October 12, 2011

While in Haiti, Ken and I hope to visit as many churches as we can.  On Sunday, October 2, we drove with Loveline, Harrison, who worked for Project Water, and Harrison's father, Anson, who is the pastor of the Groden church in the mountains above Verrettes.  Anson grew up in Borel and has written a book about the mission there and its effect on the community.  Anson was a childhood friend of Philip Wallace, who is a member of our home church, and he shared some stories about rock throwing, near spankings and friendship prevailing.  We look forward to seeing the book.  After over an hour of driving, the road became quite rough so we parked the truck and hiked about 45 minutes to the church. 

 It was a small congregation with only six pews which were really school desks.  It turns out someone had stolen some of their pews.  Still they sang with much joy and enthusiasm.  The worship leader recited scripture and then asked the congregation to stand individually and the recite the scripture back.  He warned them not to go to the voodoo priest if they were sick, but to trust God instead.  The pastor brought a short message.  Then we received communion.  Rather than bread we had a small square cookie that you often seen in Haiti.  Rather than grape juice, we had wine.  We were thankful for the disinfecting qualities.  How special it was to receive communion on the same day as our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.  Within the service, Ken and I sang "Amazing Grace".  I shared the story of the young lady who needed blood to live (in the October 5 post) and how God provided the blood of the right people at the right time to save her life when she couldn't help herself.  As we receive communion we are reminded that our Heavenly Father provided the blood of his only Son, Jesus Christ, to give us not just life here, but eternal life, when we could do nothing to save ourselves.  Romans 3: 23-25.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. Thank you Jesus for that grace that is amazing.