Bondye ak nou!

Today was an amazing day!  Bond ya ak nou! (God is with us).  I had the opportunity to lead day 1 of the Discipleship Workshop at the 14^th Street Baptist Church, in Cap Haitien, Haiti.  There were young and old in attendance, male and female, and each one brought a genuine excitement, to be learning from this guy from the US, and a very real heart for our Savior.  They said I am now a part of their Church, and they wanted to know when I would be back!  I would call the day, part bible study, part language lesson, part singing, and part dancing!!  The participants showed an amazing desire to soak up the Word of God, each one with notebook in hand, writing down everything I said.  Many had wonderful questions, such as when I was describing 5 ways to learn from the bible (Hearing, Reading, Studying, Memorizing, and Meditating), he wanted to know if he should do these all at one time!  I shared with them how we all should be disciple makers, and that each of them should be building and teaching others.  Afterwards, many of them came up to tell me that they would start.  One lady asked me if she should go to the street and find people to disciple, or would it be alright for her to choose some ladies from a bible study that she was in, that meets weekly, at 5am!!  Of course, there were lots of questions about how many kids I had, and if my parents were still alive.  They asked if my Church back home would become their friends and send people to help them learn.  Can we send our youth to lead their Vacation Bible School? They did not want me to forget them. I was amazed at their heart for the Word.  I would say, look up a verse like II Timothy 3:16, and the group would all yell out the verse without looking it up! At least half the verses I shared, they knew by heart.  I shared Lamentations 3:22-23 and after they recited it to me, they asked me if they could sing a song.  They proceeded to sing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” to me, which is a song based on Lamentations 3:22-23.  On the fun side, we were in a room that was crowded.  No empty chairs, and though there was a fan in the room, it had to be at least 100 degrees.  I know they had to be crazy hot.  Every once in a while we would take breaks for them to get some water.  On one of the breaks, I know we needed some exercise, so, I asked them if in Haiti, they could dance in a Baptist Church?! I mentioned back home we really didn’t do that!! We all broke out into some crazy dancing and clapping and song.  Many of the ladies came to the front, to dance with me!! It seemed funny that a group who seemed so solemn in Church on Sunday, was boisterous, loud and very fun, today.  It was a time of laughter, dance, English, Creole, singing, and study of the Word of God.  These beloved brothers and sisters in Christ inspired and encouraged me!  Afterwards, many came up and talked to me personally with questions that ranged from “I want to start a neighborhood bible study for kids, do you think that it’s a good idea?” to, “ I dreamed 12 years ago, that you were going to come to Haiti, and that I (he) would be called to disciple men.” To say the least, I was awed, touched, and inspired. I feel such a special link to the Haitian people at this moment.  I feel the burden of their pain on my shoulder.  We talked about Christians and their responsibility to give financially to God.  I talked about how hard this is, sometimes, in the United States. How we like to have boats, snowmobiles, and other things. One lady asked me to not forget about them.  I told them I would always have a responsibility from this day forward to never spend money the same.  How could I spend money on needless things when my brothers and sisters in Christ are starving, and thirsty?  This time, and these friends of mine have changed me.  I cannot rest now, while I am aware of their plight.  How can millions of people, an hour and a half south of Miami, 5 hours in the air from Michigan, not have clean water? How can they go hungry when we have so much?  So, my life is changed, as much as this trip is a fulfillment of my dream. and vision from God to raise up Laborers all over the world, I must now also shout for justice for a people that God loves, that love God, and love me.  Micah 6:8 says “He has told you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  There is not justice for Haitians from the eyes of this westerner.  In my devotions today in Luke 11:42 it says “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God”.  As I meditated on this verse this morning, it didn’t have the meaning to me that it has this afternoon.  Haiti has changed me.  It reminds me of a world that I haven’t visited in many years.  My vacations to the beaches of the Dominican Republic certainly don’t qualify as trips to the developing world!  It will take time to process all of the things that God is teaching and doing here.  I know though that He has given me a love for the people of Cap Haitian, and I can declare that BOND YA AK NOU!  God is with the people of Haiti!!

Gary Gilmore