This is a short little post for no small thing. It’s absurd that I haven’t shared this with you earlier.
Remember Matt’s beautiful feet dream and vision?
I (Stacey) told you right after that that instead of waiting until they were DONE training, we were sending them out. Like right now.
Our men and women are ready to go, and Haiti is very very ready for the Good News, very ready to learn putting off the old and put on the new.
So we pulled any volunteers off work-study, and instead of raking or washing dishes or gardening in exchange for free room and board, they could go share the Gospel for free room and board.
Not some days, but everyday. Not some places, but every place.
And every day, they have gone. The group varies a bit from day to day, but not much. And already, they have been many many places.
Some places they have been initially welcomed, and later rejected. Moving on.
Some places they have been rejected and mocked from the start, and found no person of peace. Moving on.
One place they found a very shadowy church who felt threatened by people’s desire to hear about the true Gospel…and were driven out.
Some places they have begun small groups in yards, and left 2 students behind to minister to and disciple that small group every day, the rest moving on.
Local students continued over the summer, and starting on the first day of the semester, they were rejoined, on foot, going. beautiful feet.
A few Wednesdays ago, we were on our way to Bible study in the pouring rain when we saw 11 completely drenched men and women walking along the side of the road a few miles from campus.
Despite the dark skies, they had gone out two hours earlier, as they always do, and now were walking back in the pouring rain. As we whipped around and picked them up and took them back to campus, they stood in the van, not wanting to get the seats wet.
Despite having class from 8-11:30, chapel from 11:30-12:30 and then lunch, today at 1:00, the girls and I walked up to the chapel to see that a group was still going out instead of heading to their rooms for a much deserved rest.
Leme, Matt’s right hand man here at Emmaus and graduate of 2014, is always in the middle, and it was a joy today to listen to him talk to the group about where they would be going today, a zone they only discovered yesterday about 3 miles from the campus called Lefou.
“I’m not saying do not share the Gospel,” he said carefully. “But I am saying we are new here, and only checked it out yesterday, and there are many voodoo temples in this area, no churches. Let us make today about befriending, about meeting and seeing and talking, about finding a house of peace, about feeling out the people.”
“If the Holy Spirit leads you to share the Gospel or to pray with someone, DO IT. But unless you feel clearly led, today let relationship building be your purpose.”
“Yes, Yes,” the men nodded, and they stooped to pray before heading out.
The guest, they asked me to pray, and I thanked the Lord that He already knows Lefou and has gone there before them…thanked the Lord for His burning desire for the people of Lefou to be HIS OWN. For the gift of sharing that love with others. For their protection as they went.
They let me snap a quick picture and were off, several people less due to the afternoon course being offered this two weeks, but not letting that hold them back. As they went, I saw one more student still in his work clothes go running after them. He had said he’d go today…and he went.
I’m inspired by their NO excuses. I’m blessed by their humble, “normal” attitudes about the whole thing, like going to strange areas with voodoo temples to give Jesus was as normal and simple and daily as washing dishes. I’m touched by their willingness to wear holes in their one pair of shoes, to walk miles their already strenuous lives don’t require, to think, to plan, to pray, to prepare.
To GO.
Today, they are going.
Won’t you go with us?
