Christ Compels Ministry Blog
I mentioned to you last week about Shauna taking a step back from writing so many devotions and posting all of the devotions every week. You’ll still hear from Shauna some on Tuesdays, but for the times that she doesn’t have a devotion, God is leading me to take the time on Tuesdays to share with you more from my heart.
Haiti is on my heart today. I’m sure you have seen in the news that on January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, with its epicenter 16 miles west of the capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince, which was devastated. It is estimated that tens to hundreds of thousands of people are dead. The news reporters said that it is becoming the country of amputees. If you have seen the news lately, the infections are raging due to a lack of medical care and supplies. The joy to see a loved one still alive but injured in the quake is now turning to fear again as some of them desperately need medical care or else they will die slowly and painfully. The U.S. military is trying to respond as best they can. Surprisingly, the Israeli hospital is getting the media’s attention for people the first on the ground to be up and running with machines and able to take in more patients. Hmmm.
My friend Cindy is the coordinator for disaster relief for Kentucky Baptists. She has been keeping me updated on the team that is getting ready to deploy comprised of medical and non-medical people to tend to their many physical and emotional needs. Remember to keep covering these workers in prayer.
Over ten years ago, I lived in Haiti for a short time, but long enough for it to change my life forevermore. My first introduction to Haiti was a Seabee chief driving me in a Hummer through a passage way between buildings lined on either side. They called it a “road”, but nothing except a Hummer could make it through the “road” that had huge pitfalls even the Hummer had to dodge on the jagged road. There were two real roads in Port-au-Prince, the capital, – one named after the previous leader of the country, Aristides, and the one that we, the Seabees, were building. We had come as part of the United Nations peace-keeping force to sustain order in the country after the coup. It was under the rule of Rene Preval. We were there to restore order, to build schools, dig water-wells, and construct the road.
In order to get to our construction sites, we traveled in an armed truck with some of us soldiers standing with M-16’s to protect us. Every morning the news reports came out with the violence of the evenings. It was mainly Haitian-on-Haitian violence. We were not allowed out of the compound after dark except on rare occasions. We traveled in groups of four – with our guns and mace and authorization to use either if we were attacked. We were there to help their country, but some people still didn’t want our help.
If you search the internet, then you will see that Haiti is 80% Roman Catholic and 50% Haitian Vodou. The reason for the strange statistics is that two religions overlap and they have mixed them together. In fact, I’m surprised voodoo is only listed at 50%. Even though I was not walking with God while I lived there, I could see the evil cloak smothering the country mostly through the demonic invitation through voodoo. The evil one’s oppression is so thick and heavy you can feel it as soon as you enter the country. Remember this country has been inviting the dark spirits to come and be welcome there for quite some time.
I will never forget the smells of Haiti and the sights of the “huts,” trash, and sanitation and drinking water sharing the same creek. The tent cities made mainly of sheets may shock us Westerners with our brick homes, but it is not that much of a step down for most of the people’s homes that I saw when I lived there. When I hear the news talk of the roads destroyed and the damaged sanitation system that could cause more deaths, I think Haiti must have come a long way since I was there. If this happened while I was there, most Haitians would not have had a sanitation system. They drank from the same water that they used for sanitation – the creek. We couldn’t imagine such surroundings in the U.S. I saw the killing fields were thousands of people were killed or their bodies thrown. Skulls littered this once beautiful tropic paradise. Most of the country's population is under 20 years old because the life expectancy is so low. Life is not valued or assumed like it is in the U.S. Death whispers to them in their sleep and has made them have a numb fear to the common sight of it during the day.
For me, I see this tragedy as God’s opportunity. The world is watching Haiti. The disaster relief organizations are coming. The Christians are coming. They are coming to the voodoo capital of the world and the aids capital of the world. Yesterday, I spoke of Jesus’ authority over darkness. My friend, our God still has that authority. People have been crying out for God to move in satan’s playground for quite some time. I see this as God turning this terrible tragedy that in His sovereignty happened to something of some value. MAY MANY LIVES BE SPARED from Physical DEATH! Additionally, may God use this to move in His people to remove the chains of the darkness on this land, remove the thickness of the oppression, and bring hope and light to the poorest country in the western hemisphere and the darkest country debatably in the world.
Lastly, Haiti also holds my heart because of my Compassion International Child Joalyne is there. Compassion sent me a word after the earthquake that they are trying to find her and will let me know as soon as they do. Since Joalyne and I have been together many years, I’ve received word quickly during the hurricanes that have ravaged Haiti. It has never taken seven days. As each day passes, my burden becomes greater to pray for her family and her. I really can’t describe the agony of emotions that I feel for as we are now on Day 8 and still no word. So please join with me to the One who is mighty to save, can move mountains, can remove the rubble, and remove the pain.
Pray with me: Abba, Father, our hearts cry out to You for the people of Haiti. We ask You, Lord, to be the Great Physician. Heal these injured people supernaturally and bring in workers to heal them through the knowledge that You provided them. Remove the barriers of coming into the country. Help Cindy and her team in the preparations and cover every logistic detail in their transportation and what they leave behind. Protect Your workers.
May Your Spirit come into the dark country of Haiti. Enemy’s territory. You are going right in and You have no fear about it. Empower Your people and give them the courage to face the attacks that they will face.
Save Joalyne. She dearly loves You. She just became my sister in Christ last year, and Lord, show her You through this. Grow her faith and may she lead others to know You, too. Save Joalyne and protect her family. In the mighty Name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.