I assure you, this is worth the read. Well, if you like hearing stories with narrative thought… Read it all?
Today, I want to invite you into my mind. I know that sounds scary, but come on in.
Step into what was one of the craziest days I have ever had in Haiti.
It started as any other day overseas, quiet and slow. We began the day at 6am (I slept in) with a big breakfast at 6:30, then bible study and morning prayer at 6:55 with the Global Outreach team (Haitians and all). This is one of my favorite parts of coming to Titanyen – we all sit and listen to a scripture reading, talk about it, pray together as we hold hands, then sing a hymn as one (in Creole, of course). Afterwards, leadership convenes to pray deeper into what the Lord has for the day and to communicate well before dispersing for the day’s tasks. That’s where it all begins.
[When I was a little boy, I remember hearing a married couple in our church say, “before we do anything we talk to God about it with each other – before we make even a simple purchase, leave the house, or need to talk to Him about something big.” At that time, I thought that was just crazy talk.]
We filled the truck with water (fresh water to drink and water for the concrete), loaded the dump truck with rock, picked up 200 bags of concrete, then hit the road for the mountains.
As soon as we leave the gate, we always stop the vehicle and pray over our work, travel, ask for wisdom and discernment, and anything else that is pressing on our hearts. We never fail to plead the blood of Jesus over our vehicles and task before moving one more inch. [I, at one point, thought pleading the blood of Jesus over things was silly too. Not anymore.]
Not one mile up the tattered road that could have given a sailor sea sickness, we stopped to turn on 4 wheel drive (it was much needed) and noticed a flat on the dually I was driving. We couldn’t get to the spare for the water tanks blocking it, so we decided that it was time to leave Dusty with the dump truck and head back down the mountain for the tire man, Joel, in Titanyen. It was hot, slow, and I waited at the truck as our personal security guard. In waiting, I was petitioned for a job about three times, and everyone said, as always, “ga de, blanc (look, white man)!” After well over an hour at the “tire shop”, we were back on the road again.
Praying for guidance and safety again, we trudged an hour and a half into the middle of nowhere mountains of Haiti on a patched tube and hope. As soon as we rolled up to the church that we were building, pop – another flat tire. My first thought – praise God we didn’t have access to that spare tire or we’d be up a creek, seriously!
[Have you ever wondered why Jesus talked to the Father all the time, why He did nothing apart from Him? Perhaps He knew He might miss something in His humanity.]
We then went to unload the water and noticed that 3 out of the 4 barrels had holes in them and had lost all of the water. We needed that water, but at least the two giant tanks held up! Upon discovering that fiasco, we went to move the truck and of course, the battery was dead. Praying, yes praying, that we could find jumper cables, we not only found some, but we found the longest pair of jumper cables that I have ever seen – at least 12 feet long. Little did we know we needed that length because the truck was in a hard to reach spot. Guess what? We got it started! It was now time to empty the water, so Dusty and I had a competition running the tube empty. It ended in a darn tie, but our competition made the day of challenges a bit lighter at heart.
Now that the water was empty, we could move the containers and change the tire. I happened to notice that the front axle was completely round with nowhere for a jack. We decided to chance it and put the jack there instead of walk home. As I was jacking the truck up, David Heady, the head man at Global Outreach Haiti said to me, “have you prayed?” I grinned with nervous laughter and said, “No sir, but that would be a good idea wouldn’t it!?” He takes a knee next to me (a 74 year old American man that has lived in Haiti for 31 years) as I lay on the ground with half of my body under this truck, puts his hand on me, and prays.” (How do you think he prayed? He wasn’t begging, he was proclaiming in confidence!) I jacked up the truck, took the old tire off, put the new tire on, and praise the Jesus, it held up!
[I was asked a few days ago, “Can you ask God how he wants to be in this every day?” Hmm… maybe this is what it looks like to let Him be in it every day. Maybe this is letting Him in and letting Him reign over it. And perhaps it's not a prevention thing but rather a trust thing.]
We then unloaded the cement and started to clean up. I decided to “employ” some of the Haitian boys that were walking around watching. Ou, vini! Mwen beswe ou ede. (You, come! I need your help.)” I showed a little 8 year old boy how to work a screw driver and let him take the clamp off of the hose for me. He was nervous to start with but enjoyed the fact that I took him aside and taught him how and let him be a part. [I knew that I always just wanted to join in when I was a little boy and my dad and Pawpaw always showed me how. Better yet, they let me get after it with them! Perhaps though, they just didn’t want to do all the work themselves.] Then I got two young adolescents to help me grab the packer and load it, roll up hose for us, and learn in the process. [Heck, if this is their church, they should be a part, right?] After a few grueling hours of work, we loaded up the trucks and split for Titanyen. It took just over and hour to make it home (our trucks were empty) and we pulled into the compound just in time for a dip in our drawers! Yep, you read that correct.
We washed up, celebrated the day with the Lord over family dinner (hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, and amazing croissant dessert) and prayer, then visited for an hour or so under a lightning show, over stories and a few games of competitive basketball, just like old time sake. It can’t get any better than that.
At the end of the night and all through the day, I thought about this… before we do anything here in Titanyen we always talk to God about it, we always ask Him for wisdom and discernment, we always invite Him in to reign over it, and sometimes we miss it in our humanity. Sometimes things go wrong. But He always honors those who turn their hearts to Him.
I think this brings a new meaning to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
I am certain that inviting God to be in and all over everything you do is not crazy talk.
I ask you now, how is He going to be in what you are doing today?
