Wednesday

My Trip to Haiti Recap...

First of all... words are very limiting. 85% of all communication is non verbal and I think it was God's dirty trick on the technology, but here's a 15% valued effort at some of my experience in Haiti.

DRM and WME were the primary sponsors of the effort and the purpose of the trip was two fold: Medical Relief and Evangelism. Both were accomplished dynamically and beyond that, the personal impact will mark me for life. I've had haitian friends most of my life, so it kinda felt like I had been there before through their stories. My parents had also visited twice on missions trips bringing back haitian art, memento machetes for my brother and I, and of course pictures/video. So I've had lots of exposure to the language, thoughts on culture etc. prior to going. With all this in mind, I was still blown away at what i saw, heard, felt and encountered.

Haiti's current state: Complete anarchy. Whatever governing state is in place is not seen or heard. It's non existent. It's reflected in simple things like their roads and driving conditions. There are no road lines. No stop signs. No traffic signals. It's literally survival at it's greatest. This is a great picture into everyone's mentality. You do whatever it takes to survive and there are no guidelines given to help you along. Majorities rule. Mobs push. Perception of the mob dictates. This boils their lives into either sitting and watching or jumping into the mosh pit of life and hope you don't get trampled under feet while doing so. It's life or death. There's limited thinking at work with the common man as instincts are the greatest tool of motivation. It drives the whole population to be self conscious and as a result it lends them to tearing down the success of others as to keep things socially "fair". It's very sad. Haiti does not need to be given more food and water. They don't need more of our money. They don't need more organizations on the ground (10,000 Registered ORGS are there now and yet Haiti hasn't changed). They need leadership. They're a generation of leadership away from pulling out of what has been years of misery, but that leadership needs to be the haitians themselves. The challenge is finding the strength to not have your spirit broken by the age of 25. I could type years of thoughts here on these specific topics. The need for education, ethics, engineering, family, honor, business are endless. God help Haiti. Send them ONE man who will lead.

Medical Relief:
We had a tremendous medical team with us. Armed with as many medical supplies that we could get on the plane, we had three clinical efforts prepared. These three efforts where each day long free clinics, setup in different places while in Carrefour. The medical team was led by Dr. Karl Bandlien. A talented Physician with a tremendous heart for people. Crowds of people waited each day and the numbers never went away. It seemed like no matter if you had seen 100 people that you hadn't put a dent into it. The hard part was turning those away at the end that we just weren't able to get to. It really breaks your heart. Infection seemed to the number one need. Over 80% of people were dealing with infection.

While the medical team was in place (sidenote: It was amazing meeting the medical team in the midst of our traveling, which was outside of their function and then watching them come to life the moment we hit the grounds of the clinic. It was like they were the medical Autobots transforming. :)) during the day, we had numerous missionary teams setup to work as well. We would rotate between praying over each person in the clinic for healing and also sharing the gospel message with them along with going out into the streets. Out in the streets we were driving people to the clinic who were in need and then as opportunities presented themselves, we would minister the gospel. One person at a time we were able to share the love of God. Numerous times I felt like Peter who when he encountered the cripple man told him that he didn't have any silver or gold to give him (the cripple was begging) but what he did have (the power of Christ!) he would freely give. We also would stop at each school or orphanage and ask if we could come in and connect with the kids. Skits and stories were prepared to offer and the kids responded with so much laughter. I pray that I'll always be able laugh no matter where my life is. Truly inspiring to watch. Many were touched in the streets and encountered the love of God for the first time as we took the message of the kingdom to those that were hurting and broken right to their doorstep.

Larger Format Evangelism:
Crusades were prepared for five nights and the city of Carrefour was literally rocked with the power of God. We setup in a huge field alongside the ocean. Stage. Halogens. BIG speakers for all of Carrefour to hear. The gospel was given each night followed by personal prayer for healings and some of the greatest celebration was seen. They love to sing and dance. They did that with all their heart every night. It's so funny how in America, we have boiled our musical experience in church down to observation. Not what God intended. These people sing and you'd think a host of angels had surrounded you and overwhelmed you with their voices. Nope. It's just the poorest people in the world still declaring the God is faithful, merciful and loving. They do it with great joy. Mindblowing.

