What I see...

I fondly call Fridays... Family Fun Fritay Friday.  I love Fridays.  We always have fritay for dinner; in Haiti that means some type of fried meat, usually chicken or fish, homemade french fries called pom de tet, fried plantane, fried bread called marianad and sometimes a beet salad with some piklis (hot and spicy cole slaw).  We have a cold coke or sprite for the week, project a movie and watch it together; with subtitles in french of course.  

This is going to sound funny but I have many surreal moments during these family nights that I cherish.  We watch all types of movies and I remember their responses to many of them.  

Inspirational ones like Courageous when they see the commitments of men wanting to be godly husband and fathers.  

Facing the Giants when the message of faith pierces their hearts and they are assured through this film that Nothing is impossible with God (we actually took this movie to our local Haitian church to share!)  Coach Carter when they learn from the coaching lessons and cheer for (literally out loud) the underdog team.  From this movie in particular one of our students shared at the September Family meeting that when we challenge them to live with kingdom excellence in order to be strong men and woman of God; to be disciplined and live in community as a family with compassion for all that it is like the basketball player that came off the street knowing how to play street ball, but the coach told him now he had to play by his rules if he wanted to be on the team because he knew how to win championships.  Learning to play by his rules meant that the game wasn't all about him; and it was hard for him to respect and accept this but he wanted it, he worked for it and he found victory.  After his example, he simply stated I want to play for the House of Moses team.  I want this.  I will work hard and I am trusting God for victory. 

One of my most memorable was October Baby when we all connected so deeply with the young girl who desperately wanted to know her true identity but mostly that she was wanted and loved.  Tears flowed, and our breath was at times taken as I prayed over every heart in the room as we somehow grew closer in our connection because of the love that God has put between us.

Last week was the movie Freedom Writers and inspiration was so thick you could have scooped it up.  The depth of the truth that giving experiences and opportunity created greater possibility and investing in lives is worth it.  Ah, I was completely wooed by the fact that I want to take House of Moses to Cap Haitian, to the Cidadelle (google it).  What an experience of Haitian culture and history that would be for them! The investment will be worth it someday but today we need to eat so that continues to be on the prayer list if God wills.

  In these times I look around the room at the expressions on their faces...

Tonight the movie was an intense but real life story about Hope -the power of Hope.  

I truly don't know what each of you may see when you see the picture of a Haitian life part of our direct or extended family here in Haiti.  Lives that need support and sponsorship but beyond the picture they all have a story, some family, amazing hearts with strengths and insecurities and they are so worth everything this fallen world has to offer.  

We love them so much.  I am so honored to have them in our life.  I wish I could share, really share who they are with each of you and somehow it's during these "movie moments" with the blue tint of the movie reflecting from their faces that I smile knowing God is doing such a work in our of lives.

Moving to WordPress Blog...please follow us.

Thank you for following this blog, but we are moving to a new blog at Wordpress.  Please click on the following link to follow our new blog:

New Wordpress Blog

Thank you for all your support.  To know you are reading the blogs are a huge encouragement! 

John 

My heart aches to leave...

In the morning I leave what I have known for the past 7 months.  I remember flying into Haiti 7 months ago.  On our approach into Port Au Prince, I remember looking out the window thinking, “Seven months...what all will happen in the next seven months of my life?”

Little did I know that my life would be flipped upside down by a beautiful land full of communal people that know how to give love.

It isn’r really fair Christi Barnes...you were the one that fell in love with this place.  For several years I fought the call.  I came knowing God was calling but had no idea that I would be consumed so much by this place.

I have a thousand stories to tell, but I will share the one happened today.  

Kessy is our moto driver.  He has cared for our family the last seven months.  Whether it was trips to the market, the bank, the hospital, etc. he has been there for us.  

This morning when he came into the house, he began to tell us what happened to his mother.  His uncle broke into the yard and attacked her with a machete and she was badly injured.  We prayed for Kessy and his family and then I was encouraged by the Holy Spirit to share the following verse with him.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

Romans 12: 17-20 

He comes back this afternoon to tell us goodbye, in which I had no idea how much it would hurt.  I had no idea how much I had become one with this brother. 

He brought with him a paper with some verses on it and he asked, “Fre John, m’ bezwen ven souple.”  He needed 20 copies.  As I began to look at the paper, I noticed it was the scripture that I had shared with him earlier in the day.  

