Jackson

Not just a broken bottle...

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

Today the team, Yvon, and I visited members of the church in Fedja in their homes. We talked with them, shared our stories, sang songs and prayed with them.
At one of the homes I saw a bottle half buried in the ground by the gate. But, I thought nothing of it. When walking out Pastor Yvon saw this too. He turned back to the women and spoke to her, he then dug it out of the ground spoke a few more words and broke the bottle on a rock.
There is a superstition that if you bury a bottle by your gate it will keep you safe. This is a voodoo practice.
By putting trust in anything other that God alone a person is worshiping an idol. It is Yvon's job. It is my job. It is your job. It is every Christian’s job to dig up the gods. And that might even be a god that is deep inside of us. Yes, it is our job to aid, love and bestow grace on our families, friends, neighbors and coworkers. But we need to use tough love, also. Sometimes we only pray that peoples eyes will be opened. God wants this person to change. He needs us to help them.
What are some idols you know that need to be broken?

Wednesday

All is well here in Haiti. We have been playing with the children every evening. Monday was the first any of them, including the staff, have seen water balloons. We taught them to toss them back and forth like a ball until they dropped them and they broke. They never did just throw them at each other and the innocence of that was very cool to see. They had a blast.
Yesterday we visited church members in their homes talked with them and shared our personal stories. We sang songs of faith and then prayed with them. Yesterday evening we had a fire and set around and sang songs. We made smores and that was a first for them too. Today we planted trees and laid a concrete floor for a widow from the church.

God shows up when not expected. That is so like Him.

When I left last night for house church I took my Bible off of my bookshelf. The one I usually use was packed in my carry on and ready to go. I found a card in the front from a friend. This friend wrote out a few verses on one side and then wrote a note on the other. The date on the top was from Eight years ago. After reading it a smiled and Thanked God. As I put it away I noticed something else. Written in the bottom corner in a very light pencil was Genesis 28:15. Hmm I wonder what this says…

Genesis 28:15 (TNIV)
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Thank You, Father! I know that You will. I have faith and full trust in You. I love You.


Heavenly Father,
I pray for travel mercies today, God. Not just for me but for all of my teams coming. God, I pray that you go before us and prepare a way for us. Mold our hearts. Come in and invade us so that we know we are doing Your work. Lord move in us and through us these times of service to you and your people.
In the name of awesome name of Jesus

Preparing...

While preparing for my next trip to Haiti, June 13 -27, I went back to read some journal entries from past trips. I remember situations and feelings of some good times, times of testing and times when God was at work. I used these things as topics of prayer and to prepare myself spiritually for my time in this country for which I love! Here is a story yanked right out of my journal from my November 08 trip…

While walking down the back streets today we noticed a young boy. This boy couldn’t have been more than ten. He was walking a mother goat and her babies somewhere. The group I was with talked about how cute baby goats are. **and how ugly grown goats are ☺ ** We then yelled ahead to the boy to stop, we wanted to talk with him. He turned around and stopped for a moment. He smiled that big Haitian smile. He only paused for a moment then looked off into the distance and then looked back at us and turned and walked away. So we tried to get his attention again. This same thing happened a few times. We then realized his father was behind us watching and making sure the boy did what he was supposed to do. And that didn’t involve stopping and talking to the foreigners.

How many times have we been given a job from our Father and get distracted? This is exactly what satan wants. He wants us to get our focus off God and the job He has given us to do. Satan uses the world around us as a distraction. But, God has great plans for you. And the devil doesn’t want you to fulfill this mission. Just remember God is a God of strength. God is a God of courage. God is a good God. He has great and mighty things in store for His kingdom and His people and wants you to be a part of all of these plans.

I know that it is hard but be thankful for the devil trying to attack you. It means that he knows that great things are going to be done through you. Take it as a blessing on what is already happening in and through you. I consider it an honor that the devil tries to attack me. Join me in saying to the devil, “I got the power of God, So bring it on.”

...all things God works for the good...

I received a phone call a few days ago about a friend of mine. I was told he had committed suicide. I was reminded once again of how precious life is. I immediately recalled the times that he and I would talk about life and about God. And then God reminded me of a scripture I would say to my friend, Romans 8:28:

And we know, in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

If, and I do believe, there is a God who has control over the universe and its people and their destiny, then something good can come out of every situation, in spite of how bad it may appear to us. I continually need to remind myself that a loving God, my God, can turn ANY tragic situation to good.


Eternal Father - in the midst of pain and grief we thank you for the good that you granted us to see and experience. We pray for your healing grace and set fast in our minds and our hearts the good news of our faith - the news that all that is right - all that is beautiful - all that is noble - all that is fine – it is not lost to us, but rather brought to us in full.

Gracious God - we thank you for your steadfast and life-giving love. Grant us peace to help and comfort those who find themselves desolate and lead us with them in the paths of quietness and hope through Christ Jesus our Lord, AMEN

A time to return to God...

Often the demands of our daily living take us further and further away from the one who gives us life. Lent is a time to return to God, to refocus ourselves on our relationship with God. It is a time to return to who we most deeply are: children of God.

Lent has often included, in the common tradition of the church, the practice of giving something up. Sometimes we give up something we’d like to let go of but have difficulty stepping away from. Sometimes we give up something precious in order to sharpen our focus. I, sometimes even do something new to mark devotion. Whatever addition or subtraction we choose to do this year is part of our yearning to return to God. Even the best of our spiritual practices are not to be ends in themselves, but aids to our returning and to living our days with a full sense of God’s presence and love.

Abba, Father,
spark a fire in our hearts
the longing to come back to you.
May you use these days,
these days of lent,
as a time of a renewed relationship.
May you fill our hearts
with your love,
spirit
and peace.
May you use us
as an instrument this season,
use us as a riverbed,
of your understanding,
love,
grace
and your hope.
It’s in the wonderful,
Holy
And powerful name of Jesus,
Amen.

Community Health Evangelism

I was able to go to a TOT1 (trainer of trainer) in Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago. I learned about an amazing mission strategy used all over the world. The strategy for wholistic ministry is based on a concept called CHE (Community Health Evangelism.) The CHE approach combines evangelism and discipleship with community development.

Four of us from Ginghamsburg joined eleven others. We were from all over the country and worked all over the world. Burma, Kenya, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe, Czech Republic and of course Haiti, just to name a few. We told stories and shared experiences with each other.

We were trained the Biblical basis for CHE and basic principles of wholistic community based development. We learned steps for implementing CHE and strategies for entering the community. We also learned basic skills for raising awareness, organizing and activating the community for shared action through the development of a committee.

CHE is being used in rural and urban areas in over 70 countries. It is even used in some urban areas in the US. I am really excited about this approach and what it can and already has done in the world. I can’t wait to use CHE in Haiti. For more information visit www.lifewind.org.