Jesus prayed to the father right before he was arrested: I do not ask for these only (the original disciples), but also for those who will believe in me through their word (all Christians for all time -- including us!), that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Here's a summary: "I want my church to be unified as one to reflect the unity of God and to represent me well in the world."
Today, for about six hours we sat at a beach with the leadership team of SDLG, fostering unity with many who don't even speak the same language as us. Bev was able to share some words with all of them, and she expressed that we were seeing and experiencing the beauty of the body of Christ as we worshipped and prayed with them. "I think this is a piece of what heaven will be like," she said. I tend to agree.
What an awesome time! After worshipping and praying, we had separate meetings: Bev & Heidi met with Giraud to talk teaching and supplies at the school; Drew, Sara & Sharon met with Dr. Edvard Archer (Moise's brother) to talk healthcare and doing assessments of the kids. Joe had a long meeting later in the ocean playing volleyball with our Hatian brothers and sisters! Several ate sugarcane and enjoyed coconut milk for the first time.
This evening, the women are gathered around Moise and Francoise talking life, one of us is preparing to preach three times tomorrow and the other men are walking around the property assessing plumbing and minor repair options.
(pictured: Joe eating coconut with Davidson, a leader at SDLG)
Other highlights from the trip so far:
-At 11 PM last night, Drew broke through his top bunk (must have had too many red beans & rice) right on top of Mark. The first breaking part sounded "like a rifle shot" (according to Matt) and quickly had the four fellas up out of their beds, including Mark, who sustained no injuries. Soon we were laughing at the lifelong memory we will all have.
-Joe has quickly become Moise Jr.'s best friend and Matt his punching bag. Everywhere we go qualifies as a soccer field or a boxing ring.
-A cappella singing of worship in Creole on the way to and from the beach today. Beautiful! Sharon joined in as much as she could and the others of us tried to hum and sway along with them.
-Experiencing the passion that Giraud has for excellence in the school. He shared his heart and desire with Bev & Heidi for over an hour.
Please continue to pray for us! We will spend most of the day at the church tomorrow and will spend time with the children (there are 14 boys who recently moved to the SDLG center!) for the first time.
With Love,
The Haiti team
(pictured: Giraud, Heidi, Bev, Samuel)
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