The idea for the sermon that I hope will grow from this came from perusing Facebook a few weeks ago, and seeing the words "always and forever" splayed across the status of a young girl who had just gotten engaged. I realized that always and forever is not just some fairy-tale ending we are culturally groomed to seek, but rather a deep-seeded longing placed carefully in our hearts by the very God who created us, in the hope that we would seek our "always and forever" in the one place it could always be truly found: God Himself. This is a work in progress, but don't be surprised if some form of it shows up in a sermon I preach in the future. :)
Always and forever--it's what everyone dreams of when we fall in love. No one goes to bed at night hoping to dream of a broken heart. No one says "I do" while dreaming of divorce. No parent holds a new baby in their arms hoping for a day in which that child will make poor, destructive choices and rebel against them. We want to feel safe and sound, secure in our station in the eyes of the people we love.
That's how God feels, too. He's an "always and forever" kind of God.
The problem is that we ignore our "always and forever" God and trade Him in for idols that are nothing like Him. Take success, for example. Success is not "always and forever." Success will leave us for someone younger and hotter in a second.
What about money? Well, success may take our money with it when it leaves, but even if it doesn't, something else will.
Pleasure? Please. Pleasure lasts for a second, and then it's over; the devastating consequences of serving it, though, often last much longer and leave much wreckage in their wake.
What about ourselves? Let's be honest: we don't know WHAT we want from one minute to the next, and even if we did, we couldn't get it and keep it for very long.
Perhaps we could look elsewhere for our "always and forever"--maybe we could find it in another person? A boyfriend or girlfriend? More stuff? More power? Alas, these too are just tin gods, fake deities who demand our worship, but who are powerless to offer us anything real in return.
1 John 2:16 says, "For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever" (HCSB, emphasis mine).
Did you catch that? The world--and all the junk that belongs to it--is temporary, and already has one foot out the door. We live in a leavin' kind of world, and nothing in it is built to last; it may look good and taste sweet for a while, but like a giant chocolate Easter bunny, it's all hollow inside.
Only God things endure.
We dream of "always and forever"--of something that will LAST, something we can count on in good times and bad, something that will never let us down, something that will always be there to carry us through--and then we exchange the truth of God for a lie and decide that what we can get right away MUST also be right for us. We long for always and forever, but we settle for available and right now.
The result, of course, is that many of us wake up one day to find that we are living in the rubble of our dreams. Devastated, we crawl over the ruins, gathering scattered and broken pieces, all in an attempt to put them all together again. Some labor past the point of reason, only to find that their best efforts, wishes, and intentions are simply not up to the task they've undertaken. Others resign themselves to their new reality, and abandon the dream as a product of wishful thinking, something that never really existed in the first place.
And all the while, the voice of God calls to us across the ages, in the words of sacred Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit who lives within those who have abandoned all to follow Jesus, and He whispers, thinly and quietly:
"I'm the always and forever you've been waiting for."
For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12: 6-10, HCSB)
We live in a world where contentment is considered a relic of the past, where "more, please" is the shibboleth for an entire generation of Americans, and in which inconvenience and hardship are considered twin evils that are to be avoided at any cost, even if that cost is the well-being--or worse, the eternal salvation--of another human being.
If that sounds harsh and judgmental, know that I speak as the chief of sinners in this regard, so it is to myself I refer as much as anyone else. Now I realize that this may come as a shock to you, so if you don't believe me, just ask me sometime about the possibility of a new iPad or iPhone being released in a few months, and watch my eyes light up with childish glee. When it comes to techno toys, I'm as susceptible as anyone to a bad case of the "gimmes" (as in "gimme this" or "gimme that"). Yes, it's true: I, especially I, struggle with being a "Plus One" Christian.
