Much like off Sound of Music - Today with arms spread wide I am filled with a song in my heart and a pep in my step. What I love about blogging is not only sharing your heart, passions, struggles but also just the things you love about life.
Everyday in Haiti holds new and very unexpected adventures but of the things that we can count on most of the time... Here is a week in the life of me and the things I look forward to:
Sunday: Church- love Pastor Alvince, our community/fellowship, singing - praying and the list goes on....
I love cooking for our family on Sundays when Imadel is off and basking in the blessing of her family!
Monday: Special time with John going through the book Intimate Encounters
Children's ministry in the evenings!
Tuesdays: Marcelin leading our worship during family devotions...Hearing about how Sabbath went for JOhn, Kessey, Johnny and whatever man might have joined them. I love hearing about how God spoke to them during this time with the Lord.
Wed: Honestly, can't think of anything specifically special that I look forward to on Wed. but I'll share what I also love every day of the week is seeing the kids up and getting ready for school in the morning, seeing them come home and then seeing them with their tutor in the afternoons - Professor Jonas. Working hard - Peaceful, busy, etc...
Thursdays! THURSDAYS ROCK! This is my discipleship day...I go to LaPointe and join the incredible missionaries with Crossworld and do Bible Study with Ms. Gail. It's usually also the day we travel to Port du Paix if we need to in order to do whatever is needed for HoM there. Then, in the afternoon I do discipleship with my one on one girls AND Thursday night is our community Bible study at the house - Love the teachings, full house, music, prayer...we go to bed wiped out but filled up for God's glory!
Friday: I love fun family Fridays! It's our day to have a coke, movie or games and bask in the week. This month has been special because TK is on the schedule to lead family devotions on Fridays. LOVE that! Then, it's usually Friday and/or Sat. that we allow friends (sleepovers) so that's always fun to include them in our family and love on friends!
Saturday: Men's group: Discipleship/Challenge time. I love seeing the table full of men - Going through Raising Modern Day Knights!
Then, I also love teaching English class for the club Sat. mornings!
Saturdays are Pancake morning and I love making coffee, Pancakes while listening to the Ryobi Radio and with music going through the house, giggles/talking on the back porch because it's laundry day (by hand) basking in the week and all God is doing!
Just some of my favorite things!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Romans 7
The last few months I had struggled over the MANY rules/law in Haiti.
Some are as follows:
-Nice clothes (that many do not have) in order to go to church
-No Tattoos if you're a good person/Christian (Of course, that's excused if you are white because they say that's culture)
-Some churches/"Christian" communities say no jewelry, no make up...
-No wearing certain hairdos, hair dyes, even straighteners in some communities
-All of Haiti says, No Sex before marriage, No promiscuity due to spreading diseases...
AND this is very ironic as it is a very sexual culture: it seems the evidence of unholy sexual activity is everywhere: Few faithful spouses, no fathers, young mothers who can't raise their children, sexual diseases like crazy...
You can see SOME rules are good and SOME are biblical but in most cases NONE are followed and if they are it doesn't appear to be done with the fruit of love or righteousness.
So in Thursday Bible Studies, we have been focusing on KINGDOM culture. That is doesn't matter what American or Haitian culture shows us if it doesn't align with the Word of God then it is trumped by Kingdom Culture.
After some time with another local missionary who has wrestled with this over the last decade...I felt so freed up by her reminder that the LAW, the 613 rules that the Israelites followed to show their "righteousness" was not meant to make the people good. In fact, it revealed that our sinful nature was anything but that... The law was meant to reveal our need for a Savior!
If the law made society better, more respectful, orderly or even good than Haiti would definitely reflect that; but it simply does not. Rules/Law only reveals our need for a Savior! That apart from the transforming work of the Spirit in our hearts, law only leads to more sin.
We broke apart Romans 7, it was beautiful!
The law isn't BAD. Our children has A LOT of rules, to guide and teach them as Paul spoke of in his life in Romans 7:8 BUT Jesus came to fulfill the law to FREE us by the Power of the truth of His love and the Holy Spirit. That is what Haiti needs...the truth of the gospel - The love of Jesus in a redeeming way; Not the condemnation of man trying so hard to correct through judgement.
When I asked this sweet sister, "Why do you think this yoke of law is so thick here?" She answered honestly and without hesitation... "It's a slave mentality." When you only know slavery - You desire the law because you've never experienced freedom apart from it. Wow! The Israelites were being led to the Promise Land and at one point wanted Egypt again...slavery. Then, when almost there after the long faith journey, fear almost overwhelmed them and did some of the spies.
We love this beautiful country and it's people
Haiti takes so much pride of being the first independent black nation and has freed themselves physically; but the spiritual bondage is huge.
Our prayer is that through discipleship, the gospel, truth and love redemption will bring revival spiritually because Jesus came to set the captive free!
Some are as follows:
-Nice clothes (that many do not have) in order to go to church
-No Tattoos if you're a good person/Christian (Of course, that's excused if you are white because they say that's culture)
-Some churches/"Christian" communities say no jewelry, no make up...
-No wearing certain hairdos, hair dyes, even straighteners in some communities
-All of Haiti says, No Sex before marriage, No promiscuity due to spreading diseases...
AND this is very ironic as it is a very sexual culture: it seems the evidence of unholy sexual activity is everywhere: Few faithful spouses, no fathers, young mothers who can't raise their children, sexual diseases like crazy...
You can see SOME rules are good and SOME are biblical but in most cases NONE are followed and if they are it doesn't appear to be done with the fruit of love or righteousness.
So in Thursday Bible Studies, we have been focusing on KINGDOM culture. That is doesn't matter what American or Haitian culture shows us if it doesn't align with the Word of God then it is trumped by Kingdom Culture.
After some time with another local missionary who has wrestled with this over the last decade...I felt so freed up by her reminder that the LAW, the 613 rules that the Israelites followed to show their "righteousness" was not meant to make the people good. In fact, it revealed that our sinful nature was anything but that... The law was meant to reveal our need for a Savior!
If the law made society better, more respectful, orderly or even good than Haiti would definitely reflect that; but it simply does not. Rules/Law only reveals our need for a Savior! That apart from the transforming work of the Spirit in our hearts, law only leads to more sin.
We broke apart Romans 7, it was beautiful!
The law isn't BAD. Our children has A LOT of rules, to guide and teach them as Paul spoke of in his life in Romans 7:8 BUT Jesus came to fulfill the law to FREE us by the Power of the truth of His love and the Holy Spirit. That is what Haiti needs...the truth of the gospel - The love of Jesus in a redeeming way; Not the condemnation of man trying so hard to correct through judgement.
When I asked this sweet sister, "Why do you think this yoke of law is so thick here?" She answered honestly and without hesitation... "It's a slave mentality." When you only know slavery - You desire the law because you've never experienced freedom apart from it. Wow! The Israelites were being led to the Promise Land and at one point wanted Egypt again...slavery. Then, when almost there after the long faith journey, fear almost overwhelmed them and did some of the spies.
We love this beautiful country and it's people
Haiti takes so much pride of being the first independent black nation and has freed themselves physically; but the spiritual bondage is huge.
Our prayer is that through discipleship, the gospel, truth and love redemption will bring revival spiritually because Jesus came to set the captive free!
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