He saw inquisitive look and told me...”I need to share these Scriptures with many people.”  Are you serious?  A time when he could be focused on himself and his hurt, he turns it around for a chance to teach others about a concept in which is countercultural.  

I handed the finished copies to him and gave him a big hug and tears began to flow down both our cheeks.  I will miss Kessy.  I cannot wait to see how much he grows in his Christ journey while we are gone.

It is 6:28 pm here in Haiti and we are about to have devotionals, so I will stop typing.

In closing I want to challenge each one of you, DO NOT IGNORE WHAT YOU ARE BEING CALLED TO.  Sure it may be scary, stretching, trying, etc. but I promise you will never fully live until you step out and obey in the direction you are being called.

Christi, thank you for the way you were patient with me.  I now ask you to be patient with me as I weep for the place that has become my home.

God's work through a stolen DVD player...

Repentance is not only the key at beginning a journey in Christ, but so important in continuing a walk with Christ.

I want to celebrate a story of repentance from Saturday morning during our time with the guys around the table.

Each Saturday morning, the guys of the House of Moses along with a few others spend time going through the Scriptures.  Some of the topics we have dug deeply into are:

-  What are the attributes of a MAN following Christ?

-  What does God want for me in my future wife?

This Saturday, we took a look at Genesis 4 and the way God called out Cain in his anger, warning him of his soon to be sin, if he did not repent.  We then went on to share our temptations/struggles of the past week and then spent time in prayer.  WE were finished!

Two hours later a knock on the gate revealed a local pastor and one of the students that attend the Saturday morning bible study.  The pastor asked if he and the boy could sit down as the boy had something he wanted to share.  

As the boy talked, he revealed that while he was at our house he stole a personal DVD player.  Through brokenness he shared how wrong he was and wanted to seek our forgiveness.  The pastor followed up his story by saying that this young man came to him out of conviction of what he had done and wanted to return the DVD player.  

As I sat and listened to him, I began to rejoice inside along with the angles.  Check out this verse in Luke 15:7

You see, this is FRUIT of the labor.  The Holy Spirit is doing a work in this young man's life.  

I do not even see the item that was potentially stolen and gone forever, but I look at the greatness of the work of the Holy Spirit and how this young man is learning to hear and obey HIM.  

After all, didn't Jesus say that we should STORE up TREASURES in heaven...

Only Jesus...

There are many moments...days...living Haiti adventures that I have "only Jesus" moments- Surreal moments where you know that there is no place else that you'd rather be and nothing makes sense to have that feeling; it can only be from God.

Those are the moments like yesterday; walking 2 miles plus with 2 five year olds, Terah, big HoM kids and lots of neighborhood kids in the middle of the afternoon heat through mud from the weeks rain, to go watch our church play futbol (soccer).  Sitting on the ground full of bugs (literally, ants, spiders, crickets, mosquitos, flies - they all came out to feast!) with Jordan and Ava on top of us because they don't want to be with the bugs and we couldn't be happier...As we listen to people from our church chant and sing, watch our kids play futbol (our team won by the way) that's an only Jesus could do this moment.

Today, heat beaming down on a tap tap full (and I mean FULL) of people because nobody can find gas.  It's the end of the day, we are exhausted from walking all over PdP looking at houses, hungry, so dirty, Terah sick to her stomach (just threw up), Ava is heavy and it smells; we all smell...piled on top of each other, loud-Bob Marley playing and everyone seems happy.  We are all bobbing our heads, dancing (if you had to stand) and singing and as I sing, "Everything's gonna be alright" (No Woman, No Cry) I look at a beautiful sunset over the ocean and think, Only in Jesus is this an awesome moment.

I wonder how many times Mother Theresa had those moments - That's peace...contentment.
Maybe that's what Stephen felt when being stoned and by Luke's account it says, after he forgives his murderers, as Christ did on the cross, that he fell asleep.  Fell Asleep?  Being beaten? But that is peace.

Jesus moments that can only be explained that God's love is consuming and our finite human lives get to be a part of His kingdom's work and there is no other place to be than with him there - in Haiti, the U.S., India...all over the world; wherever God has called you, whatever He has you doing for His glory  do it with all your heart and find true joy!