The Power of God

Trip #6 to Haiti, expecting the unexpected, as no 2 trips are alike. However, God has surprised me in some amazing ways. Let me share a few.

We stayed over in Port au Prince Sunday night, which was a concern for me, as memories of the first overnight stay in Port au Prince came to mind, the single worst night of my life. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the peaceful, sweet spirit in the place we stayed. I was amazed by what we saw and heard at the New Life Childrens Home, a mission started and run by an American woman 35 years ago. They have orphans there, including special needs orphans. It was a moving experience to worship with them. I saw kids hopping up and down worshipping on one leg. I saw a member of our team holding hands with several kids in wheelchairs as they sang together. I saw some of our teens helping special needs kids play on the slide. We heard an amazing testimony from a 22 year old young man, a strong young Christian leader there, who came there first as a 6 year old orphan.

But the most amazing part, was when our hostess told us a few stories of the founder, who had started this mission 35 years ago. She has endured much resistance along the way, including being run off at gunpoint and being put out to sea, set adrift in a small boat, later rescued by the coast guard. It was such a moving testimony to the power of God at work, making a huge impact on those people as He works through His people who love Him and obey His call.

Another experience of the trip was familiar to me, and one I really enjoy every time, the welcome we receive from the kids. This time I saw it in a fresh new light, the light of God's power at work. We didn't come up the hill on the bus, but that didn't diminish their enthusiasm. As we bounced up the hill in an suv and a pickup, they ran alongside and cheered, greeting us and shouting names as they recognized us. We shouted names back and gave out high fives. As the vehicles stopped they tore open the doors and dragged people out, claiming them and welcoming them with love.

I love this part of the trip, it never gets old. I think it's my favorite part of each trip. Yet as I reveled in the warmth of hugs and high fives and heard shouts of 'Mak' by many, I realized that only God's love has the power to do this. Only God can save people with no hope and give them hope and love. It's not just ordinary love, but abundant unconditional love, a love they are eager to share with us. A pure love from God that makes us feel so loved by them and by the Father of us all. It makes no sense that these poor, once hopeless orphans are now such a powerful picture of God's relentless and unconditional love for us, yet that in itself is the testimony of God's power.

Without a doubt, I heard the strongest example of God's power at dinner Monday night. I was at another table, but Pastor Dony and Pastor Nicholas, the leader of the School of Joy at the University were sharing with some of our team as they ate. I tried to eavesdrop as best I could, but I couldn't hear much. However, when I heard the word 'zombie' used a couple of times I had to get up and come listen directly. They were explaining that zombies were created by witch doctors, and controlled by them. They are real, a person either once dead or nearly dead, now controlled by an evil spirit.  They aren't like the flesh eating dramatizations in American movies and TV, in fact, they won't ever speak to a person. The witch doctors rent them out to people as servants, drivers, laborers, security guards, etc.

Pastor Dony told several stories of real life encounters with zombies. It made my hair stand up to hear that such things actually existed. He told a few other stories of voodoo and witchcraft, how witch doctors control people through spells and spirits. Then he told 2 examples of God's power over the darkness. One man that works as a pastor for them used to be a zombie, but God saved him and brought him out of it. It reminded me of Christ's power casting out demons as he encountered them.  Only God's power can overcome that kind of darkness and evil. 

In another case, a witch doctor came to Christ because he realized God was the greatest power. He was trying to hurt a poor woman someone had asked him to put a spell on.  He cast a spell on her, but it didn't work. So he tried to put a spell on her 2 year old son, thinking 'that will really hurt her'. That was even more unsuccessful, as he sensed the protection was even stronger around the son. He finally came to the woman, asking her what witch dovtor she used, since that witch doctor must be more powerful that him.  The lady responded "I don't have any witch doctor, I'm a Christian". She shared the Gospel with him and he got saved. Now that's power!

God's power is alive and visible in this place, but it's available everywhere for His glory, if we'll just believe and act in faith and in His power. Ephesians 3:20-21 declares it: "Now to Him who is able to do immeasureably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Do you have His power?