Each morning we started our day with a time of worship and devotion at 6:45 a.m. The ladies that lead the devotion and worship time in the morning BLESSED me and MADE my day. They were 3 sisters from Georgia. The very first morning they stood up and just shared the joy of the Lord. The one sister started by saying "THIS morning I woke up and the LORD was downloading songs into my heart. HE was down loading them one after another. The Lord also gave me a new name this morning. My name is JOYCE but this morning he called me REJOYCE"
I Love it! I loved their enthusiasm. She shared how easy it is to share your smile with others and went up and down the aisle smiling and gesturing like she was throwing it into the pews.
How could you not be HAPPY and ready to start the day with REJOYCE and the LORD! These sisters sang and ministered to our hearts each morning. Sadly one of the sisters became sick with pneumonia while we were there but that didn't stop them from doing what they were called to do.
REJOYCE and I. What a blessing |
Another beautiful lady who made my trip more special! This woman had such a positive attitude. Her luggage did not arrive until the day before we left. Not one complaint. Loved her |
In the evening after dinner we would gather together to share a long time of worship, a devotion and then sharing what the Lord had done in our day.
It was so inspiring to listen to the many different people as they shared.
There was one team there who was doing a church plant in a town close by. They were there to build a church and help establish a congregation. Normally it takes months for buildings to go up. Not just because of the work, but it often takes anything being shipped months to arrive. It will get caught in customs etc. Not in this situation. Prayers were answered minute by minute as they built a church building. Marriage courses and bible studies were being offered to gather people while others did the actual building.
Another mission team was there to do weddings. Many Haitians would like to get married but cannot afford the 10 dollars for the license let alone a reception and dress etc. This team came in and preformed weddings for a number of couples. They brought the dresses, the suits, the pastor, the flowers and arranged for the food and music etc. Made the dreams come true for a number of Haitan couples.
I mentioned a few times that there was a medical team that was there. They did not all come together knowing each other but came because they felt called and became a team for this 10 day period. On one of their days they decided that they would go to huts farther away from the mission to see if anyone needed medical help. They said they mostly went with barely any antibiotics and a handful of tylenol but went with the Lords leading. They arrived at one hut to ask if they needed medical attention and they said that their dad is not well inside. They went inside to find a man dying of aids. He was in the end stages of aids and also had typhoid. They carried him down the hill and found a tap tap (truck) and loaded him into that and brought him to the mission clinic/hospital. There really wasn't much they could do for this man, but at least they were able to make his last days here on earth more comfortable. He could die being cared for, in a bed, maybe in less pain than he would have been on the dirt floor of a small straw hut. A GOD moment. they could have gone to any hut, but were directed to this one.
Another group shared how they went to the big prison in Port a Paix one day and spoke with the prisoners and the following day went to do hut to hut evangelism. Its where you go to the different homes and bring food, share the gospel and pray. One hut they went to they asked if they could pray for this family and the woman shared how her husband is in jail in Port a Paix for two years and she hasn't seen him or heard any news from him for almost a year. This group was able to say we were there yesterday and saw your husband. ONLY GOD could orchestrate such a meeting.
Many people shared new found passions that God has revealed to them through this time.
I cried each time my grandchildren went and shared about their day, but the proudest moment was when my grandson Ryley went and shared about his day. He has aspergers so just having him go up was because of God! He also made a commitment to the Lord while we were there. It was very emotional .
God also place a wonderful woman by the name of Debra on the back of a tap tap with me. Debra and I shared bits of our lives with each other and I realized she was not sitting by me by accident. She had a heart for prayer and for people in ministry. An amazing godly woman who blessed me with her prayers and her heart! God placed her there for a purpose and I was BLESSED.
Debra was there with a woman who was 80 years old. AMAZING!!!! Nothing kept her from serving. It was so hot there and could be physically exhausting but this woman lived the scripture "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me ". She took away any excuses of AGE!
The director Melonnie was amazing and wore her heart on her sleeve. Her love for the Haiti people was evident in everything she did. I shared a few times about her heart for the women from the brothel and God was already working and answering prayer while we were there.
There are interns there, young adults who volunteer their summer to look after groups of people. Each group is assigned an intern who takes us on our missions and answers questions etc. Our interns name was Kelly and she was very sweet. Such an amazing experience for a young person. Shyla has decided that this is something she would like to do and after being there I totally would give her my blessings to spend 3 months there.
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Moment after moment, person after person GOD revealed himself through them, through us, through his Creation. Haiti appears HOPELESS when you arrive there.
1 Corinthians 13:13 says these three things remain, Faith hope and love but the greatest of these is love. I saw these things in the Haitians. They have FAITH and they have HOPE BUT the GREATEST thing they have is LOVE and it was shared so openly !
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