Never Letting my Dad Go out on His Own Again!

I miss EVERYTHING! Things that happen to, through, and around this man are so unpredictable. This makes twice in one week!

On Christmas day, while I was preparing for a Christmas concert, he was out chasing down a voodoo priest who was holding a prominent member of our church hostage (this is actually a very long, complex story so I won’t get into how he ended up there). Basically Dad busts in to the temple with a police officer (who is from our church) and demands they release him. They tried to make him afraid, throwing out threats, but ended up being afraid of him instead. If you’ve met my dad, that isn’t hard to believe. He’s got a boldness on him that demands attention and respect. He got the guy out with a lot of fuss, but without a problem.

This evening he went out without me again because I’ve been sick. After performing a wedding ceremony then staying for the prayer service at church, he steps out the door and heads to the car. As he steps outside the church he hears a woman crying out “He stole my things! Stop him! Thief!” My dad looks around, and sure enough there is a man sprinting in his direction. Without a thought, he punches him and knocks him flat on the ground. After a bit of a struggle, they got ahold of the man and returned the lady’s things. Everyone was surprised to find that the pastor knows how to fight. Just living up to the last name…

I don’t care if my temperature is 112F (last night it felt pretty close), he’s not going out without me again. I don’t care if I have dinner with the President, if my dad is not invited, I’ll have to skip out. Life with this man is rediculous. Rob, G, Rose, Jude, Fegs, Wegs…. u really don’t know what you’ve been missin. I don’t feel like I can leave Haiti for another full semester… just can’t happen. If you’d like to donate to Junior’s Commute to and From Haiti Fund, let me know.

Jesus is Still Better

Last nights night watch service was pretty awesome. Healing, deliverance, and other cool things were going on, but I just wanted to share what I saw as a major highlight. A young woman who came forward for prayer last night shared that she was receiving spiritual attacks at night. Her mother is a voodoo medicine woman and her father is a voodoo priest. She, being familiar with the light of the gospel while experiencing the darkness of voodoo in her home was a bit more apprehensive. Independent of her parents pressure for her to follow their footsteps, the spirits decided to start their own pressure campaign. They started visiting her at night, telling her that she had reached her time to serve as well. When she refused, they tried to tell her she had no choice (LIES!). When she asked what would happen if she didn’t do what they ask, they said they would kill her. They could have done so too because she had not yet come under the protection of Jesus Christ. But, last night, rather than giving her life over to them or eventually dying suddenly in the night, she decided to lose her life in another manner. Last night she made a decision to give her life to Christ, the only way that she could experience full life. She lost her life to gain another, one more beautiful and promising.

At 16 years old my dad preached his very first sermon (only months into being a Christian). For more than a half hour he opened the door of his home and preached out the door the only part of the Gospel that he knew: “Voodoo is bad, Jesus is better. Turn too Jesus! Come!” At those words alone, they came in droves. Within a period of a few weeks his house was packed with at over a hundred (I’ll double check that fact) new believers, all coming forward with tears in their eyes as the Holy Spirit touched their hearts to come and experience this new life. During those first weeks, the message didn’t change. Nothing was added… the Holy Spirit just continued to breathe on it as they stayed in His presence in worship. 37 years later, it is a joy to see that the original message still has its effect.

Taking Authority, Claiming Ground

Today, we called the church to a fast. Often times, when churches in Haiti call a day of fasting and prayer, the people gather together but pray individually for their needs and desires. Jesus taught us not to worry about our homes, our food, our clothes or even our future (Matt 6:25-34). Our concern should be the Kingdom of God and all of our needs and desires will fall into place by the Grace and Mercy of God (verse 33). Poverty is the devil’s number one tool to distract God’s people from the Kingdom (wealth is the second), but at our church we fight diligently to keep kingdom matters in focus.

Last night’s viewing of the Transformations Documentary greatly aided us in keeping our focus on the battle at hand. In the story of a transformation of a community in Guatemala, the community faced extreme poverty, ramped crime, and bondage through alcoholism that touched nearly every family. When the church gathered to pray, they didn’t pray against these problems, they took authority over the evil spirits that lay at the root of all of these problems.

As the did this over a course of days, weeks, and months, alcoholism declined rapidly. All four of the town’s prison’s were emptied and finally closed because crime came to a halt. As a result of fasting, prayer, and consecration, a town that was once unable to sustain itself with its four truckloads of produce exports per year now exports a miraculous 40+ per week The fruits don’t only come in abundance, but also in miraculous proportions. Imagine a carrot the size of your arm. In this Guatemalan village, they exist.

That is what we are after here. We gather here together asking for God’s kingdom to come to us (Matt 6:10) here, because we know that when it comes, every heavenly blessing is coming with it. That is what we seek daily, but today is a special day. Today is in which voodoo practitioners gather together all over Haiti to ask for the spirit, Harzulie, to descend. It’s a day that former President Aristide tried, through official mandate, to give to Satan forever.

But we, the church, have a greater mandate. We are under a greater authority than any earthly government. For this reason hundreds of us gathered here today in prayer. By the authority given to us by Jesus Christ, the son of God, redeemer of creation, and King of all who call themselves kings, we declare clarity in the skies of Port-au-prince, Petit Place Cazeau, Santo, Tabarre, and every other zone that the Lord has given this church charge over. In the name of Jesus Harzulie will never descend in this place again. Harzulie, go back to where you came from. You are no longer welcome here. This land, and everything & everyone in it, belongs to the Lord.

As a sign that the Kingdom of God is at work in our midst, the Lord sent in a woman (who doesn’t frequent our church) to testify of God’s power. This morning she left her house unable to stand or walk without help. She stood in front of the church as she waited to get on a taptap (taxi) to make her way to the doctor’s office to get medicine for the pain in her knees. Due to a series of complications she was unable to get the medicine. As she was returning home, she wondered how she would get through another day of the pain. That’s when the taptap showed up in front of our church to drop her off. Standing near the church, she turned to the person who was helping her that day and said “You can go on home without me. I’m going to get some medicine.” With that, she walked into the church. Only a short time later she was completely healed. When the call for testimonies was made, she was one of the first to jump to her feet to share her exciting news. She danced as she testified of God’s healing power. It was quite a sight to see. This was one of several reported healings that occurred today and this evening.