What is a plus one Christian, you may ask? A plus one Christian is someone who believes in Jesus, but for whom the grace of God is not quite all that is needed for true fulfillment in life. For Plus Ones, there's always a plus sign before the equal mark:
God's grace + a bigger house = happiness/fulfillment
God's grace + a new car = happiness/fulfillment
God's grace + a better job/a younger spouse/another child/more money/a new whatever = happiness/fulfillment
See what I mean? For all of our spiritual posturing, the spouting of all of our high-sounding Christian jargon about how "Jesus is all we need," when it all comes down to brass tacks, the honest truth is that we really require just a little bit more. And if we could only have that one (or two, or three) thing(s), THEN we'd really be happy. Our culture provides a lush, nutritious little petrie dish in which this disease can grow and flourish. We're told that we should "aim for the stars" and "never settle for second best," neither of which I have a problem with, as long as what we're really shooting for is whatever God has for us. But when God shows us that what He has is a straw hut in Africa, and we say that we REALLY need a 3,000 square foot mansion with all the bells and whistles, well...we're looking for God in all the wrong places.
Lest you think, "But I don't really ask God for that much stuff, so I must be ok!", let me also remind you that there are "Less This" Christians, too. A "Less This" Christian is a believer who needs something taken away before they can be truly happy or fulfilled. Here's how this equation might look:
God's grace - that job I hate = happiness/fulfillment
God's grace - that difficult person I have to endure = happiness/fulfillment
God's grace - that less than ideal circumstance/disease/handicap = happiness/fulfillment
Either way, both "plus one" and "less this" equations boil down to one sobering truth: we don't really believe that the grace of God is sufficient for us.
That's why 2 Corinthians 12: 6-10 is (in my opinion) often employed incorrectly. We use it as a stand-in to bring a sense of comfort when we've lost something that matters a great deal to us, or when we're going through a difficult time, until we find something to take the place of that thing we've lost. As soon as we think we've found the strength and/or resources to get through on our own, we're happy to bump the grace of God to its former position at the bottom of a deep barrel. But this passage is not about getting through hard times, persecutions, weaknesses, etc.--it's about taking pleasure in them, because in those weak times, we find that true strength does not come from the stuff we have, the status we've obtained, or any false sense of empowerment we've acquired for ourselves. True strength flows only from and through the grace of God. In a sense, we ought to be taken aback by this passage, because it flies in the face of everything our culture compels us to believe.
Such a mindset does not come easily; even the apostle Paul had to "learn to be content in whatever circumstances..." (Philippians 4:11, emphasis mine). Contentment, like patience, is not something God gives, but rather, something He teaches. To live "even steven"--being content with what God, through His grace, has provided for us, without pursuing more or desiring less--is itself a work of God's grace through the Holy Spirit.
I'm probably not finished thinking and/or writing about this, and the implications of it are much broader than can be covered in one simple blog post, but these thoughts have been rattling around in my spirit over the last few weeks, and I wanted to get them out. Thanks for reading; may we all strive to live in the fullness of the inexhaustible grace and mercy of our great God!
In the hearts of many pastors, I think, lie the embers of a dream--the faintly glowing remains of a hope and vision once enshrouded in the fires of holy passion, now left to smolder on the altar of sacrifice, having been wholly and completely consumed. What is this dream? Well, If you hold your breath and look carefully into the coals, you might find the following etched deeply into your pastors' hearts:
Every pastor wants to be Josiah.
Consider the following:
The king went up to the LORD's temple with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites--all the people from great to small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the LORD's temple. Then the king stood at his post and made a covenant in the LORD's presence to follow the LORD and to keep His commands, His decrees, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul in order to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book. He had all those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. So all the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. So Josiah removed everything that was detestable from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required all who were present in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. (2 Chronicles 34:30-33, HCSB)
No Passover had been observed like it in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites, all Judah, the Israelites who were present in Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 35:18, HCSB)
This is the dream, and it is a grand dream, one in which the pastor unashamedly proclaims the Word of God and sees altars filled with the obedient and repentant; one in which the pastor hears from God clearly and concretely, and acts courageously upon what God has said, without fear of the consequences; one in which the pastor boldly leads the church to make changes necessary for effective, Spirit-led ministry, and enjoys the pleasure of living in the blessed aftermath of those changes.
