't not, and loving when we aren't!  

...and that Charlie is coming soon!

...and that Fall, otherwise known as "the rainy season" is here!  Though we're not nuts about all the rain and mosquitos, it means that it is FINALLY cooling down a bit!

I have more praises than prayer requests, that is for sure...