The food crisis that has been felt the world over is causing steeply rising prices not only in food, but also in fuel and other essentials, has been especially difficult in Haiti where so many were already unable to feed their families or find employment. Read about it here.
Prices have risen at an unimaginable level- most necessities have risen as much as 30% and some items even more. Gasoline is almost $7US per gallon and diesel which had risen to $30Haitian when we arrived 2 weeks ago is now 50 Haitian dollars per gallon. People are afraid and desperate. Their hope that this government would be the one that would finally bring the country out of the misery that is the only life most have ever known has been crushed. Normalcy has grinded to a halt in much of the nation as protests have escalated into riots causing business to close, traffic to halt and people to hunker down in their homes. Haiti has been ruled by fear this week.
Even in our village we were forced to dismiss children and close our school on Thursday as a riot broke out in a nearby village and word spread that it would pass down our road into the Habitat Project to overrun the home of a local government official. God's faithfulness prevailed and even though we could hear the disturbance far in the distance it never came our way and we remained safe in the palm of His Almighty Hand.
Our Pastor has done a wonderful job of encouraging the people here to continue to put their trust in Jesus and to point their neighbors who are without hope to the One who is our Hope. We are in the midst of a 43 day prayer revival and have services every evening with more and more coming out to hear God's promises proclaimed and to join hearts in crying out for peace, power and provision, but mostly in praise! Just as in the early church, God is adding daily to the number those who are being saved.
We have had a wonderful group of faithful servants here this week from Mandarin & Ocean Park. They have experienced a side of Haiti not all get to see. They have seen the ugly and the beautiful. They have seen many things accomplished and at the same time had to put aside many of their plans and just go with God. They have been amazing, encouraging, hard-working, never complaining, and supportive. We love them all and were sad to see them leave this morning, but are happy to report that they are now safely in the air headed for Miami.
Please keep Haiti, her people and her government leaders in your prayers. Pray for safety & security, food & health, employment & imparted wisdom. Pray that the culmination of the Prayer revival, which is to take place tomorrow beginning with a parade of praise through the village at 5am, will be a blessed event. Pray that it will be a beginning, not an end. Please pray that these who are willing to plan a celebration in the midst of suffering would be rewarded for their perseverance.
Romans 8:15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Romans 5:3-5 (New International Version)
3Not only so, but we[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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