Thursday, February 11, 2010
MESI PAPA
Hi from New Haiti, Thursday PM
This has been an incredible week as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Here is a peek:
Monday: Staff meeting from 9-noon, team then put up 5 large tents for families.
Tuesday: Drove to Love a Child to pick up 100 boxes of rice while staff put up more tents. While at Love a Child, I met Jentezen Franklin, an American TV evangelist. His ministry is the largest supporter that sends food to us, and he interviewed me for about 30 minutes, with preaching mixed in. What an insightful, caring man.
He did mention that he felt God would pull the United States out of its bad economy based on how the American people have given to Haiti, despite their own troubles.
Wednesday: Up at 7am, packing 100 food boxes, by 7:30 packing boxes with my family, by 10 we were off to the garbage dump. We passed out close to 70 ready to eat meals and water, then to our villages to put up more tents, then by 1pm we met 100 of our church families at the mission. They presented tickets they had been given in their home and received a large box of food. Then from 3-5 we had a prayer service. More later on this.
By 6pm we were home for supper, then from 7-9:30 I had a time of teaching with my 19 older boys. It was a great time as we talked about having Godly attitudes in all we do. What a long fulfilling day and I was so proud of the boys.
Thursday: Again, up at seven to box another 100 food boxes. Then the boys left for the mission to put up more tents and distribute the final 100 boxes to our church families. I had work to do at home, along with going for supplies and tents.
This weekend: The government of Haiti has declared Friday as a day to mourn and remember the over 220,000+ people we lost in the earthquake. The Haitian Churches have said this weekend will be 3 days of prayer for Haiti. Many of the boys are walking to a nearby soccer field tomorrow for a huge prayer rally. Sunday we will have a 6am-6pm prayer service at our church. Sunday is also a time of fasting, but we do have over 3000 bags of water ready to drink.
Prayer service: I was tired and was not looking forward to a 2 hour prayer service in the middle of the afternoon. I knew it was important that I be there so I was. I read my Bible during part of it, prayed for must but towards the end someone caught my eye.
Right in front of me and down a bit, a lady, probably 50, with hands toward heaven, kept repeating "Mesi Papa, Mesi Papa" (thank you father). I began to look at her very closely and pondered. I saw a battered pair of shoes, wearing a one size fits all sheet dress, head wrapped in an old bandana. I began to listen to her say "thank you papa."
I thought, here is a lady who will NEVER eat an ice cream cone, who will NEVER sit down in her kitchen with a cup of coffee, she will NEVER see the inside of a mall or a Wal-Mart, she will NEVER see her kids graduate, NEVER ride in a car with AC, NEVER travel more than 2 miles from her home, NEVER take her grand kids to an amusement park, NEVER receive or give a wrapped present. She will NEVER lie in a warm comfortable bed, NEVER have "her shows" to watch on TV, NEVER have a hair appointment. She will NEVER have a dime in her pocket, NEVER go to a buffet, NEVER touch a stove or refrigerator. SHE WILL NEVER HAVE OR EXPERIENCE WHAT WE HAVE YET, SHE SAYS "THANK YOU FATHER." I wept as I heard her say this. How could she possibly say that, and then go home to sleep on the ground on a piece of plastic?
What is inside her that could make her be so thankful for...................nothing? No promise of a better future on this earth, nothing to look forward to on this earth, but so thankful.
Then you got a bum like me who lives like royalty, and what do I do? I complain. I wonder if I say "why father?" more than I say "thank you father." This lady touched me in a big way. She made me think of a faith that could be so thankful, for so little. This is the kind of person that God loved so much, he sent me to Haiti for. These people continue to amaze me. We had over 200 people at that service, with no giveaways and they knew it. They came to pray, to thank God, not to ask, but to give thanks. I am thankful that at my age, I can still learn. Thank you Father! tominhaiti
For Contributions
Jesus in Haiti Ministries, Inc. Suite 155 10214 Chestnut Plaza Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46814
This has been an incredible week as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Here is a peek:
Monday: Staff meeting from 9-noon, team then put up 5 large tents for families.
