Haiti Journal Entry #2 (Sunday, June 8)

Today we worshiped with the New Missions church/school established in Mare Chel (sp?). The most beautiful moment during service was communing with the Haitian church. It was a true lesson in the heart of family-not what color you are, but to Whom you belong.

Communion is always a level playing field-

virtually the only table where

everyone's need is the same.

We did some ministry during a walk-through of a village called La Salle. A little boy named Divertilis (sounds like Diverticulitis, I know...) came up to me and grabbed my hand. He had mixed motives, though as my sunglasses were very appealing to him!! He finally just straight up asked me for them! (I couldn't give them away per NM rules) But he did have a sweet spirit...begging is just the only thing he knows. That why New Missions encourages us to ignore the begging. It's better if we use our resources to support NM and help them help the Haitians make a better life, and in the process, perhaps begin to break the strongholds of their begging culture.

Divertilis and me...wearing my Walk #36 T-shirt, which I left in Haiti so that they would know how Great our God is!!

Speaking of a better life, I saw a well today-the fruit of George DeTellis's perseverance. Because he believed God, hundreds and hundreds of Haitians have clean drinking water thanks to an Artesian spring and Unicef. You see, George had some people come down and drill for water. The Mennonites who answered God's call and brought their drills down hit rock bed at about 160 ft. George begged them to keep on drilling, because he BELIEVED that God had told him to buy this land. The family fasted and prayed that God would give them water on the compound. Then suddenly, the water began flowing so fast that it FLOODED the compound and today powers many other villages with clean water, which eradicates approx. 50% of preventable diseases. Talk about Living Water!! And this is the stuff you get in Fiji water bottles, by the way. I believe it's becaus of the DeTellis family's faithfulness to put water in a village before they got one on the coompound. Seeing the children gather around this well (that will NEVER run out, hallelujah...) and dance in the water and put their faces up to it to get sprayed filled my heart with emotion. I wish I had better words than "God is good."

There was a guy that Charlie introduced us to in the village of Mare Chel. He is the son of a NM employee. He has a horrible leg injury and the NM clinic is trying to save his leg. I prayed over him and I believe Godwill use his story to convince Haitians, who are known to be superstitious, just how great our God really is.

Another person I met today was an abnormally young Grandma. In fact, I thought she was the child's mother. Louise translated for me as I discovered that the baby was six months old and he mother had passed away at 19. I began to cry under my sunglasses. I know what that's like. No one could see my tears, but I wept for love of this sweet baby who would never know his own mama. All of the things she would never see him do or accomplish.

You are admittedly awesome, Lord, but I just don't get You sometimes. Or Your ways. But I believe You are the definition of what's good, and that's why I can put my hope in You. Although that baby and myself are both motherless, I believe that you have good plans for us. This explains why I even got the opportunity to meet that baby in the first place. Your good plans included New Missions for both of us. And this little boy will have a good education and food and health care because You are working in the lives of the Haitians. And in mine. The circumstances may not seem like it, but I choose to believe Your Word. For that little baby.

And for me.