Silence

Sunday morning in Haiti. What a rush! It's become my greatest payoff in my visits into the country. I love worship with the Haitians. They come with no expectations except to worship. They don't care what seat they get to sit in, how near or far they are from the platform, they don't whine about the heat or the music, they sit with rapt attention to the reading of the word, even if it's 30 minutes long. They come looking their best, and what a time of rejoicing they have together. I preached a message called "Rara of the Heart" today, warning against hypocrisy, for it exists to one degree or another in every culture. Our church is growing so fast, I felt prompted to warn against a "me better than thee" mentality that could spawn and grow. They received it well. They have let me know they miss the team, but they understand my mission, they all know how important that crazy Toyota is to both us and them. There are certain things I have gone to do, but then have had to say to Rob, "Oh, we can't do that, we don't have the truck!" He shrugs his shoulders, smiles, and says, "Yes, it is difficult." Difficult, difficult, difficult. Really? But then I find an orphanage that is bucketing all their water from a hand dug well. Hours and hours getting a gallon at a time from 14' down in the ground. Do I have any idea what difficult is! Tomorrow they get a hand pump from me, and they are so excited, they can hardly stand it. I am looking forward to speed improvements with the new iPad Air and they are excited about being able to hand pump water instead of bucketing it out of the ground. I think I'm suffering a terrible disconnect. I know, I'm typing up the blogs and communicating and fixing technology, but I can't get too plugged up with the non-essential. I must not, too much important stuff hangs in the balance. We find our ways to justify the means, but then a center line is dropped by God in our lives, and we have to see what measures up straight, and what has gone crooked.
Tonight I sit here at the house alone. Everyone is gone, this has never happened! Home alone! Home alone in Haiti! The generator purrs away in the background, the fan blows warm air across my sweating flesh, and I listen. 'Ears to hear' Jesus said, can I hear what I am supposed to. I spent awhile talking with the orphans today. Don't know why, but today was my 'tough love' speech day. Maybe after today they won't want me back in Haiti, but I have to say the important things along with the easy things. The kids listened intently, and gave me warm hugs as I left. We have some really precious gifts in these kids, and we are going to do our best to give them good lives! But as they listened, I also listened, I listened to their faces, their eyes, their actions and reactions. People speak, but so often they go unheard. Children suffer in silence, and these have suffered much. They suffer still, boldly with great resilience they face each day with a quiet hope that somehow their life will come right again. But that won't ever make their parent's live again, a new life has to be found, and we are trying to light that pathway for them, that they might find God and live! It's not as simple as it seems either. We will keep listening and loving, living and learning together. Sowing today, reaping later. A harvest is coming, it will be a very rewarding day!
So it's not all quiet, with the generator running, the neighbors are keeping me busy charging phones! lol The lights are on and somebody is home, and somebody can plug in the phones. That somebody would be yours truly. But Rob left orders no one was to get their phones back before he comes back tonight, he's afraid I will give someone's phone to the wrong person! And I just might, it's hard for me to tell the difference in all the dark faces!!
One more day and I head back home. I am feeling the sting of leaving again, but it will be easier this time because I'm going home to my family instead of having to pull them home with their tears and sorrow of having to leave these amazing people with me. I feel a thread of accomplishment settling over me, my mission is His mission, I get done what He allows, there is much to do, but He gets to say when is enough. It is wisdom I have come to understand about my journey into Haiti, it is what allows me to keep coming back. It is a lesson I learned when God first sat me down here and made me sit for 8 days. I refuse to forget that lesson, and I am spurred on today in the remembrance that sometimes I am only needed to set a plan in motion, and then He does the rest! I take the necessary step of faith, and am rewarded with more light to share with those in darkness. So I end this rather lengthy ramble tonight, I am full of stories, but it will take more words than you likely have time to spare right now! Blessings always!

P.S. Perhaps the most rewarding thing for our teams to hear from today's headlines: "Big Boy" as we like to call the neighborhood guard, is going to come to church! I met with him today, and he's ready to come home to God! He actually came looking for me two days in a row. He needs church clothes, so you have your mission should you choose to accept. I have sizes, we are going to hook him up! All you who have shared hugs and kind words, we have shattered his big frame with the love of God, and he can't stand not being on the inside anymore! Another great moment in my trip was to sit across from him and share the love of God today! Rejoice and be glad!!!