In part, at least, it is this dream that drives us in our early days of ministry, while the dew of our calling is still fresh and clean on our souls. It is this dream that startles us from sleep at night with a crisp wind of revelation, and lulls us to sleep on those nights when the burden of our calling becomes so heavy that rest cannot be found. It is often through this dream that God illumines our path when the way forward is cloaked in the darkness of uncertainty. And it is through this dream that God sustains us when the (often) cold, harsh realities of ministry threaten to extinguish the flame in our hearts forever.
It is, indeed, a wonderful dream. And for some, for a precious few, that dream begins to move--really to live--in their ministries on the grand scale for which they have always hoped and imagined.
But for most of us, the grand dream remains a dream, just out of our reach, just alive enough to warm us, but not quite enough to ignite us. Our sermons are heard and appreciated, but not, perhaps, adored or applied. Listening for the voice of God is akin to hearing a whisper with cotton stuffed in our ears; often muffled, at best, and painfully, eerily quiet on our worst days. Efforts to make changes--even minor, seemingly insignifcant ones--are often followed by weeks and months of discussion and debate, late night telephone calls and committee meetings, and office visits that demonstrate both amiable support and stalwart resistance. Some pastors survive such seasons; many do not. None escape unscathed and unchanged.
We pastors dream of the courage of Josiah, but we lie awake at night, trembling in our beds, fearful that tomorrow will bring yet another cavalcade of fear and pain.
We dream of the influence of Josiah, but find ourselves feeling quite powerless as we attempt to lead our own people through their adverse circumstances.
We dream of the revival of Josiah, but too often, it is we who stand in need of a revival: a revival of hope, of passion, of life.
We dream of the results of Josiah's bold ministry: changed hearts, changed lives, and a changed community. These provide meaty and tangible evidence that Josiah's leadership was powerful and effective, and somewhere deep within us, all pastors ache to see those results in our ministries. It is for the hope of these results that we labor so arduously on our sermons, studies, and programming, and (right or wrong) the absence of them often leaves us feeling like failures.
Every pastor wants to be Josiah--but most of us have to settle for being ourselves. That, in itself, is a gift, though it doesn't always feel that way. Sometimes it feels like freedom; other times, it just feels like the death of a dream.
Would you pray for your pastors today?
So, I'm fairly discerning about the music to which I listen, not merely in terms of the lyrical content of said music, but also its overall musical quality. Those who know me will testify to the fact that much of today's contemporary Christian music irks me on at least one of those fronts, and much of the time, on both; that is, so much of contemporary Christian music is musically bland and lyrically shallow and repetitive, and the rare gem that is both creative and deep never gets heard because Christian radio won't play it. Therefore, I spend much of my travel time scanning through stations or listening to the soothing sounds of road noise, just to avoid hearing "Friends" by Michael W. Smith for the four hundred billionth time.
Once in a while, though, a band comes along that renews my faith in the Christian music industry by producing an entry that slakes both my lyrical and musical thirst. Ladies and Gentlemen, hailing all the way from Hamilton, Ontario, I introduce to you--The City Harmonic.
Chances are that if you listen to contemporary Christian radio, you've heard of these guys--but you might not know it. I didn't, until I heard them play their radio hit, "Manifesto," which is really a muscially creative rendering of the model prayer. I'd heard the song, but had never connected it to the band, and suffice it to say that by the time they actually played the song during their set at the National Youth Worker's Convention, I was like, "Awesome! They play that song, too!" The rest of their set was so good that I had already decided to buy the album long before they played their most well-known song.
