Today
we got to choose if we wanted to do hut to hut evangelism, VBS, or
construction. I was in the hut to hut group with Eric, Josh, Mandy, and Ryan.
We walked uphill behind Jody’s house where we first visited a hut with a few
women and lots of children. Ryan and I spoke with a woman; Josh and Eric showed
the kids card tricks, and Josh shared his testimony with them (he told them the
card tricks were not real and showed them how to do them because voodoo/magic
type things are a big part of the Haitian culture). When Ryan and I first
started talking to the woman, it was slightly uncomfortable and awkward, but I
knew regardless of how we were feeling, we were still called to share the
gospel with this woman. I prayed with her and then the Spirit started flowing. Both
Ryan and I kept pulling out Scripture and giving her words of truth and encouragement
from the Spirit. It was tight. There wasn’t much reaction or feedback, but God
is sovereign and if anything, we saw God creating a greater heart of obedience
in us. The Lord is teaching me to listen to His voice and do what He says when
He says to do it, whether there’s tangible fruit or not. I think it’s important
to not see the fruit of your labor sometimes because then God trusts that you
will obey Him even when you can’t see what He’s doing. I believe that’s most of
the time. I know He’s always working around me. I just can’t see it, or maybe I
don’t ask the Lord to open my eyes to it enough. Regardless, it is God’s
harvest, not ours – He will show you what He wants and leave unseen what He
wants.
At
the second house, Mandy and I washed the girls’ and women’s feet and painted
their nails. It is such an intimate
thing to be able to serve someone by washing their feet. I love being able to
clean their feet and wipe the dirt off with my skirt and make their nails look
pretty with a turquoise nail polish that shimmers in the sunlight. The point of
washing feet is not really so they can have clean feet that will get dirty in
an hour; it’s serving others in a lowly, humbling way like Jesus did with the
disciples. It is actually becoming a servant. While this was going on, the boys
were playing games and running races. Then Ryan started preaching the gospel according
to races to all these boys gathered around; it was awesome – I definitely saw
the boldness of the Holy Spirit in Him. We went back, ate lunch, bought Haiti souvenirs
at market day, then rested and relaxed at the beach.
The
youth conference started at 3 p.m. Our group performed the “Everything” by Lifehouse
skit. In the beginning of the skit, God created a girl; He showed her all His
beautiful creation, and they danced (the skit is all acting to a song without
speaking). She was happy with Jesus then she began looking for fulfillment in
the world from gossip to drinking to sex to voodoo. Those sins blocked the
little girls from getting back to Jesus when she grew tired of the things of
this world and found emptiness in it. Eventually, she cries out to God, and
Jesus intervenes and fights all the sin off. It’s very powerful when Jesus
stands behind her, and the sin that once kept her from him, flees. I almost
started crying because the performance was such an intensely beautiful picture
of the gospel. Those who acted in the skit on our team did well. I was super
proud of them. Abbey and David spoke following the skit and did an awesome job.
I loved listening to them speak truth. I led the girls’ 10-15 small group
again. It was a large group – around 30 girls – and they were shy, not willing
to open up. I can understand not wanting to open up in that large of a group
with white people speaking through a translator to you.
We
ate pizza for dinner! It was delicious. Now there’s a voodoo ceremony going on.
They started at 9 p.m. tonight, which is really early for them. They are dedicated.
They really just want your fear though, and they want to feel control though
fear – or rather the devil does, but the only fear in me right now is the fear
of the Lord. I pray the devil has no stronghold over me, and I cast out any
fear that is not of God. It is so silly. They beat their drums and chant to the
devil to spare their lives or whatever, when God is the only one who can save
their lives. The devil just wants to kill, steal, and destroy us all. The Lord
brings life and life to the fullest. The craziest thing is we see these people
who participated in the ceremonies every day out on the street and greet them.
Not that we know who it actually is, but it some of the people we see daily.
Another wild thing, I am just like them – just as evil, just as wicked.
Although I’ve never worshiped the devil directly, by glorifying or worshiping
things not of God, I might as well have. Just because evil and brokenness is
more tangible in Haiti, doesn't mean the same, if not more, exists in America.
We are all evil. We are all in desperate need of God. He is our only hope. He
is our salvation. Through Him, we find life. Through Him, I find the comfort
and peace to say “Amen” and go to bed in the midst of distance banging of pots
and pans and chanting. In Him, I find refuge and freedom to peacefully sleep without
feat because the Spirit of God is with me and in me. PRAISE GOD!
My
closing thought: The devil is real, yes. Demons are real, yes. There is some
power in evil. BUT GOD is real. Angels are real. And He ultimately holds all
the power. He sees and knows the evil that goes on. He is not blind to it. In
fact, we cause most of it. When you wholly fear God – not fear in the way you’re
worried He will strike you down at any moment, but fear Him with a reverential
awe He deserves, there is no room for fear of anything satanic. God is good,
and He is with me. There is nothing else in all of creation that matters.
Another
thought: Sometimes I think about how much more spiritual demons are than most
professing “Christians” in America. James 2 says the demons believe there is
one God and shudder. The demons tremble knowing who God is. Many claim to know
God, and have no fear in their bones of Him. In fact, Paul talks about that in
Romans 8. How is it that demons recognize and understand the power of God more
than we sometimes do? How much more should those who are genuinely sons and
daughters of the King, recognize and understand His power?
“Little
children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world.”-1 John 4:4
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