Hello,
Our friends from the Seattle area have arrived and are helping to get our house or apartment finished. They have really been a blessing to us. It is good to have friends around who have known you for a long time. Friends who have grown with you, so to speak. Friends who have walked through life with you. They know you well and can speak into your life. Friends who understand what makes you tick :) So the blessing has been not only the help finishing our home, but also fellowship.
Last Saturday we had four weddings, they were a lot of fun to participate in. It is great watching the Spirit of God move and draw people, causing people to want to change their lives and follow Him. Pass Rien is such a changed community. There is a real feeling of community and peace. They are a very welcoming and hospitable community now. The spirit of fear and oppression has left.
We also had a baptism celebration that represented all 5 Good Shepherd churches. First we had a church service. Next everyone hiked about a mile behind a marching band. There were 10 musician's in the band. And as usual by the time everyone arrived at the river the crowd had almost doubled. There were a few hundred spectators by the time we reached the river. We had 3 other pastor's and Mike baptizing at the same time. Becca was also baptizing her leaders from her women's bible study groups. There were between 60 and 70 that were baptized. I tried to catch most of it on video, so at some point we will make a DVD for those of you that would like to experience a Haitian baptism. I did manage to get a couple of photos in between filming. After the baptisms everyone followed the band back up the hill to the church, where we had another service celebrating the baptisms. There was a choir from Acahaie, of 50 men and women. Their voices were absolutely beautiful. They were so clear and the timing of their voices were perfectly matched. Even though we more than doubled the size of the church by opening one of the long sides of our 40' X 60' military tent and using some of our shade cloth making it 100' X 80', we still had many people standing outside of the church. I was one of the people outside on the back side of the tent, and as I was listening to the choir I turned and was facing the hills surrounding us. I was then reminded of a verse in Luke. Luke 19:40, where Jesus says even the rocks will cry out. Pass Rien is a farming community. And as I looked at the ground and then back to the hills, I knew that the choir's worship was echoing from the hills and I felt like God was saying if they continued to worship Him, He would heal their land, which as farmers working the land, it was very significant.
Pass Rien is still having church every night and they will be having all night prayer and worship again this Friday. Please continue to pray for the people of Pass Rien. Pray that the Spirit of God continues to draw the people and set them free from the bonds of voodoo and witchcraft. This morning we attended church in Pass Rien, Nathan lead worship and Mike preached. Jeff and Darrell also shared a little bit.
Jeff, Darrell, Becca, our daughter and our grandson Felice will be traveling home Wednesday afternoon and Thursday. Please pray for safe travel for each of them. Please also pray for us, Becca and Felice have been with us for two months now and it will be very hard for us as they leave. Pray also for them as they go and for the women who's hearts Becca has touched. Some of the women from Pass Rien were very sad as they said goodbye to her today. She has helped to open a whole new world for them and she has shown them how to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. They had her sit with them in front of one of their homes today and sent her off with mangoes. She has two home bound women in particular that she visit's and prays for that will also miss her. As I have shared in a past e-mail, the leavings are particularly difficult. We really appreciate your prayer's as we continue to adjust to life in a new land.
Blessings,
Chris
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