These guys have a sound reminiscent of Coldplay, if Coldplay was the worship band at your church. Their lyrics are as in your face as they come, exalting Jesus with bold, unapologetic proclamation. There's no abstraction in the lyrics here, to be sure (though I don't mind abstraction; it makes me think about and wrestle with music differently). The vocals are pure and strong, and the musicianship is second to none; though some of the songs sound similar, I found several of them to be unpredictable enough to keep the album fresh from start to finish. This is soaring, anthemic stuff, and though it might not be appropriate for a fireside sing-a-long (the music is a bit complex for that), it absolutely transports me into the presence of God. If you don't believe me, I dare you to listen to "Holy (Wedding Day)", or "Yours" without getting chill bumps. Seriously.
I highly recommend their latest release, "I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)." I think you'll enjoy it.
And that's music worth your time.
Well, not really.
However, Liberty University recently hosted a Biblical Studies Symposium, at which the chairs of three translation committees offered their thoughts (and their pitches) as to why their their particular translation should be preferred to the others. You can find it here, but prepare to settle in; each scholar (Dr. Douglas Moo/NIV; Dr. Wayne Grudem/ESV; and Dr. Ray Clendenen/HCSB) takes 35-40 minutes to make his case. Add to that the segment where they get to respond to one another and field questions from the audience, and, well...you get the picture.
Having watched all three presentations, here are a few of my own thoughts:
1) Although they disagreed, all three scholars offered well-reasoned defenses for their particular committee's approach to Bible translation. For Bible translation geeks (like me), there wasn't much here that wasn't already in print somewhere, but it was still worth hearing it from them personally.
2) Although they disagreed, all three scholars presented their arguments in humility, offering their admiration and respect for one another and the work they and their committees had done. Some of the issues discussed here are controversial (e.g. the use of gender inclusive language), and have been the source of...heated debate among Christians. Though I have my own opinions about such issues, I have been embarassed at the nasty, accusatory, and downright belligerent tone these conversations have taken. These three gentlemen model for us the possibility of disagreement without disunity. Drs. Grudem, Clendenden, and Moo are friends, colleagues, and brothers in Christ, and I was impressed with their attitudes throughout their presentations.
3) I had never seen Dr. Grudem before. He doesn't look like I thought he would. And Dr. Moo is tall.
4) Neither these men, nor the committees they chair, nor the translations they have produced are evil. These guys love Jesus, love the Scriptures, and love each other. Wayne Grudem is neither an arrogant jerk, nor the lone crusader of truth in Bible translation, and Doug Moo is not the antichrist.
What did you think? Watch the videos and sound off here. I'd love to get your opinion!
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that for some time, I have been on a search for a primary Bible translation that I felt comfortable using both for private, devotional reading, and for proclamation and teaching in my student ministry. Having considered several translations, and used most of them in both devotional and teaching settings, I am convinced that we Americans are blessed--there are a number of wonderful translations available for our use, and most of them are easily obtained either online (for free) or at a local Christian bookstore. That said, however, this search was about choosing ONE translation to serve as my primary, go-to Bible, and I have finally reached my decision. So, without further ado, I have chosen...
The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB).
"Why?" you might ask. Well, the reasons for my selection are myriad, but for the sake of time, I will list only a few here. First of all, I find that the Holman Christian Standard Bible is very readable. Most of the English in the translation is quite current, and doesn't come off as rigid or stilted in its reading. Quite the opposite, in fact--the language is smooth and flowing, which is quite remarkable for a Bible that describes its translation philosophy as "optimal equivalence," which is a fancy way of saying, "as word-for-word as possible, as thought-for-thought as necessary." Because of this approach, the HCSB is able to avoid some of the archaisms that plague such giants of formal equivalence as the ESV and NASB, while side-stepping some of the more interpretive decisions of dynamic equavalence translations such as the NLT.
