Since we have arrived in Haiti, greeted by dozens of volunteers ready and willing to serve their church for weeks on end, I’ve been amazed at the crew God has provided for us as beams go up and our first church takes shape.
I recently asked one of our most skilled workers, a crew leader, what he does for a living — how he is able to volunteer for three full weeks?
“I don’t do anything,” he said. He wants to. He graduated from school and has been looking for work for a year. There simply has been no work.
In spite of the economy, in spite of the hardships they face, the men and women serving are passionate about serving God however and wherever they can.
Each morning we start with a time of prayer. Surrounded by my Haitian friends in hard hats and tee shirts, I’m reminded as their cries go up to the Lord that these are not just hard working men – they are men of great faith. Men devoted to serving and glorifying God. Men who pray with such urgency and passion – for the project, for the salvation of others, for safety – that they challenge me and those around them to consider how our lives are being used for the glory of our Creator.
This week, we visited the next nine church sites. We met with pastors, laying out building plans and finalizing our processes. Many of the buildings we will be working with are in much worse shape than we thought, and our timeline is extending. We hope to have the next batch of churches completed by Christmas, and the remaining churches finished in the first quarter of 2012.
We’re not disappointed. This is a journey as well a destination. We are focused on building the churches well, not just building them quickly. Our meetings will continue through the week.
The prayers of those we work with, however – those will continue long after the church buildings are up and we have returned to the United States.
Every day at 6:00 a.m. and noon, several dozen members of our first church get together to pray. At lunchtime, we can hear them from more than a block away – voices lifted to Heaven in praise. Gratitude. Thanksgiving. Honesty. Brokenness.
God is moving in Haiti. What an honor to be here to witness it.
Tags: Building, Church Reconstruction, HA02, Haiti
Lord I lift Haiti up to you. The people are so eager to know you and to share you with their families. I ask you to bless their efforts and to grow their faith and heal their land. From the cities to the country side to the beaches I ask you to protect them from the influence of other “faiths” and from any more disasters. Please bless the numerous missionaries there working on Your behalf and help them point only to You, the God of the Universe. In your son’s name, Amen