Arrived safe and settled well

With only 4 days before departure to port-au-prince I started to come down with a cold.  This quickly developed into what seemed to be a virus because I was experience flu like symptoms on Sunday, 2 days before departure.  With not much strength during mosaic service on Sunday, I was glad God had given me enough strength to be there.  Pastor Matt had our Haiti team of three come up at the end of service to receive prayer for our sending off.  God also touched my heart at my lowest that day saying, "my grace is sufficient for you."  I was humbled and honored to view this as not a possible cause for changing plans but that God would use this to prove me as one of his by the overcoming of this trial.  Just as in Job the enemy tests our faith but God lifts us up through faith in the midst and when the time is good, God destroys the work of the enemy by striking him with His heal.  By Tuesday morning I was about 80 percent better and stronger in Jesus then before.

Our flight out of Denver was on time even with the added time for the plane to be de-iced.  The time was very good because as we rolled down the runway the snow had just begun to fall.  We stayed the night in the Miami international airport because we did not have enough time to leave the airport at midnight and then be back at the airport at 415am for our 7am flight out to Haiti.  The flight out of Miami was also on-time and we got to port-an-prince arriving at 9am yesterday morning.  We were picked up by our translator and friend, Dom, and went straight to the guest house which was approximately 20 min from the airport.  The guest house is a very beautiful home used for short time missionaries.  They provide three meals a day along with two bunk rooms, one male and one female,  with a bathroom for each gender.  The house can handle 20 people but as of now it is just us three plus Dom.

After settling, praying, eating, and getting familiar with the friends serving at the guest house we made our way out to a near by village to go love people.  The area was well known to Dom and we went to a couple of shelters were a few different families were to get to know them.  We would also ask if they have there faith in Jesus and if we could pray for them.  In all cases they said they had given there lives to Christ already but would like prayer.  One women shared that before Christ she had a demon that would come into her room at night and touch her sexually but once she received Christ it has left and never came back.  This was Good news of course but she still appeared to be lacking much joy that comes from the lord so we prayed for her and left hoping that our time with her and through our prayer her joy would be made more complete.  The circumstances for those at this village are very rough, each family only has a tin roof, one room, bucket showers,  not enough clothes, and at times going weeks without food.  It was obvious that the oppression of there circumstances is trying to destroy there hope in Jesus thus stealing there joy in who he is and his promises for his children.  It is very difficult for Dom to visit them and continue to share truth and the goodness with them and see them not filled with the love of God and trusting his word with there situation.  Dom also had to remember that love always hopes so he must not become distressed about how they respond to God but that if not this time then the next time they will.

We came back to the guest house and spent our time during the sunset on the roof of the guest house with a 360 degree view of port-at-prince.  Dom, 25 years old, shared some his story with us and about when his walk with Jesus became very real 5 years ago during the great earthquake in Haiti.  This has been a reoccruing theme in many of the people we have met the past two days.  He explained his youth of difficulty with having to pay himself through school by doing masonry work in the morning and going to school in the evening and during a good day being able to eat lunch in between.  God has been with him the whole time and has done much work in his heart since then with forgiving his parents for not caring about him during those many years.  He has a great romance story with his current girlfriend of 5 years who also grew up in Haiti but was adopted in her adolescent years and has lived in California since.  Don has been going around Haiti sharing about Jesus for 5 years now and has seen much spiritual warfare and every time Jesus being victories. He says he has no fear because jesus is with him and the Holy Spirit is in him.  He proved this statement by explaining he sleeps outside sometimes just to a grown his awareness of demons as the Holy Spirit wakes him to pray because there is a darkness stiring around him.  He is an impressive man of God and challenges me greatly.  He hopes to finish bible college in the United states and waits for gods provision to do so.

Today we got up early and started our daily devotional through the book of 1 John.  Being prompted by God on the plane to go through it while in Haiti because of God needing to teach us much about what it means to walk in the light.  This was confirmed when Dom said he is also going through 1 John.  We then ate breakfast and packed lunch and left to go visit pastor Day (not night).  We had been in communication over email since our last Haiti trip and it was great to see him after the many emails.  He is about 55 years old and a very zealous man for doing gods work.  He is making sure that the father says to him after this life "good and faithful servant, you have done well with what you have been given."  He has much to show us and we planned many things to do starting this weekend.  I could see much of my time here being spent with him for he has planted over 20 churches in Haiti and would like to show me around and have me do as much as possible while I am here.  He mentioned having me preach, teach, and be apart of a crusade (don't think Vikings, think Jesus).  I was overwhelmed and humbled by all that he would like me to do but today has enough worries for itself so I will trust Jesus with what is to come and be present for what is.  

After a very exciting meeting with pastor Day we left and walked to the hotel that the epic group stayed at last August.  I got to hug our good friend Pierre as he greeted us at the hotel door to welcome us in.  He then showed us around and we planned to stay there Saturday night.  During our stay I plan to see my friend Jon-phillipe and at that time be able to give him a laptop.  We soon walked back to the car and drove an hour to a clean water project about 45 minutes outside of downtown port-au-prince.  We met the pastor running the project and it was just him and a small village in the middle of no mans land.  His story was amazing and his love for the children in the village was obvious.  We stayed there for a few ours playing with the children and talking with the pastor Max and then headed back to the guest house.  The rest of this evening we spent dreaming with Dom about ministry here in Haiti and reflecting on the day.  My excitement about my time here is growing and God has connected our team with amazing men for seeing the kingdom of God manifest into reality through out the nation of Haiti.  "The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed."