Up on the mountain

Nathan and Mike praying on the  mountain

 

 Good evening,

This morning Pastor Nathan, Mike and Lemeque climbed the mountain behind the Children's Village to pray. They spent the first part of the day praying for the ministry and direction and vision. These quiet times together with the Lord are so very vital to the ministry and the relationship. So thankful to know you are praying with us for this ministry.

This evening Mike felt led to go to Marose for bible study. He felt like he needed to share the story in the bible about the man who was leaping and praising God after being healed of leprosy. So he confirmed with the guy teaching the bible study in Marose. As he started to prepare, he was all of the sudden dizzy and sweating and he couldn't get up or walk, he had to hold on to the table. He was pretty sure it was an attack from the enemy, so he started fighting back with scriptures and truths. After about 15 minuets, he said he was starting to feel better, so he kept it up and decided he was going to go to the bible study regardless of how he felt. By the time he arrived there he was much better. He shared and afterwards there were 2 salvations. He felt like God said to pray for peoples minds to be set free and he said most of the people came forward for prayer. It was totally worth pushing through past the enemy, God had the victory. Again, thank you for coming alongside and praying for the people of Haiti.

Tomorrow morning Mike will fly out of Gonaives and into Port-au-Prince, and then to Florida and Washington. Please pray for traveling safety. We appreciate your prayers so very much.

Blessings, Chris

Flying out of Gonaives, it's just a dirt field, but it works.

 

April 5, 2021

Baptisms 

 

Pastor Clarvous and Mike baptizing

 

 Hello,

I want to share a praise report and thank for your prayers. I also want to share some of our challenges and my heart.

On Easter Sunday we saw about 24 people give their lives to the Lord during the morning services. The churches were packed with people hungry for God. Mike said it was an interesting experience for him, because we have been in the process of rebuilding the church in Marose. The walls are up and there is a balcony that goes around most of the church inside. They had set up the benches for people to sit on under the balcony all around. When he started to preach he was in the middle of the church, with people all around and because there is no roof yet he was in the direct sun and extremely hot. A little bit into his message it clouded up and then it started raining. He said the people couldn't believe that he just kept on preaching. They thought he would give up and run out of the rain. 

In the late afternoon most of our churches were able to come together. There were about 1000 people gathered for our all churches Easter Service. Mike said that the church was full, there was standing room only on the porch and the entire church yard in Poteau was filled with people. Nathan leads choirs in two of our villages and one of our younger pastors, Jean Denis leads a children's choir in Pass Rein. There were also two guest choirs. During ministry time Pastor Nathan felt led to ask one of the choirs to pray for one of the other choirs. This led to one of the other choirs praying for the remaining adult choir. Then members from all four choirs started to pray for all the children in the children's choir. I guess it was an amazing spirit led ministry time. So good when so many come together and join in with what God is doing. 

Some of the rural mountain churches were not able to make it to the all churches Easter Service, because of the mudslides and roads and houses that were taken out due to the flash flooding caused by the rains Friday night and Saturday. Please be praying for all the families that were affected. The same people were also not able to come to the Baptism, as the roads were washed out. Mike said the baptism that was supposed to be an all churches event was done in the local communities. Altogether there were about 100 people being baptized. 

One of the challenges when ministering to a third world country is helping them to see the way God brings prosperity and blessings. And NO I am not talking about what most of us would consider prosperity. I am talking about the promises and blessings that we in first world countries see. We pray for the people of Haiti and ask God to bless them. But, their outsides circumstances may never change or improve like we would expect here. They still have no food, no job, no money and may very well feel more responsibility now to support all the children they may have with various partners. Which partner do they now marry? If they were prostitutes' or witch doctors, or killers for hire, how do they make a living now? We in our first world countries can turn from our sinful life styles and work hard and most times live an improved life style. We cannot say life will be better on the outside to these precious people. They might never experience the blessings on the outside. They may not ever experience fulfillment in their physical needs. It can appear to be so hopeless.

