I wanted to get an update on the team in Haiti out to you and also share the "rest of the story". I love it when we know part of a story and have no idea what God is doing behind the scenes.
The team is doing great. There has been virtually no power in our area in Gonaives for about 6 days now. So communication has been limited. Hard to make a phone call when your phone is dead.
The team has been very busy. They arrived in Gonaives in the evening last Friday. Saturday morning Jeff and Laura went out to stay in the Children's Village, Greg and Mike met with our core group of pastor's. Sunday morning Mike preached in Bout Nat, our newest village. They had a very powerful ministry time, there were some words of knowledge, healings, a deliverance and four salvations. The message was on being set free and how to keep walking in that freedom. The team went to Poteau for church in the evening.
Tomorrow they will be celebrating the birthdays of some of the children in the Children's Village, with cake, small gifts, prayer and lots of singing.
This coming Thursday and Friday, Mike and Nathan will be holding a larger pastor's conference. Please be praying for open hearts and spirits. Also, please pray for Nathan as he leads worship and Mike as he teaches, that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Also please continue to pray for health, safety and direction for the team as they continue to minister.
And now for the "rest of the story".....
The team went to visit another one of our newer villages today. It is about a 2 to 2 1/2 hour trip each way, mostly because of the road conditions. The area is called Saint Michel and the village is called Kaol Bel. The pastor that we have connected with has been coming faithfully to the pastors teachings and conferences for about a year now. We knew there was a connection, but did not know how that connection had come about.
When they visited Kaol Bel today Mike and Nathan spent quite a bit of time talking with the pastor. He shared that his father had become a Christian when he was a young man and newly married. This was 60 years ago, and he is 86 years old now, 30+ years beyond the average life expectancy in Haiti. God is good. Mike asked if his father was still alive, and if so did he live close by? The pastor said yes and asked if Nathan and Mike wanted to speak with him?
When the father came, he shared that right after he received Jesus into his heart he felt like he was supposed to share Jesus with his neighbors. He said that he also had a dream during that time and that in the dream he felt like he was supposed to start a church in his village and two other villages. One of those villages was in a strange place called Pass Rein. For those of you that do not know, we felt called to Pass Rein about 6 years ago, we have a church there now and there has been 1000's of salvations, including many witch doctors in the last 6 years. The area where we minister was called De Force, The Place of Darkness. The community has transformed so much since Jesus has been shared with them, that about 2 years ago, they petioned the government and changed the name of their village to Bon Berger, Place de Lumiere, with means Good Shepherd, Place of Light.
The father shared that 60 years ago he had a sister that moved to a different area in Pass Rein after she married. Nathan asked where in the Pass Rein area the church was and who was the pastor now? Come to find out that we know and work with the pastor. He regularly comes to our pastor training's and teachings. He helps whenever we hold crusades in the Pass Rein area. It was such a blessing to make this connection and understand the history.
Then as they talked further Mike and Nathan found out that this father had asked his son to take over the church a year ago when he was 85. The son said no and was preparing to move into the city area of Saint Michel. But then God met the son in a dream and he said that in the dream Jesus brought him a bucket and told him he needed to water Kaol Bel, until the community grew fruit for the kingdom of God, and that a black man and a white man would visit him to confirm that this is what Jesus wanted him to do. And now Nathan and Mike had come to visit him.
Then he shared that Kyle, our school administrator had been best friends with his brother growing up until his brother died. He also shared that Kyle's mother was best friends with his aunt, the father's sister that had married and moved to Pass Rein, and that she had been part of that church plant.
It is so amazing being part of a puzzle that God builds and orchestrates before we even know the puzzle is going to be built. The seeds of prayer in the church of Kaol Bel and Pass Rein go back 60 years at least. We have such a big and awesome God. His timing is incredible and continues before and after our lifetime. His intricate plans blow me away sometimes. He transcends time and knows all. Please join us in praying for the pastor, his father who is also a pastor and the people of Kaol Bel. I will attach some photos of a previous trip we made to Saint Michel, and will post photos of the pastor and his father when I receive them from the team. Thank you for your faithful prayers.
Blessings, Chris
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