September 5, 2011

Hello,

It has been another great day for the team. This morning each team member shared something with the pastors in our association. A word of encouragement, an appreciation, a scripture, something they felt they were supposed to share for about 5 - 6 minutes. Then Mike taught and they had worship. They took a lunch break and Mike and Nathan spent the afternoon at the round table talks, which were good. The team went swimming in the river with the children again. It was really hot in Haiti today. At 11:30 pm tonight, Haiti time, it has cooled down to 86 degrees, that is 30 Celsius :) When some of the team came up from the river they were disappointed that they had missed the prayer time with the pastors. Later, they worked on screening more windows until they ran out of screen tape. The July team did some of the screening and this team finished up the bedroom windows, so that building #1 is totally screened. The team also did some of building #2. Mia one of the girls on the team who has had training on fitting women for bras spent time today fitting the older girls and will also do fittings for the staff. This is something that we have been wanting to do for some time now. The team also made the peanut butter cookies for the children, which the children and staff loved.

Tomorrow some of the team will be wiring lights in the church. Also the team will be making "goup" tomorrow. The children will love playing in the "goup" with the team. "Goup" is a mixture of cornstarch and water. You do not cook it. You just need to get the proportions right. You play in it with your hands. If you pick it up in an open hand it melts and runs and drips through your fingers. But at the same time you can pick it up and break it. My older kids all loved playing with it growing up. My guess is even the staff will have their hands in this project.

Tomorrow the team will also be going up to Pass Rien, our new village. They will be visiting the villager's, passing out candy to the children and having a prayer time. I have shared in a past e-mail about a women who is a witch doctor in Pass Rien and who is also very influential. During the last trip one of our prayer partners had a vision of this women standing in a doorway with total darkness behind her looking out of the doorway towards the light. They said there were many eyes behind her peering over and around her from inside the doorway that was filled with darkness. It was like they were trying to see what was out in the light. This women has shared with Mike and Nathan that she wants to know more about Jesus. She has also shared that she has had relations with one of the top witch doctors in Haiti and has had a child by him. This man recently died. She has also shared that she has seen satan's power and what he can do, and now that she is getting old she is afraid of what he can do to her. But, because of what she has participated in, she is afraid of Jesus. I believe that the vision of this women has another part to it. I believe that if she would give her life to the Lord and let him save her, that many would give their hearts to God. I believe that she is like a gate keeper and if she opened up her heart, it would open up the flood gates and release those held captive behind her. I think she is like a key to the door. Please pray that she can push through her fear and give her heart to Jesus and that she can be set free from satan's bondage. Please pray that she can see that God is more powerful, more merciful and that he loves her and can cleanse her. In Matthew 17 there is a story of a father asking the disciples to cast a demon out of his son and they are unsuccessful. When they ask Jesus why? He responds that it is because they have so little faith. But if they had faith the size of a mustard seed they could say to the mountain to move from here to there and it would move. Matthew 17:21 says "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." In a commentary I read, it says "Jesus was teaching that some work for God is more difficult than others and requires a greater than usual dependence on God.This verse does not mean that prayer and fasting alone would have accomplished the miracle. Prayer and fasting indicate faith and humility before God, without which there can be no hope of success." Please consider fasting tomorrow for this women and pray for the faith of a mustard seed for the team and Mike and Nathan when they talk with this women tomorrow. Thank you so much.

Blessings,

Chris