We are HOME! (Our first day back)

Last night...

As we reenter the mission at Saint Louis we find a huge welcome home sign and many hugs and kisses (cultural thing).  The smiles that we were welcomed to, was so warming to our soul.

Sunday...our first full day back!

Today was so amazing! We started with a visit at the local church across the street from the mission!  It was great to see Pastor Alexa and Pastor Verti again.  To be able to worship for almost three hours was great!  

After lunch, I (John) ventured out of the gates of the mission to visit some of the teenagers I was working with before we had to abruptly leave.  Alince, Eddie, and I spent some time talking about the last couple of months with them making fun of my Kreyol and me making fun of their English.  These are two teenagers that are doing all they can to stay in school.  Christi and I are so very proud of them.  

After speaking with them for a while, before reentering the gate I met a new friend, Wilson.  Wilson is a 17 year old boy that is an amazing artist and is trying to do all he can to stay in school too.  He took me to his house to meet his mom and his step-father, which is a huge expression of love in this culture.  We had a good time hanging and talking about Jesus, (he is a devout follower).

Upon leaving Wilson and returning to the mission, Christi met me and told me I was late for my own party, oops the time thing in Haiti is just not that important.  All the teenage orphans came over to our house to hangout for a while.  We ate snacks and had koolaid, and they talk me to do some kind of new dance.  (SCARY)  Within this group of orphans we definitely have two young men that are called to the ministry, Kenken and Joceylyn.  I look forward to discipling them in the upcoming months.  All the teenagers were so excited to start up the bible study next Saturday at 3 pm.  Please join us in prayer for this bible study! 

Finally our day ended by our entire family walling to Wendy's home.  Wendy was a single woman that we met back in February.  She was 8+ months pregnant when we left her.  Since we have been gone she had her baby and we got word this morning that she was waiting on us to come back to, GET THIS, NAME HER BABY!  Oh my goodness, we were so humbled.  We were pumped to see that she had better living conditions is surrounded by love.  We named baby, Moses and prayed that he will become a mighty leader for his country as Moses did for the Israelites!  

Once again, praise GOD for each of you and to HIS name be glory alone! !

Let Us SHOUT it OUT this Easter Week!

I want to challenge us all as followers of Christ ARISE and REMEMBER in what we have been saved from.  

"Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."  Romans 6:11

"For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears you will also appear with HIM in glory."  Colossians 3:3-4  

Do we really understand the enormity of this???

We need to.  We need to revisit our life before we met Christ, before Christ came in and totally freed us from the life of sin and shame that we once walked in.  We are about to enter the very reason we are able to shout of this freedom we have!  

EASTER...The Resurrection 

A very dark time that ends in a huge celebration.  A time when Jesus took on all of our sin and shame, taking on God's full wrath.  A very dark time in which He pleaded with HIS Father, "...if there be any other way let this cup pass from me!"  

But the cup didn't pass!  He was beaten, spat upon, nailed to a cross; suffering for our sake.  But it did not end there...

He did not stay in the grave.  He arose, yes Christ arose!  Death was defeated and satan was the one with the shame and scorn.  Jesus was alive.  And because of that we too, if we are in Christ, have the same power over death and hell!  

BUT...

We must go and tell!  The world needs to hear about this Jesus!  There are many suffering in shame from the result of their sin and others sin!  Jesus never intended this!  He died for to set the sinner free.  

This week we must go and share this message with our co-workers, friends, enemies, family members, etc.  Do what it takes to share the Jesus that rescued you!  

Oh yeah, and if takes Easter Eggs then take them to an Easter Egg Hunt, but do not forget to speak of the Jesus that rescued you!   Jesus would be amidst the children today hiding and finding the eggs!!!!

David Crowder sums it up well in the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxL06UnPfDE

Grudges lead only to...

I am blown away at the life of Joseph in Genesis 37-50.  Here is a guy that is almost killed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, wrongly thrown into prison, forgotten about in prison, etc.  These are the not so "highlights" of Joseph's journey.  All this stemming from his brothers selling him  into slavery.  

Joseph had many years to choose not to forgive, many silent moments that he had to build a huge grudge. Knowing how Satan accuses and wants to bring division this was for sure a constant battle not only in the physical suffrage but also the spiritual.

And when Joseph finally had the chance for revenge, to get even with his brothers, what exactly did he do?  Check it out:

“I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.... But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.  I will provide for you there,"

When we choose to forgive, grudges are destroyed.  Forgiveness allows us to live within the fullness of the life Christ has called us to.  It also allows us the power to love and serve those that hurt us.  Live in the freedom of forgiveness.  Ignore the words of the satan, the accuser.  He and others will tell you that you deserve to hold a grudge, that you are right, that you should not forgive!

But truly if we are to be followers of Christ, grudges and unforgiveness has no place in our journey.  Remember the words of our Jesus has he was dying upon "our cross"...

"Father forgive them for they know not what they do!"

Questions...

Do things ever turn out in way that you were not expecting?

As I am writing this I am sitting at my parent's house in the middle of Texas when our family was scheduled to be landing in Haiti today.  We had been anticipating this week, the bags were packed; all we had left were the goodbyes.

And then...

I, John, find myself with high liver counts, jaundice, and extremely weak.   After the initial shock of the inability to return home (Haiti) for a unspecified amount of time, the internal questions became deafening.

"Are you serious?  Why are we still here?  What is the purpose?"

What about on YOUR own journey?  Do things ever happen in your life and all you are left with is questions?

What are we to do with these questions?

Although the questions are very real we must be alert that they can become an assault by the evil one in attempt to steal OUR joy.  As you look at the Spiritual armor in Ephesian 6, the "shield of faith" deflects the arrows of doubt that Satan throws our way.  And what exactly is Satan trying to make us doubt?

That God's way is not the better way!  Satan wants us to DOUBT GOD and trust ourselves, which truly only leads to MORE questions and a troubled spirit.

As I found myself giving into the questions earlier today, I turned to Genesis 1 for a reminder of the GOD I serve.

"In the beginning GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1

Why is there ever reason a doubt when we serve a God described above?

May you find peace in our journey together as followers of the CREATOR!

My heart is bursting...

My heart is bursting with joy.  Not the joy that makes you jump around and sing/shout, but the joy that streams of tears flow from your eyes!

Why the JOY?
Simply because it is the only visible expression of my thankfulness to you, JESUS for choosing our family to go and serve in a place like Haiti.  A place we get to share the love and feel the love of our LORD and SAVIOR tangibly everyday.

God, thank you for choosing us to go and live amongst the Haitians.  Thank you that my children get to see you so tangible in their everyday life.  Thank you that we understand a little more about your Sermon on the Mount.  When phrases such as "the meek shall inherit the earth" used to be simple words I memorized now are a powerful depiction of who you are.  God thank you for showing us favor and opening the door for this move!

I love you!