Tuesday: Drove to Love a Child to pick up 100 boxes of rice while staff put up more tents. While at Love a Child, I met Jentezen Franklin, an American TV evangelist. His ministry is the largest supporter that sends food to us, and he interviewed me for about 30 minutes, with preaching mixed in. What an insightful, caring man.
He did mention that he felt God would pull the United States out of its bad economy based on how the American people have given to Haiti, despite their own troubles.
Wednesday: Up at 7am, packing 100 food boxes, by 7:30 packing boxes with my family, by 10 we were off to the garbage dump. We passed out close to 70 ready to eat meals and water, then to our villages to put up more tents, then by 1pm we met 100 of our church families at the mission. They presented tickets they had been given in their home and received a large box of food. Then from 3-5 we had a prayer service. More later on this.
By 6pm we were home for supper, then from 7-9:30 I had a time of teaching with my 19 older boys. It was a great time as we talked about having Godly attitudes in all we do. What a long fulfilling day and I was so proud of the boys.
Thursday: Again, up at seven to box another 100 food boxes. Then the boys left for the mission to put up more tents and distribute the final 100 boxes to our church families. I had work to do at home, along with going for supplies and tents.
This weekend: The government of Haiti has declared Friday as a day to mourn and remember the over 220,000+ people we lost in the earthquake. The Haitian Churches have said this weekend will be 3 days of prayer for Haiti. Many of the boys are walking to a nearby soccer field tomorrow for a huge prayer rally. Sunday we will have a 6am-6pm prayer service at our church. Sunday is also a time of fasting, but we do have over 3000 bags of water ready to drink.
Prayer service: I was tired and was not looking forward to a 2 hour prayer service in the middle of the afternoon. I knew it was important that I be there so I was. I read my Bible during part of it, prayed for must but towards the end someone caught my eye.
Right in front of me and down a bit, a lady, probably 50, with hands toward heaven, kept repeating "Mesi Papa, Mesi Papa" (thank you father). I began to look at her very closely and pondered. I saw a battered pair of shoes, wearing a one size fits all sheet dress, head wrapped in an old bandana. I began to listen to her say "thank you papa."
I thought, here is a lady who will NEVER eat an ice cream cone, who will NEVER sit down in her kitchen with a cup of coffee, she will NEVER see the inside of a mall or a Wal-Mart, she will NEVER see her kids graduate, NEVER ride in a car with AC, NEVER travel more than 2 miles from her home, NEVER take her grand kids to an amusement park, NEVER receive or give a wrapped present. She will NEVER lie in a warm comfortable bed, NEVER have "her shows" to watch on TV, NEVER have a hair appointment. She will NEVER have a dime in her pocket, NEVER go to a buffet, NEVER touch a stove or refrigerator. SHE WILL NEVER HAVE OR EXPERIENCE WHAT WE HAVE YET, SHE SAYS "THANK YOU FATHER." I wept as I heard her say this. How could she possibly say that, and then go home to sleep on the ground on a piece of plastic?
What is inside her that could make her be so thankful for...................nothing? No promise of a better future on this earth, nothing to look forward to on this earth, but so thankful.
Then you got a bum like me who lives like royalty, and what do I do? I complain. I wonder if I say "why father?" more than I say "thank you father." This lady touched me in a big way. She made me think of a faith that could be so thankful, for so little. This is the kind of person that God loved so much, he sent me to Haiti for. These people continue to amaze me. We had over 200 people at that service, with no giveaways and they knew it. They came to pray, to thank God, not to ask, but to give thanks. I am thankful that at my age, I can still learn. Thank you Father! tominhaiti
For Contributions
Jesus in Haiti Ministries, Inc. Suite 155 10214 Chestnut Plaza Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46814
# posted by Tom Osbeck @ 8:35 PM 
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