But God! We can promise internal fulfillment, we can promise internal prosperity. We can promise freedom in eternity. We can offer hope. But we have to help them to understand that salvation creates joyful identity. We have to help them understand it is their personal relationship with a God who wants to know THEM. It is such a challenge, but when they get it, they have something that can never be taken from them, it can never be lost and its worth everything. My heart breaks for them in some ways, but in other ways, they have very little that can get in the way of their relationship with Him. Please continue to lift our brothers and sisters in Haiti up.

Blessings, Chris

Arnold loves helping with baptisms

 

Two more baptisms 

 

Sharing Communion

 

 Hello,

We wanted to thank your for your prayers, they have been such a blessing. We also wanted to let you know how you can continue to partner with us in prayer while Mike is in Haiti. 

There have been a few changes in the Easter schedule. Tomorrow morning, Easter Sunday, Mike will be preaching in Marose. Then in the late afternoon Mike will be preaching at a ministry wide Easter gathering at our Poteau church. They are expecting over 1000 people to come. There will be joyous worship and food as they celebrate. Please be praying for the people, Pastor Nathan as he leads worship and Mike as he shares the message. Also please pray for everyone as they travel, last night and this morning they experienced a huge rain storm in Haiti, which trapped some of the people in the more mountainous rural areas. We were supposed to have a ministry wide baptism this morning in Marose, but many were unable to attend because of the rain storm. The baptism  has been rescheduled for Monday morning. We want everyone to be able to attend from these areas tomorrow, so we would really appreciate your prayers.


The Pastors Conference was really good. Mike said the Holy Spirit was strongly moving hearts. It still amazes me when you step out in obedience and God shows up! Mike felt led to share some things that have been on our heart lately. One of which is how easily we forget how broken, hurt and sinful we were when Jesus rescued us. Instead of extending the grace and mercy we received and continue to receive, instead of loving them without accepting their sin, like we were loved by Christ, we sometimes judge them and make them feel unaccepted. The arms of the church is the very place they need to be able to reach out too. He shared this with the pastors and the Holy Spirit came and the Pastors were all on their faces weeping and repenting. The Holy Spirit brought these pastors and leaders back to a truly  compassionate place for the lost.

Again, thank you so very much for your prayers, we are depending on them. 

Happy Easter! He is Lord! He is Risen!
Blessings, Chris
 

 

Getting ready to board in Port-au-Prince.
Had the same pilot as last time.

Papa Mike! Papa Mike! So much joy!

 

 Hello,

We wanted to let you know that Mike arrived safely in Port-au-Prince, Monday. Thank you for your prayers. In the evening he went out by the gate to the street and said there was absolutely no one on the streets. It is really eerie in Haiti to see empty streets at night. Usually there is almost a second community that comes out at night. But right now it just isn't safe to be out after dark.

Mike arrived in Gonaives, Tuesday, (Yesterday).
First visit was to the Children's Village :) Then he went out to the Boys Transition house, our home with the older boys who have aged out, but are still finishing up school.

He spent the day today getting things ready for Easter Weekend. Tomorrow, Thursday, Mike will be holding a Pastor's Conference for Easter. They are expecting about 100 Pastors. Mike will be sharing vision and passing out sermon notes and silicone bracelets to each church for people attending Easter Service. They say Bon Berger - Legliz Ki Bay Lavi, (Good Shepherd - Life Giving Church) on them. Each church will also be getting small crayon packets and coloring pages with the Easter message on them for each of the children attending Easter service. Please be praying for the Pastors and Mike as they gather tomorrow and prepare for Easter.

Please also be praying Friday, as it is the culmination of Rara, which basically is a voodoo party on parade. Usually the Rara's are worse leading up to Easter, and ending on Good Friday.
Mike will be preaching at the Good Friday Service. Thank you so very much for your partnering with us in prayer, we really appreciate it.

