"Teaching every man..."

We were a little concerned Monday morning about how Matt's "Teaching in Town" program was going to go, realizing that there could be a lot of complications: a strong desire for "diplomas", timeliness, and a large variety of students--some seminary graduates and senior pastors and others mountain preachers and largely uneducated laymen.

However, Matt set off with a prayer and came back pumped: "That was GREAT!"

Not only was lateness not an issue, but all the men were there before Matt was! They set up in the basement of a church. They had no electricity, but the room was below the main road, so it was a little cooler than expected. Matt had 18 students for this first class, and no one minded at all that there would be no diploma or certificate involved. They wanted to learn the Bible better, and wanted no recognition, no breaks and no credit.

Matt taught an hour of Hebrew first (the original language of the Old Testament), and then spent the second hour teaching the book of Psalms. This is a VERY well memorized and commonly used portion of Scripture in Haiti, but Matt quickly realized that no one knew how to interpret it, how it works with the rest of the Bible, or what significance much of the book has.

The men were downright excited the whole 2 hours, and nothing excited the teacher in Matt more than students who are hungry to learn the Bible. This is going to be a fun ministry this year!

A group of men who live close to us rode there and back with Matt, but on the way home Matt had to stop at the market to buy me a flat of eggs. The men were all quite confused by this, a man going to the market to do inferior 'woman's work', and when he returned to the car, they were all silent until one of them finally said, "Wow. You must really love your wife! I would never go to the market to get eggs for my wife!"

Matt thought this was quite amusing, but I am excited about how this ministry opportunity is also giving him 3-4 hours a week to live a Godly life alongside of Christian men that he would have no opportunity to work with otherwise!

We're settling into a schedule and getting to know our new students, remembering again that Christ in us, Christ in the men and women we are teaching, IS the hope of glory for Haiti! Praise the Lord that He chooses to use us!

We proclaim Him,

admonishing every man and

teaching every man with wisdom,

so that we may present every man

to be complete in Christ!

Colossians 1:28

everything is already well!

Two weeks ago our field leader jokingly referred to a book called "Death by Meetings." By today, it was no joke! We have had a record number of meetings since September 1st, and we are quite happy this evening to be finished and back to "normal" work :)

Friday morning we were able to be a part of a quarterly half-day of prayer that all the OMS ministries participate in. We meet under the mango tree at the front of the mission, and are always blessed to sing praises together, hear about what God is doing in the different ministries OMS Haiti is a part of, and to pray together.

This time, in particular, I was touched by a specific song we sang. While quite simple, the more we sang it over and over, the more the truth of the words washed over me, melting much of the concern and stress we've been feeling lately...

Everything is already well

Everything is already well!

Because Jesus is on the throne,

Everything is already well,

Everything is already well.

AMEN, I thought, giving Him the sick baby, many meetings, conflicts and stresses of daily living, remembering that everything is already taken care of, because of the cross and because He is still on the throne!

With that, we headed into 8 90 minute sessions of "Team Building" seminars with a couple from headquarters. Half of Friday, Sunday, and all of Saturday we spent as a missionary team, talking about unity, conflict and forgiveness.

Lily was quite sick the whole time, and I think we got less than 8 90 minute sessions of sleep the entire weekend! However, I was so blessed by how our OMS Family came around us and helped...holding a very fussy Lily, playing with her, distracting her, holding her while she slept, having us over for supper, coming by to check on her, checking up on us, etc... We are praising God for the great gift we can be to each other!

Now back to class! The new year is in full swing, and tomorrow Matt will also begin teaching in town...Please be praying that this would be a beautiful time of learning and teaching and discliping and that the Lord would show clearly through Matt, giving all wisdom and teachable hearts!

We had a rather elderly evangelist that we have worked with a few times previously come to the door Saturday night, brimming with joy.

"I will learn Hebrew and the book of Psalms this week?" he asked Matt excitedly.

"Yes," Matt told him. "Beginning this Monday, every Monday, from 2-4, at Samarie Church in town."

"And I can come?" he asked, still shaking Matt's hand.

"Yes, yes," Matt said. "You can come."

"And how much money will I need to find before then?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing. It is free!" Matt replied. "I'll see you Monday?"

"Oh OH!" the evangelist said, practically jumping back and forth from one foot to the other. "I WILL be there! I will be the first one there!"

We are just SO thankful for this opportunity. Matt has been given SO many opportunities to learn and study the Bible: through teachers, pastors, church, college, books, his masters, professors, etc...And SO many here have had SO little opportunity to ever learn more about the Word...What a gift this could be for Matt and the men and women in attendance!

Please pray for good strength, boldness, wisdom and purity in our lives this week!