Each night of crusades produced stories of God's miraculous power. I personally observed God heal the blind, visibly diseased, the lame, the deaf, and the oppressed. The details of the stories could run forever, but the short of it is this: we laid hands on these people in faith and God instantly was doing things. I remember one mother pushing her way thru the crowd that would have brought shame to Charles Barkley boxing out for a rebound. She was carrying her two year old daughter. This child could not see... until God touched her. I pulled the woman and daughter out of the crowd and numerous staff did series of test with the child. She could see! Praise God! There are so many encounters to share. Some are still soaking and needing perspective gained on, but nonetheless it extremely evident that if you are willing to put yourself in a place to be used of God, simply be willing with faith, there is nothing God can't do. Nothing. With the masses numbering close to 20,000 on the final night, it's undoubtedly known that those people all witnessed the goodness of God to do things no other god could do. Not voodoo, not medicine, not housing relief. Only the one true God. Other opportunities to minister included a women's and pastor's conference along with our team breaking up and speaking at numerous churches during their regular services.

Our efforts may have paled in comparison to the overall need. The first thought I had while driving from the airport and seeing the devastation was: "why are we here? and what can do that will actually have an impact that will last?". Our entire bus full of missionaries were emotionally and spiritually overwhelmed by the heaviness of their oppressive state. I felt like a speck of dust in the sand. How could we truly have an impact on a nation so full of need? We were there to deliver something so simple. Good News. I've had numerous experiences in my life that were acts of God in their timing and the people or circumstances related were never apart of my life again, yet they shifted my path and thinking. The power of what God can do in a minute far exceeds what we could plan to do during our lifetime. I pray the thousands of people who we encountered experienced just that. I know they were that for me. I'll never be the same.







Saturday

I Got Good News For You!

I have to get this out! If you need encouragement about a life situation, read this and be inspired. :)

#1 Schedules can get changed!
Melissa and I were praying on Wednesday that her schedule could get changed. She's in rotation on her days with a co-worker and with our life adjusting, the current schedule was less preferred. The next day, her boss asked if she would be interested in swapping different days in rotation!

#2 He can provide!
Without asking people, but asking God... My expenses to Haiti are practically covered thru random spirit led givings. And: Melissa had an old laptop that was on it's last leg. 2002 iBook! it finally went bye bye to computer heaven. ( we know this cause even God uses a Mac. PC's are obviously from hell :) We didn't have a general computer for the house and as I begin to travel more, there was need for Melissa to have computer access if I'm not around, especially for us to keep in touch internationally. All I can say is that God placed a brand new $1300 iMac in my lap for $400.00 out of pocket. Best Buy damaged and open item table. (fixed the "broken" feature simply by rebooting operating system) AWESOME!

#3 He can Heal!
I personally prayed over a woman this last week who was suffering with complications from HPV. There was a struggle with her getting pregnant and testing was happening with thought that the disease was worsening and expanding into a more aggressive nature. I just found out that she went back this week after we prayed and not only is it not getting more aggressive, all HPV is GONE!!! Nothing. Not a trace!!!!!! God is GOOD!!!!!!!

Tuesday

:::Risky Excerpts:::

Well, i just feel like i need to share this! I Love My Life.

I didn't plan on writing again until a later time, but this just needs to be penned (or typed for that matter :). If you've read the blog posted previously, you now have a small picture into the season Melissa and I have embarked on. If not, go read: Personal Update-New Beginnings. It's short.

Ok, ready? great. One of my strong desires as a Christ follower is that everyone I encounter in my realm of influence would be begin to walk away from me different than how I found them. In a good way! I believe that when others who've not known the father experience those that do, they should walk away with an immediate POSITIVE introduction to who He is. In deed, thought and action. (we really do have great news for people!) Everyday I'm praying and asking God to use me to touch someone's life in a unique yet powerful way.