Blessings, Chris

Two of our girls

 

 

 

Hello, I wanted to send out a quick reminder that Mike will be flying out to Haiti this Sunday evening. We would appreciate your prayers very much as he travels, teaches and shares with the people and pastors of Haiti. Please pray for open hearts, for eyes to see and ears to hear and minds to comprehend. Also, for God's leading as Mike teaches truths that can change lives according to God's purposes. Your prayers make such a difference. They help to move mountains. Blessings, Chris

Denonville

The primary grade rooms

The Kindergarden

 

 Hello,

We appreciate you very much as you come along side of us and the people of Haiti. We wanted to update you on a few important events coming up that we really need you to partner in prayer with us on. 
 
The first event is a 8 night long evangelistic crusade that just started tonight, Sunday, it will go through next Sunday evening the 21st of March. This crusade is to commence a new Life-Giving church that we are planting in the village of Denonville, (pronounced Day-o-ville). This was the property that was given to us by Pastor Nathan's father, passed down from Nathan's grandfather. It has a rich heritage and it was Grampa's desire to see it used to advance the Kingdom of God in that area.

Last year we relocated our Marotte village primary school to this new property, to get out from under a difficult landlord. This property was a clear answer to prayer and a real blessing for the people of this community. Since moving the school we have been waiting to hear the "Go Ahead" from God to start the church there. Both Pastor Nathan and Mike feel strongly that God is confirming that this Easter Sunday is that time. So we are investing heavily in the community and with this crusade to get the community ready for a true Life-Giving, Resurrection Sunday, and the beginning of a Life-Giving church in Denonville. All of our pastors and leaders are excitedly participating this week and we would love for you to join us in praying for the crusade, salvations, healings and the new Denonville church.

Mike will be traveling to Haiti for this Easter celebration. He is excited to be preaching the first gospel message of Jesus in Dennonville, on Easter Sunday. We have sent 3,000 wristbands for our Life Giving churches this Easter declaring that our "God is the giver of life." Mike has prepared sermon notes for all of the Easter weekend messages for our 15 churches and the other churches that will be participating with us. He has prepared a special Easter story for all of the Sunday school and youth classes. We have coloring pages with a small package of color crayons for each child. In the past we have learned that the children take these home and tell their family the story and many other family members have given their lives to Jesus. These coloring pages with a simple gospel story have become an important evangelistic tool. There will also be a food and fellowship time after every service to welcome unsaved friends and family. And we are planning a huge water baptism for all new believers who have been born again over the last few months. 

Mike says that Easter is his absolute favorite time to be in Haiti for this reason.

Please join with us in prayer for an amazing harvest of new believers, this Easter time in Haiti. 

I will be sending updates and pictures while Mike is in Haiti.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and love for the people of Haiti.

Blessings,

Mike and Chris

Peace!

It's what we need!

 

 Hello,

Yes! This is a real picture! Yes! You can see this many stars in the night sky in Marose, Haiti. And Yes! They need HIS PEACE!  And Yes! So do we!

I am writing today, because Nathan and the village of Sedrin need your prayers. The people of Sedrin have decided it is time to take a stand against darkness. 

Every Monday evening Pastor Nathan travels to the small village of Myan. It is quite isolated and is home to several hundred families. Over the past 5 years we have continued to see the hand of God working among the dear people of this small community. 

Last evening, Sunday, when Pastor Nathan was leading a group in the study of God's word and the Life-Giving church, the people began to ask numerous questions about the Kingdom of God and their small community. Nathan shared about making a stand for God and claiming their community for His purposes. The people all in unison began to agree, that taking a stand for God and claiming their community was exactly what they wanted to do.

So tonight, many of our pastors and leaders will be accompanying Pastor Nathan, who will be bringing a large stake that reads "The authority of Jesus Christ" on it.

This is something God has led us to do in the past. And, because of Pass Rein and Badjo's testimony, Nathan understands the testimony of placing a stake in the ground and claiming the "Te" or land for God. Please be praying with us as we come along-side our brothers and sisters in Myan, Haiti...............Tonight will be especially important. But, the follow up will be also. Thank you so much for your willingness to pray faithfully.

Blessings, Chris and Mike