Day 6

Day 6

Day six started out a little slow and with some uncertainty. But it turned out to be one of the fullest days of the week for the team. The plan was to leave at 8am to go to the orphanage and to leave for the beach at 10:30. There was a problem with the rides and finally our van came, we loaded everything up, and the van wouldn’t start. So we got out of the van and prayed. While we were praying, God had laid the song “This is the Day that the Lord has made” on both Jon and my heart, but before we could share it Rob shared it in a prayer. So after a few more prayers, we sang the song, “This is the Day” and gave the day to the Lord. John Skillman would say in our sharing time at the end of the day, that once we gave the day to the Lord, everything began to work out right.

After our prayer time, we found that the van was just out of gas, and we were on our way after 10 or so more minutes. We got to the orphanage quite late, but found we had 30 minutes before the bus would come, which we got to spend with the kids. When the bus came, 110 people got on the bus including the 90 kids, the house moms, Paster Labastille and his family and the LCF team. As Kelly put it, you could just tell it was a special day for kids that probably don’t have so many special days. The girls were in their Sunday best – to go to the beach!. The neighbor kids looked on as the St Louis de Sur kids got on the bus for their field trip. We made our way thru the rough, but beautiful countryside to a Haitian national park beach area. It was great to watch the kids gaze out at the views. Even packed sometimes 4 in a seat, the ride was a real treasure for many of the kids.

When we got to the beach, we all filed out and picked out a spot a little way back from the water in a shady grove of palm trees. In groups of 5 or so, each of the kids went out and waded in the water for several minutes and then went back to the shady area under the palms. There we had fellowship, just hanging out together, many of the LCF team commented that it was the companionship not the ocean that was the center of the day. It was much different than we expected kids to act at a beach.

Yesterday, God had put the boy, Marck Gerald, on my heart. He had come over to me several times, but was quiet and slightly withdrawn. He kind of smiled, but it was a Mona Lisa smile. I was hoping to connect somehow with him and I prayed for an opportunity. We had brought a shovel and buckets to build a sand castle by the water, but since we weren’t by the water, Brett and I decided to bring the water to our sandy beach under the trees. Brett went to get some water and I started digging with the shovel. Out of 90 kids, who do you think came over to ask to dig with the shovel but Marck Gerald. Isn’t God great? Marck and I built a nice castle with the help of the water from Brett and when I started making a wall across the moat that he had dug, Marck did the same for the other half of the castle. Some of the other kids decorated the wall with domes made filling sand in a half of a plastic egg and after a bunch of photos, we all jumped on the castle and smashed it to smithereens. Marck and the kids had a full smile that day.

We went back to the St Louis de Sur and showed the Jesus Film (in Creole). The new projector worked great. The kids watched intently as the story of Jesus was told. About 15 or so neighbors wondered in and saw the film also. When the film highlighted the parable of the Good Samaritan, many of the our kids talked between themselves that was the story that they had had in one of their lessons. Isn’t it neat how God weaves the message together. (Thanks Bev for preparing that lesson!) The Jesus Story shared the gospel and asked the audience to pray along if they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior. Please pray that the seed planted tonight would bear fruit in the lives of our kids and the neighbors that visited.

At the end of the day, Scott shared that he had been a little perturbed that the day started out like it did. Samuel, our interpreter, told Scott that maybe God wanted to show us what it is like everyday for the Christians in Haiti. There are a lot of struggles, but we take joy in knowing that God is our strength. Samuel said happiness is for a time, but the Joy of the Lord is forever. May the God’s Joy fill your life, it certainly filled ours today and the day that started out weak finished strong thru God’s Grace.

We have a big Sunday ahead of us tomorrow with two church services and the foot washing time with the kids before saying the hard goodbye’s tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers.

Gregg and Jon Lehenbauer