Divine Appointments

One thing I have thoroughly enjoyed during my time here has been seeing, hearing about, and being part of divine appointments. God is always setting up these wonderful moments for his children to be a part of so graciously.  We are representing Him and being His hands and feet here on this earth.

This week, we are serving in a community called Granbouchi which is--if you check out your map--just outside of Les Cayes on the road to Port Salut.  Almando and I are leading two completely different groups in this area and it is amazing to see how God is using each individual in each group to show the beauty of the Body of Christ at work.

The group I have been working closely with is from Christ Church in New Jersey.  Click HERE to see what they have been doing each day.  One of the things that has blessed me as I have watched this group this week is how each individual is so differently gifted, but they all come together like a puzzle.  It is a beautiful thing!

Back to the divine appointments.  One of the members of Christ Church is familiar with this area of Haiti and has been coming here for many years.  Upon arriving, he recognized our staff members so a relationship was already formed with them.  He felt the need to chat with the pastor we are partnering with this week and was able to minister to him in a special way--again, the relationship already previously formed.  The divine appointment involving this individual that really stands out to me happened yesterday.

All day long, he felt like God was preparing him for something, but he didn't know what.  At 3:30 we headed to our final ministry site of the day.  This ministry was founded by a gentleman who has a heart for those who are physically challenged.  For these people, life is really tough and many of them become beggars and are rejected by society.  He wanted to end this.  The founder's brother lost both his arms when they were children and their family thought life was over for him, but he proved them wrong.  He is now a husband, father of 3, and an accountant in the US.  The founder wanted others who are physically challenged know that their life is not over.  They can do something for themselves--they must believe that they can, so he started a 4 year program (like a technical or trade school) for people with disabilities to come and learn something that will benefit them.

Praying Pelican Missions came across this ministry in April and, other than 4 men from the US who were here with us during that time, this group is the first to visit this ministry. The member of this team who had been in this area before had met the founder in passing at a hospital in January.  He had no idea that the place we were going was a place he had heard of before and did not know what to expect.

Upon entering the property, the founder greeted this team member by name.  Shocked, he turned to the founder and recognized his face.  Suddenly, he knew what God was preparing him for all day long.  To pray for the sick.  Many of these ladies at this school/home are physically challenged from birth with problems that can be healed.  Some have clubbed feet.  (My heart goes out to them specifically because I was born with a twisted foot)  Some are missing limbs--from the earthquake.  All are beautiful daughters of the King and He loves them.  We prayed over each one of these ladies yesterday and the team member shared last night that he knew God set this all up.

God sent him to meet the founder in January.  God sent PPM to the Trade School in April.  God sent this team here in May so the dots would be connected.  God has His hand in everything that we do and is setting up thousands of these divine appointments for the summer.  Now, we just get to follow where He leads and watch as He works.

Friends, continue to pray for us as we continue our busy summer season full of divine appointments, yes, and lots of groups coming down.  We will be busy and are already feeling tired.  Pray for rest and peace and time so we can process and continue to grow together.  When this team leaves on Saturday, we have another arriving on Sunday, so please continue to lift us up in prayer so we can lead well and be alert and aware of what God is doing.

Updates and Praises!

Since it has been way too long since I posted anything, thought it would be a great time to post some updates and praises!

First Updates:

• Almando and I had a great time in the states.  We were able to visit with some area churches, spend time with family, and attend the Praying Pelican Missions Spring conference.  We did feel our time in the states went by far too quickly and we didn't have enough time to spend with everybody who wanted to spend time with us, but we are grateful that we spent some time anyways.
• After a quick travel day, we hit the ground running here in Haiti.  We spent time in Les Cayes setting up trips, then moved to the North side of Port-au-Prince, and then closer to home in Gressier and the Carrefour area.  We are feeling pretty prepared for the summer trip season and are excited to see what God will do.
• Our car was almost fixed when we picked it up from the shop last week, but it found its way back to the shop yesterday.  Keep praying for that situation.
• We are currently serving and leading a team in Bon Repos and will be with teams until June 8th in 3 different locations, so be praying that God will continue to give us strength and energy and wisdom as we lead these teams.

And Praises:

• My health seems to have improved in the past weeks!  Praise the Lord!  I've been able to gain some of the weight back that I lost during the first trimester and I have much more energy now than before.  The baby is growing and moving around a lot and we are getting more and more excited to meet this little one!
• Our team is currently doing very well and sharing the love of Christ with the children at an orphanage here.  The team is learning a lot about what it means to be a child of God this week as well.  It's so beautiful to see how God works during these weeks.
• With all the traveling we have been doing and the work that has been accomplished, we have remained safe and have tried to find time to rest.  Praise God for His example of the Sabbath!  We know we need to rest and God knows that too.  We are so thankful that He has been protecting us, sustaining us, and teaching us through this process.

There is so much more to share and I am looking forward to sharing specific stories soon, but for now, continue praying with us and praising with us as God continues to work in, and through, and in spite of us!

Be Blessed Friends!