Wednesday, Melissa and I were talking about children and whether or not we would want to have more of them. Melissa told me of a name that she loves and thinks it would be great to have a daughter and name her this. The conversation was short, but the name stuck in my head as it was rather unique. Moving on in the day, I ran into someone I've not seen in quite awhile. I've known them from frequenting concerts/events at The District over the years. The person "perked up" rather conspicuously upon making eye contact with me. I noticed it but brushed it off. After finishing my conversation, they pursued me and said they had a dream last night. The short of it was, he felt led to put $100.00 in his pocket and that God would tell him who to "plant the seed" with. Without being familiar with Melissa and I's current situation, he continued to tell me that the moment he saw me, he knew I would be the person! He then handed me $100.00. How cool is God? Perfect timing considering this new walk of faith!

So now I'm all geeked up and feelin' good that God is reminding me that He will make a way throughout this new faith journey. I decided to go to Caribou for some reading/writing/strategizing and some mediocre coffee (sorry bou) when a great opportunity was presented. I ordered the mediocre coffee and found my spot in the front corner, nestled away from the rest of the tables. I sat in one of the arm chairs that was one of a pair, adjacent to each other. It was great. No one else was in the area. Five minutes go by and wouldn't you know that a middle aged woman marches right up to claim her territory and it just so happened to have to be the chair RIGHT NEXT TO ME. We all know how frustrating in our everyday perspectives this can be. We all like personal space. So, I'm a little perturbed and then quickly was reminded of what I've been asking for. What would seem like an inconvenience could be an opportunity to speak life into someone.


She sits down after ordering coffee and gets all settled in. She wasn't going anywhere fast. I had plans on the same, so here we go. I acknowledged her, not with the scowl I impulsively felt to do, but with a smile. I introduced myself. Awkard glances and personal discomfort while talking with strangers is a response that I'm beginning to get quite familiar with lately. Nothing was different here either. Here's where it gets good though, her name was the same name Melissa had just spoke to me earlier in the day for our future potential daughter. Whoa! God has such a sense of humor. I've only personally known one person with this name. Obviously, my senses perked. I'm sure I put my "seed planter" from earlier to shame with perkiness. Ha! We begin to dialogue about life and before you know it we're knee deep in a thought provoking conversation with Christ as the center. There were so many broken places in her life. I was able to share the goodness of the life HE has made possible for us to live. She was immediately responding, soaking it in like a sponge. God was so faithful.

People are desperately seeking for answers and we've got the antidote. I share these stories, not because of my "goodness", but because of the need for us to understand that no matter who we are, we can live inspired/Spirit led lifestyles. It IS possible. We just have to want pursue it! The world is desperate for love and hope for their future. What do you share and/or demonstrate thru your life? Do you have good news for people or do you fall right in line with the message of gloom and doom? God is consumed with life! We should be too and it should show!


Thursday

\\ Sales Call Revenge //

The phone rings… do I take this call?, we ask ourselves… The phone rings a different time and we immediately answer. From the people we want to hear from, a phone call can be a top ten highlight. How many stories have we all heard that climax to the statement "then the phone rang!". I think our expectation for the phone calls themselves, give so much more excitement to the call. I also think it easily works the other direction. As great as we all know the "then the phone rang" phone calls are, we equally put negative weight on the calls we DON'T want to get. Have you ever changed someone’s name in your contacts as "scary person" or rather "don't answer"? Like you needed to be reminded? Interesting how our mindset plays into how the phone call can go. Well I had one of those phone calls yesterday and it went a little differently than the norm.

We (Melissa and I) live in the dark ages of having a home telephone. It's VOIP and it’s only there for emergencies. We don’t necessarily give the number out as a good way of communication, but none the less- it’s there. The overwhelming pattern is that the only calls coming IN are the ones you don’t want or even greater, you didn’t ask for. Sales calls. While this may not be the “don’t answer” person that you STILL have saved in your contacts, we all do actually get to know our sales call companies. How you ask? Well from my experience, the same companies call over and over... And over and over and over. Honestly speaking, we all know why we hate sales calls. “No, we don’t want your products… for the 10th time!” Salesmen are relentless.

