Friday, June 21, 2013

the God of angel armies

This morning, I was able to worship among friends from my Atlanta church family. This past week, a team of single leaders from Buckhead Church made their way to Bohoc - and opened their hearts and arms to me. They spent the week pouring into our community - - emptying themselves. It was evident that they spent the week loving well. I went to say goodbye and stayed for worship and devotions - I listened to a friend, a leader and a man of God remind them that they are all part of one body, each one important. Before they left I told them that they were important to me - their light, their freshness, their desire to be givers of the Gospel. I said it with much less grace, and many more tears - but I think they understood. 
I've said it many times before…"Being light is darkness is hard." Their light, your light - renews me on this journey. We sang a new song [for me at least - not a lot of "new releases" here in central haiti] and I was so grateful for the reminder that not only do I have pray warriors at home but God and His angel armies always by my side.
The battle cannot be lost. 
Thank you Jesus for so many reminders of your love this week. 

I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

And nothing formed against me shall stand

You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful
You are faithful 

Monday, June 10, 2013

when it rains, it pours...in my bedroom

To be perfectly honest, most of the time my life in Haiti just seems ordinary. It's nothing special or unique, it's just my life. However, an event this weekend caused me to reflect on a few of the…stranger things that have happened in the past six months. 

On Christmas day, a chicken was slaughtered just outside my house and then de-feathered in my kitchen (it wasn't even for me).

One day, I was in my outhouse when part of the "box" that makes the seat, just caved in. 

This morning, a moth fell in my coffee and I just spooned it out and took a sip (this is certainly not the first time something like this has happened).  

I spent this past Saturday morning on fairly ordinary tasks, hand-washing some clothes, cleaning my water filter, grading papers - then around 3:30pm we had our second pretty bad storm in a week (it's rainy season, so it rains nearly every day - but bad storm = excess rain, downed trees and holes in my roof). Last week, I had a fairly small but menacing hole in my roof, in my dining area. I squeegeed out my house, Colin fixed the hole and we all moved on with life. Until this Saturday's storm, when it started raining IN MY BEDROOM.





I know, it doesn't necessarily look that bad, but the initial crash christened everything in my bedroom and the ensuing downpour sufficiently flooded it. Thankfully, the rain stopped soon after the branch became a new chandelier and the clean-up process began.

So, next time you buy chicken from the grocery store, sit in a bathroom, drink non-mothed coffee and endure a rain storm…think of me and the time I needed to wear a raincoat in my bedroom.