I also find the HCSB to be refreshingly bold in some of its translation choices. Much has been made (and rightly so) of the HCSB's rendering of John 3:16, which does alter the traditional reading of the verse--but in a way that more accurately reflects the Greek text. However, the HCSB also restores the more...hardcore translation of the word "doulos," which means "slave or servant," and is often translated as the latter in most modern translations. The HCSB uses the former, which I think stresses the more radical nature of discipleship. I like that the HCSB is willing to break with tradition in order to better translate a passage of Scripture, and I find that the translation is fairly consistent with this approach throughout.
Recently, the HCSB has seen a number of different resources made available using its text as a resource, but two very significant ones are the Holman Christian Standard Study Bible and MyStudyBible.com (which provides interested readers a place to purchase and store multiple study resources, including commentaries, books, and Bible dictionaries). On the website, readers can purchase a resource for as little as 24 hours, or for an unlimited amount of time, which is really awesome for people who don't have $250 to drop on an electronic commentary set, but who might benefit from accessing a volume for an afternoon. This is quite groundbreaking, in my opinion. The print study Bible is pretty great too, and is one of the most beautiful presentations of Scripture I have seen.
I'm really excited about this translation, and while it isn't perfect (no translation is), its benefits far outweigh its shortcomings. I highly recommend it!
...but I've just been very busy lately! Rest assured that more posts are forthcoming. Thanks for hanging in there while I've been catching up on some other things!
Up next...I've finally made my decision on a primary Bible translation. Some of you know that this journey has been a long and arduous one (at times), but I've finally reached a decision, and I will share it with you all in due course. I'm finally getting my feet under me, so be watching for it soon!
Thanks for reading!!
It has now been two days since I strolled up my front walk, bags in hand, having returned from a week long mission experience in Haiti. I needed the time to decompress, to wrap my mind and heart around what I saw, heard, and felt during my time there.
I also needed the time to sleep, because DUDE--I was tired.
When we awoke on the morning of our departure, the air was cool (well, less hot and humid than normal) and the sun was hanging perfectly in a bright blue sky. A gentle breeze was blowing, and I remember thinking, Wow. I couldn't ask for a more perfect day to leave this beautiful country. As the bus drove out of the compound and on the road to Port Au Prince, I took as many snapshots with my mind as I could, trying desperately to cling to those images that were already becoming seared on my mind: breathtaking mountains and beautiful blue waters, mixed with a parched and barren landscape, littered with garbage and the squalor left behind by the lethal mixture of poverty and tragedy. To be sure, there are many things I will never forget, and some that I've forgotten already. But the looks on the faces of the Haitians, the looks of gratitude commingled with desperation--those I will never forget.
The trip to the airport in Port Au Prince was harrowing, because Haitian drivers rarely use their brakes. They use their horns, instead. Slowing down is not a common practice, so they either stop, or blow the horn to let you know they're coming so that you can get out of the way and make room for them. I feared for our lives on more than one occasion. Malaria and typhoid fever are not nearly as scary as a road trip in Haiti.
Once we arrived at the airport, the real fun began. First, several "volunteer" helpers attempted to carry our luggage for us. We said "no" a lot, because saying "yes" would leave us several dollars poorer after they'd finished "helping" us. We went through an initial security checkpoint (during which my bag was searched, and my bug spray and sunscreen closely inspected), followed by ticketing and immigration, at which time we went through a second security checkpoint. Here, we got the full monty--taking off our shoes, removing our electronic devices, emptying our pockets, etc. Then, no more than 75 feet away, we had to go through a third security checkpoint, again removing our shoes, electronic devices, emptying our pockets, etc. The process had gotten a bit old by then. After a questionable lunch, we boarded our plane to Miami.
In Miami, the real fun began. Let me give a shout out to all of our US Border Patrol agents--you guys do a great job, and I am thankful to have you on our borders. All of us got through immigration just fine, and then it was on to customs, which we also sailed through without a hitch. After dropping our checked luggage off, we went to our gate where we went through--you guessed it--yet ANOTHER security checkpoint. At this point, I'm thinking they need like an email system, or an instant message service, or something so that they can communicate with each other and be like, "Hey, he's cool. We've already checked him 18 times. Maybe let him slide just this once." The flight back to RDU was a bit delayed, but was very smooth, and after touchdown, we made our way to baggage claim, where our pickup crew was gathered, holding the banner featured in the video clip below:
I have great students. Seriously, PGBC youth ROCK!