So we have this company that keeps calling us here at the house on our phone that nobody typically uses to get ahold of us on and they’ve reached the top of Mount Annoymore. The first time I was polite. Typical response was given. I asked to be taken off their call list. Yada yada yada. After two more calls proceeded within the next few days, the conversation changed. “Ma’am, why do you keep calling us? We’ve already said no three times. Please take us off your list!”. Wouldn’t you know a few days later, unspoken company calls again. At this point I decided to laugh. Mustering up my best “aunt mildred, uncle billy bob” voice I had in me (if you know me, I got this down to… well… like I was a bonifide hillbilly) and gave a good ‘ole fashion conversation about life in “the holler” and how Marybeth just wasn’t feelin that good these days since “she done ‘adder denture tooth nubs redrilled.” It was a riot. I’m laughing hysterically at this point and they didn’t stick around for the second round. Let’s call it a draw.

I’ve just let a few of their calls go lately. I guess I didn’t have the moxy to deliver my weak at best Shawn Connery or dig real deep for my hood slang that I learned while doing inner city work in KJ’s neck of the woods. (Newport represent!) But for some reason, yesterday was different. With all that’s in me, I was stopped dead in my tracks while trying to walk away and ignore yet another call… I heard that whisper in my ear… “answer it and see what I want you to do.” Time out. TIME OUT. Seriously? God you talkin’ to me about the annoying sales company? I’ve learned that at these moments you have a quick moment to decide or you miss your opportunity. I’ve decided to ignore this in past situations and the thought of what I missed always proved to be more annoying than dealing with the situation at hand… (we can’t out give God!). So, I answered it.

“Mr. Neal?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, this is Rob from _________, and the reason I’m calling is…”

You know the schpeal from there. Right in the midst of the schpeal, I heard God say to me, “he’s going thru a very difficult situation in His family and you need to pray for him.” Now, I’ve been asking the Lord to give me more opportunity to help people experience the genuine God that I know He is. I believe that any time a person who hasn’t experienced the love of Christ, has that dynamic life changing opportunity every time that they encounter a believer, but as we all know, thinking about opportunity and walking in opportunity are two totally different realms! So I rudely interrupted his schpeal and just threw it out there. “I’m a Christian and the Lord wants me to pray for you. Is there anything that I can pray for in your life?” …. …. …. Awkward pause. …. … … I heard a totally different voice now. Still Rob, but real Rob. With a slight quiver in his voice, he responded with an abbreviated story of the struggle him and his wife are having in getting full custody over their adopted (potentially) daughter. His burden was tremendous and here I am the one God was sending to help meet a need. I asked him if he was a believer, and he responded that he only believed that God was real but didn’t have an active faith as his lifestyle. So, the quick of it is… we prayed. I prayed. He listened in agreement and it was beautiful. The presence of the Lord filled my bedroom and was flowing thru me like a river. Rob was encountering God like he never had before.

How often as Christ Followers, do we miss our opportunity to have a simple, yet profound impact on what we deem as common. I believe supernatural living is seeing what is familiar as unfamiliar. Seeing what is known in it’s ending, to be unknown. Seeing what may be true to the eye, not as what God sees. It’s our time to be sensitive to the “Robs” that are all around us. Rob was so deeply touched. We shared briefly after our time of prayer and I just encouraged him to be open in the next few days and that the Lord was send another person to him to lead him in next steps. Community, teaching, serving, and commitment. I know that God was faithful to follow up. As I experience these, I’m forever changed. The face of God that is seen in the midst of this, brings you to places of humility and revelation of His love like you’ve never seen. I encourage you to take a risk. Trust your instincts… hear that still small voice and respond. You won’t be disappointed. It’s time. Who in your familiar world does God want you to treat like you’re encountering them for the first time? Offer yourself. Say yes to Him and see what great things will be added to you.