The DTS has begun in Port-Au-Prince!

We are 9 days into the DTS here in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti and already the Lord has been moving in astounding ways!

50 students arrived Thursday through Sunday and we spent those days allowing some time for rest after traveling and getting to know one another. Monday began lecture phase as Sean and other staff members shared and taught on several topics in including what the goals and values of YWAM are, forgiveness, leaving your family, intercession, and sexual purity.  One Friday a team of staff joined to teach on purity, splitting into guys and girls for the morning.  For the girls the testimonies that were shared spoke directly into many of the girl’s lives and after hours of teaching and sharing the Lord showed up in an incredible way. There was a very transparent time of confession, encouragement, and healing followed, which lasted well through lunch.  It was such a moving time and my heart truly breaks for the injustices that some of these young woman have endured. Praise the Lord for restoration, healing, and His justice! After finally breaking for lunch we all joined together again in the classroom and went through a general sharing of what had been taught to the guys and girls. Afterwards the men brought up buckets and shared how they wished to wash our feet.  There was some doubt from the Haitian women who for years have been abused, oppressed and manipulated. It broke my heart, but as the men went on to explain their hearts you could see the shift begin happening in many of the girls’ faces.  All the guys sat and waited on the Lord to tell them which women’s feet to wash.  I sat watching as walls began to come down, as deep pain was released, forgiveness given and trust began being built. It was a beautiful moment and I couldn’t help but pause and praise God for such an incredible group of people.  One of the Haitian men on staff, Vougly, came up to me and as he began washing my feet the Lord began working in my heart, bringing up offenses and memories from the past, washing each one. Leading me back to my seat Vougly prayed over me one of the sweetest prayers I’ve ever felt and even though I couldn’t understand his Creole prayer – the Spirit was truly working. As he held me in a hug afterwards I felt my own heart soften as peace and gratitude overwhelmed me. What a way to end the first week!

Saturday we traveled by bus to a beach about 2 hours away and spent the day swimming, playing volleyball, and eating a delicious BBQ - cooked by the very well loved Voltar, a Brazilian YWAMer who volunteers with us.  And then Sunday was open for students to go to church with the local Haitian or do whatever really. I chose to do laundry and then went on an ADVENTURE into the city with a few others. Any time one goes into the city it’s an adventure and this time it included tap-taps, moto rides, sketch moving trucks with holes cut out of the sides for air and hitch-hiking to get to the top of the mountain, over looking the city.

This week our speaker is Dudley Weiner, and he has been sharing on living the in the spirit and spiritual warfare.  I have personally loved his presence here and having him walk us through many situations of manifestations that we’ve encountered already here during the last few days as well as getting to talk with him personally – learning about walking in my giftings and understanding more of my own story.

The worship times here in Haiti are unbelievable and His presence has not once been long to answer the hunger these students have.  Sprits are very active here. Demons showing themselves, peace overwhelming, a spirit of joy took inhabitance here on day 3 and has remained to some extent. Many of the staff are beginning to walk into the gift of discernment and o it has been interesting and quite a journey learning how to walk day to day here. For myself it has definitely been a time of learning, growing and experiencing Him in new ways.

We are only a few days into the DTS and I am so overwhelmed with what the Lord is doing, the next 5 months are going be life altering! I am trying to keep you all updated as best I can, it is so hard to do that here though. Electricity here is unreliable and usually comes on for a couple hours a day if we're lucky. We are still in need of water, the situation has been Super covered by His grace and it's not too bad, but it hasn't rained in 2 weeks and we will need it to soon now. Also, I am still needing $2,000 of support to come in for me to continue working here - most of that will go towards the 2 month outreach I am co-leading come September, the rest covers living expenses and a ticket home towards the end of November! 

Psalm 146:1-2, 5-10

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Love Always

Ah 'Ayti...

Our first weekend here we went out into different parts of Port-au-Prince and asked the Haitians what they were hopeful and honestly, I was blown away with the answers we received. These people are so ready to chase God, they just need deliverance from the spirits of rejection, fear, miscommunication and despair! I’m ready to see the change here, even if it is years from now and I’m somewhere else, my heart is so for this nation!

Last weekend we went out under the verses in Matthew 10 where Jesus sends the disciples out into the corners of the world saying, " Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town..” We as staff split into six teams of 3-6 and went into the corners of Haiti. The teams went with out food, extra clothes, contacts, money and some even without shoes, trusting that the Lord would provide.

Sunday morning came and at 4am my team of 6 began our journey to Jeremie! We felt God allow us to take money for the bus and so we bought our tickets and piled into the PACKED bus drawing plenty of attention as the only “blancs” or white people. The whole weekend wasn’t easy, nor was it incredibly pleasant, but over the 3 days out the Lord painted the vision of His restoration here in Haiti!

I love Haiti so much, my heart is so sad that there is such evil here. It doesn’t sit very heavy though, Praise God, although the spiritual atmosphere has physically worn at me already. God has taught me much in the last few years about unconditional loving people while not accepting or agreeing with what they do or participate in. This has proven so helpful in relating and having compassion for the people of this nation.

Things have been going very well here and I am so honored to be on this team – each staff member blows me away with their gifting’s and how God has worked in their lives! It is something we all are feeling, this awe that God brought us all together for this pioneering DTS!

Students begin arriving in 5 days and I am so thrilled to get this school going! We are pining down outreach locations and it looks like I’ll be co-leading to Jamaica, but I’ll know for sure in a couple days.

The Lord has been so faithful to provide comfort and protection for me here and I look forward to seeing His provision continue as I work on raising funds– still needing to raise about $2,500 by the beginning of June so I may co-lead a 2 month outreach for the students and then also have enough for a ticket to return home! ;) Please continue to pray for me as I walk through life here in Haiti – an adventure for sure!

This life we live, mindfully participating in His Kingdom, is so incredible! What a God we serve, who calls us “friend” I am in awe of the wonder and blessing!

Love Always