I arrived home at just after 1:00 AM, and quickly collapsed on the couch after a fulfilling, yet exhausting week.
After two days, I can say that my life has been profoundly changed by what I saw in Haiti. I am more passionate about missions that I've ever been, and less willing and patient with most of the nonsense garbage that people like to talk about in church. If that offends you, well...you're just going to have to be offended, then. Sorry about that, but it's true. There are people dying--today--without Jesus. We don't have time to debate the merits of musical styles, or podiums in the sanctuary, or what pew "belongs" to whom. If we continue to focus our time and energy on those things, we are in sin, pure and simple. So from now on, I refuse to do it. We're going to reach people for Jesus, to the best of our ability. Here are a couple of other things you should know:
1) It is God's will that we go on mission. There are those who are not physically able to go, and that's ok. But for those who are, it's time to stop making excuses and start getting serious about doing what Jesus said in Matthew 28. "I don't want to" isn't good enough. If you are a Christian, you gave your life--and all rights to it--to Jesus. Jesus isn't the president of a democracy, He's the King of a Kingdom. You don't get a vote, so get over yourselves.
2) It is God's will that we live missionally. When we go on mission, that may seem easy. But we are to be missional every day, in our schools, our workplaces, our families, and with our friends. Will it be awkward? Probably. Heaven forbid that being obedient to God should make things uncomfortable for us. I mean, Jesus was NEVER uncomfortable, right? There's a reason Serta doesn't make mattresses out of two beams of wood. Think about THAT the next time you're afraid your best friend won't like you if you tell them about Jesus.
3) We don't get to pick and choose who we want to go to heaven, so where there's a need, we should be responding to it, as much as possible. Will it cost us? You bet. Will we have to sacrifice for it? Almost certainly. Do we get to opt out because we want a nicer building and cushier seats? Not hardly.
4) Now, all that stuff may sound mean and unyielding. But here's a word of encouragement: God loves all people, everywhere. His salvation is for Americans, Canadians, Haitians, Africans, and every other tribe of people on on the earth. And His grace is big enough to save everyone--even us. We're still in need of salvation, folks. God may have saved us from our sins, and our salvation is eternal, but He is still in the process of saving us from our self-centeredness. He's up to the task. Let's let Him transform us.
Thanks again for your prayers and your support. Bonswa, and good night!
I awoke this morning, and came early into the kitchen to work on the blog, as I had every morning this week. Not long after, Mrs. Wanda awoke and came into the kitchen, and shortly after that, Jack Frazier strolled in. He asked Mrs. Wanda, "Do you guys have large, black crickets here?" "No," Mrs. Wanda said, "our crickets are small and green." Jack nodded and said, "Then I think there's a tarantula on the back porch."
The back porch is where we sleep. We had a deal, tarantula. You agree to stay outside, and at least 50 feet away from me at all times, and I agree not to die of a heart attack in a foreign country. You violated the terms of our contract. Not cool, tarantula. NOT. COOL.
I would just like to add that while I don't like spiders in general, tarantulas are among my least favorite. Any spider that needs a comb is the work of the devil.
We never found the tarantula, so we decided to go ahead with our work day. Because today was our final full day in Haiti, we decided at the first of the week to work half a day and spend half the day recreating. I went medical again today, and Team Alpha (our merry band of physicians, nurses, and pharmacists) saw 101 patients in about three hours. That's triage, a visit with the doctor, and picking up prescriptions. I now wonder why our doctor's offices take so long.
