Being A Missionary …

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Let’s face it: sometimes being a Christian is difficult! This truth can be compounded depending on where you live as well. For us it certainly has had its’ moments, especially this year, but from a purely personal and cultural point-of-view. I am amazed to think about all the Christians who spread the love and message of Christ in countries that are much more hostile to the gospel than Haitians. We may have some annoyances here and there with our First World desires in the Third World, but we certainly aren’t threatened for our faith, nor is there any sort of active rebellion happening putting our lives in jeopardy.

Our house here in Haiti has more and more recently started to feel like a home; our bathroom has been working, our living room is somewhat child proof, and our kitchen is properly attired. I think our settling in reflects more than that, though: it reflects our satisfaction with our call and what we are doing here.

Both Lorraine and I’s teaching has went really well, as of late. Lorraine did have a slight problem with her Freshmen, but so do all the High School teachers who have those rascally Freshmen. Lorraine’s relationship with them, though, was slightly more strained, because she didn’t feel a connection to them and they really didn’t to her either. This is mostly because Lorraine primarily teaches 2nd Grade, and pours most of her time into those kids. However, last weekend Lorraine took one of the Freshmen girls with her downtown to the open market. Lorraine wanted Laurie to help her translate when there was a need, but more than that, Lorraine wanted to try to build a relationship, which wasn’t previously there. There definitely was some drama with their experience, but what happened two days later was definitely the most important outcome. Before class started on Monday, Laurie handed Mme.Kyle (Lorraine) a hand-written note. After class, Lorraine read the note and was very moved by it. Laurie pretty much admitted to wrongfully judging her as a strict teacher, and instead really respects her as a sweet woman. She even mentioned the possibility of further time together in the future, and so I think Lorraine and I are going to take Laurie up on her offer. Sometimes missions and ministry can be slow and laborious, but with each budding friendship, trust, and relationship it makes it all worth it.

The same slow and laborious process has certainly been apart of my ministry down here in Haiti as well. The Discipleship group that I started at the beginning of this new year has went good, but slow. Good because I know that it is something that the students appreciate and need, but slow because the students themselves have a tough time identifying the need for it. The process of becoming a deeper and deeper disciple, or what some call the sanctification process is vital but arduous. The dying to ourselves part of the gospel message is something that we all know in theory, but not really in practice; and if we can’t understand the need for the dying, than the process of becoming a new creation will most certainly be left out as well. I want these students to see the need to become more like Christ with each passing day, and not simply be a Sunday Christian. With that said, I didn’t really know if anything that I had been trying to do was working until last weekend. Last weekend we were meeting in my house and we started to reflect on the experience they had over the last two months. My questions were: do you feel closer to God? and in what ways were you changed? Now not all of the 5 students gave glowing testimonies of change, but I did have 2 students who could clearly track the difference they see in themselves since we began. One student in particularly commented on how, in the past, she would get easily insecure, and thus easily angry at people. This anger would cause her to say and do things that were not fitting of a Christ-follower, but she says that now she just lets it all fall off her. The change in her was a new manifestation of some of the “fruits of the Spirit,” that Paul talks about in his Epistles. The other student admitted he used to be a very mean and prideful person, and now he is compassionate, friendly, and become more and more humble everyday. Now, these changes may not seem like a lot, but they are truly meaningful to them and to me. Whether you are a minister in a church in the US, a Cares Team in an Apartment Community in Phoenix, or a missionary around the world, sometimes the work is slow. I think, though, that God is more concerned with the faithfulness of the follower than the results produced, because after all our responsibility is to sow, and it is God’s responsibility to bring forth the harvest.

With all that said, we also have to admit that as missionaries in Haiti we are truly blessed by our supporters and friends, especially recently. Some family friends in Wichita donated me a pair of shoes to teach in, some friends from our house church community in Phoenix (Parea) blessed us with a care package (see pics below), and our former minister in Casa Grande donated us this computer that I am currently using. God has truly used his missionaries in the US to bless us here in Haiti. So to all of you, who read this blog, and to all of you who pray and support us, we once again thank you, and we admit that we are forever indebted to your kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity.

Blessings