I just got some updates on Haiti. Goodness. I've been on the edge of my seat lately waiting for a word from the team there. Praying and waiting. But certainly staying busy :) Oh and did I tell you my precious mother flew in from Nebraska to help me this week while Joel is over there? She's my angel, she really is. Every text I get from Haiti tears at my heart strings. Oh but it's good reports! Incredible, really! But the pictures just tore me up.
Wednesday night I shared in Joel's place at our youth service. My heart has been so wrapped up in missions and the great commission, and the cause of Christ that we are all called to take up, I couldn't share on anything but that. I'm broken. So broken. I shared this video. Every time I watch it I weep. Don't get me wrong--I'm not overly emotional all day, crying into my soup, but God is certainly making me more sensitive to His Heart. So much so that at times it gets unbearable and I wish I could just close my eyes to it all for a little while...but then that part of me that's really not me anyways (it's Christ), rises up inside me and reminds me that we MUST NOT CLOSE OUR EYES! Not even for a minute. Because we are the answer: Christ in us is the hope of the world! The Body of Christ--His Church--is His chosen vessel to proclaim His freedom for the captives, His good news to the poor, His comfort to all who grieve (Isaiah 61)
I get asked the question all the time, "If God is so good than why doesn't he do something about all the poverty, the aids, the injustice?" I read a great parody to that question. God is asking us the same thing, why haven't we done something about it? Jesus set the standard. He showed us how to live, modeled it for us even. He preached the gospel of the kingdom, healed the sick, fed the hungry, brought hope to the downtrodden, and then he died for all of mankind's freedom. He told us to do the same. We are to follow in His footsteps. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us who have received the life of Jesus!! (Romans 8:11)
I'm moved. But I want to be more than moved emotionally. I want to be moved into action, everyday taking up the Cause of Christ.
The Mission Church property in Jeremie, Haiti: Tonight there were 350 people attending the service!!!! God, you are truly doing something amazing in the hearts of your Haitian children!! Nick posted a video of one of the worship services and it was incredible to watch! (photo source: Nick P.)
Joel sent me this picture and I could hear the tears behind it. They visited a hospital and he wanted to hold every sick child there. I'm just torn up. Praying that we can build an orphanage soon, very, very soon and praying that God would grant us the privilege to take one of Haiti's orphans into our home.
(photo source: Caddie C.) visiting the village
Joel sent me this picture asking me to pray for this man, Denell, to be miraculously healed. He is a worship leader and he broke his wrist last year and is in a lot of physical pain. Please pray with me for Denell's healing!!
(photo source: Nick P.)
"Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the islands."
-Isaiah 42:12
5 comments:
Joye, This is so on my heart too. I totally relate to your heart felt words. I cried for months when the Haiti incident happened initially and God birthed a strong desire to help and adopt orphans. What a humbling privilege for you to be there in the action, joel holding those precious babies and being able to be Jesus to them.
May God give you more or that which you desire. x
Wow! Amazing! I went to Haiti on a 12th grade missions trip with my high school (I went to a Christian high school) in 2001 and it was such an amazing experience! I needed this reminder today, we get so into our own lives that we forget what matters(and it's not that the laundry isn't done yet!) and we need to be given a little, sometimes BIG, shake now and then! So thank you for the shake!
In tears. This is beautiful. I wish we lived closer to each other. I would be over for tea in a second so we could share our hearts/similar passions and pray together while our sweet kids played. I echo everything you wrote here. I love the picture of Joel with the sweet baby. The stickers all over him is just priceless and the expression on his face has me bawling. I want to hop a plane right now to bring those sweeties home. Thank you so much for sharing this!
amazing!!!!!! LOVEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxox
jenna duty
www.thedutyfamily.blogspot.com
ahhh, i want to go there so bad. it amazes me that even through all the poverty all the children have smiles on their faces, and i get upset and grumpy over the silliest things. I am praying that an orphanage get built soon, for Denell's healing, and that you get the privilege of opening your home to an orphan.
~kelly@flywithme
demasu.blogspot.com
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