We rode back with Drs. Vlad and Merline (who are engaged, by the way!), and we stopped by to look at the land they had purchased and on which they plan to build their home. These two are amazing; both of them are very bright, and have so many options as to what they could do and where the could practice. They choose to stay in the difficult climate of Haiti, because God has called them to do so. Please pray for the work they do and the ministry they have. It is truly awesome.
After our brief stop, we joined with the rest of our team back at the compound. Still no tarantula, but we were able to grab a bite to eat before our afternoon began in earnest. We had planned to visit an orphanage and then to travel to a waterfall that was supposed to be quite lovely. Before we visited the orphanage, however, we needed to stop and buy some beans and rice to take up there. It was market day in Titanyen, which means that the streets are filled with people. That makes for a crazy driving experience, because the vehicles in Haiti don't have brakes. I'm kidding, of course, but it seems to me that they don't really need them, as the drivers rarely put them to use. While Bobby and Asher were purchasing the food, we saw this guy preparing his wares for sale. It did not bode well for the rest of the afternoon:
Yep, those are coffins. Yikes.
At the orphanage, we got to see several children and visit briefly with the proprietor. This orphanage was in much better shape (I'm told) than the two the construction team visited on Wednesday; the children seemed healthier, and they were only sleeping four to a room instead of ten (like the other orphanages). We dropped off lots of food and clothes, visited for a few minutes, and then had to bounce in order to make it to the waterfall on time.
The ride to the waterfall was really...something. We drove for about 45 minutes on a gravel mountain road, very little of which was smoothed and leveled. We were bouncing around like superballs inside the van, which would have been fun had some of us not needed to visit the bathroom. At one point, I looked down a hill and saw a river just running across the road, and I thought, Oh, well. It was a nice idea, but there's no way this van is getting through that. Nope. We went through it, and then spun out on the giant hill on the opposite side. I remember thinking, This is it. We're going to be stranded right here. We're going to have to spend the night in the vans. And there are probably tarantulas here, too, but these tarantulas live in the mountains, so they probably have beards. And play blue grass music. Thankfully, Rodney (our fearless driver) got us out, so we drove for another 15 minutes and arrived at the waterfall. And it was beautiful, really. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit, though it got a little chaotic at the end, when the people who had "volunteered" to be our "tour guides" started asking for money. We arrived back at camp, had a brief share time, did a quick tarantula sweep and prepared for our trip home.
A few reflections about the trip to Haiti and the work we did here:
1) The title of the post is "It is Finished (For Now)" translated into Haitian Creole. Our (Team 80's) work is done here, for this week. There's no more time for us to finish building the church, no more time to host another clinic before we go home. We have no more clothes and no more food to pass out at orphanages. But there is much work left to be done, here. These people are precious, but they are trapped in a system that is working against them. Team 80 may have reached the end of our time here, but we must remember that the real work--the work being done by people like Vlad and Merline--has only just begun. We must help them in any way we can. That part of our journey starts now.
2) This week has defied any expectations I could have brought to it. I expected to work construction, but I spent the better part of my week with the medical teams, which I loved. I expected mostly to hang with the crowd from PGBC, but I ended up making friends from both Salemburg Baptist and Freedom Baptist. I also made friends of the Haitian staff, especially Vlad, Merline, Michel, Mike, Tamare, Jores, and Innocent. Please pray for the work they are doing; they are remarkable people.
3) Haiti is a beautiful place--the mountains, the oceans, and the greenery are all breathtaking. But its people are so beaten down that they can't fully appreciate that beauty, so trash litters the beautiful landscape. Every 50 feet or so (it seems) there is another lottery booth. Even the waterfall, in all of its majesty, harbored remnants of voodoo rituals performed on its site. We must pray for Haiti. And we must continue to be at work alongside of Vlad, Merline, and others to bring Jesus to these people. He loves them, and so must we.
Tomorrow, we head home. Pray for our flights, and pray for us as we prepare to share our stories on Sunday, July 10 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC at both morning worship services (8:15 and 10:45). Hope to see you there!
Until tomorrow!
