Hello everyone! This is Kathy. Today was another beautiful day here in Haiti. This morning we went to church early around 8:30am. Church is over here before our church even starts in America! The pastor seems very sincere and expresses such a heart for the spiritual growth of the Haitan people. Some of the songs they sang in their language were hymns I recognized from home. Hymns like "There is a fountain" and "Holy, holy, holy". It was neat to be able to sing together and worship God in our own languages. It poured during part of the service and the rain on the tin roof made it difficult to hear for a time. But the sun came out and the ground was dry even before we left the church. The sun here is incredibly hot!
We took in the beach today after having lunch with the missionaries that work here. It was wonderful to spend a Sunday afternoon socializing and relaxing in the sun. Some of us even had the opportunity to play a game of volleyball with a few of the Haitan teachers from the school run by the missionaries here. It was fun to spend time with them even though we couldn't understand eachother when we tried to communicate and despite the fact that I'm anything but a volleyball player! However I made an exception for today and it was worth it.
Thank-you to those of you who are praying and thinking about our team. God bless you!
Kathy
Hi Kathy and other team members,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update. As I was reading it, I could almost imagine what it was like to hear familiar hymns being sung in Creole while singing along in English. How exciting that must have been!
Also, as far as the rain on the tin roof
. . . I once spoke to someone on the telephone who lived in Florida. As we spoke it began to pour down rain on his tin roof and made it nearly impossible to continue our conversation; the noise was practically deafening!
I'm glad you decided to make the exception to play volleyball today and found it worth it. Sometimes sharing a common experience together when that's the only mode of communication can really be meaningful.
Blessings to you and the team!
Hey kath & everybody else -
ReplyDeletegood to hear from ya - will continue to cover you guys in prayer for God's will to happen while you are there.
yes! volleyball - you go Kathy!
It snowed on monday like 6 inches here in Lebanon...so enjoy the sun now!! Rach
Greetings once again, blessed Haiti Team!!
ReplyDeleteToday was a very blustery, snowy winter day here. Brrrr. I am very thankful for a warm house in which to stay today! I have had plenty of time today to read, think about, and pray for the team there. In fact, I have written out some of the things that I was thinking about. I hope you will be encouraged.
As I was reading the Word today and meditating on it, I asked the question, “Why would God choose this band of eight individuals to go to a country where they had no knowledge of the language to minister to this people?” It certainly does not make sense in the natural, but only begins to make sense in the supernatural.
There were two situations that I was reading about that seem to respond directly to my question.
First, God spoke to Gideon in Judges 7:2, and tells him, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her. . .” God then shows Gideon a bazaar plan for reducing the number of forces of the army to a ridiculously small number that God is willing to work through; an amount that will show that it was God alone who gains the victory.
Second, when Jehoshaphat finds himself facing a vast enemy army that is coming to attack him and his people, he “resolved to inquire of the Lord. . .” [2 Chronicles 20:3] As he prayed to the Lord he admitted to God, “. . . We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” [2 Chron. 20:12b] Then a word came from the Lord saying, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you . . .” [2 Chron. 20:15 & 17] After this word from the Lord, Jehoshaphat and the people bowed before the Lord and worshipped Him! In fact, Jehoshaphat decided to appoint men to go before their army into battle to sing forth the praises of the Lord. And “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes. . .” [2 Chron. 20:22] Once again, we see that it is God, and God alone, that defeats the enemy and brings the victory.
Simply put, I believe that God places us in situations where He knows that the victories won will give Him all the glory!
So, Father in Heaven, I pray that this small, insignificant band of eight “warriors” that you have commissioned to be in Haiti at this time on this mission to this people would be empowered with Your strength to share the message that You have for these Haitian people at this time! May You alone receive all the glory for any and all victories won there! We give You all the glory and the praise, for You alone are worthy of this honor! Bless this team and make them affective for Your name’s sake! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Continue to go forth, mighty warriors, in the name of the Lord Jesus!
Love to all,
Mom, Mrs. Brenda, Mrs. Hole, Brenda
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ReplyDeleteHEY, whattya think the odds are that Nate will write one of these updates? heheh, yeah, i know, pretty low... however it has been kinda cool seeing different members giving the latest reports on here, and getting a sense of how each person experiences the trip in a unique way and gets something different out of it.
ReplyDeleteGene