Thursday, August 23, 2018

Day 3 - - - God is among us.

 Today, we experienced God in new ways, yet again. He revealed Himself very real to us. We started off the day having breakfast as a family- because even though we did not know everyone in the beginning that is what we are now.

God is among us.

 God is amazing in so many ways. Sometimes, we overuse that word for things that are not actually amazing. However God really is AMAZING. He orchestrates our lives together so uniquely and perfectly that it truly amazes us. He precisely placed a team that fits so great together on the same trip. He knew who would be here together in Haiti before we even knew ourselves. We are full of thanksgiving for all that He is showing us. He is letting us be His eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart on a whole new level that some may never ever experience. His is giving us motivation and allowing us to motivate each other.

God is among us.

 We went to teen challenge and had the opportunity to speak with young men and women that are battling with addiction. People battle the same kinds of things all over the world. We are not so different after all. They are there because they decided they did not want to live that way anymore. They are learning about the love and freedom and forgiveness of Jesus. Some students at teen challenge shared their stories with us. Some of the things they shared were very hard for them to speak about but the Lord gave them courage. They were once consumed by addiction but now are comsumned with the love of God. The Lord manifested in such a real way. It was like He physically reached out and touched us. During our meeting, a flower flew into the window directly in front of and was handed to a young woman who needed to be reminded that God loves her and cares deeply about her story. It was like He sent that flower to just the right spot to speak that she is beautiful and precious in His sight. Some of our team members shared their testimonies as well. The redemption stories that were poured out were splashes of encouragement to the others who heard them.

God is among us.

The last part of our day was especially special. We visited an orphanage that is only for special needs children.Each one of the children there hold a special place in God’s heart. Seeing the joy on their faces despite their differences gave joy to us. The joy of the Lord was present there. We sang worship songs with them,  prayed together, fed them snacks, colored, played soccer and with play dough. We held and danced with the children, pushed around the ones in wheelchairs, and gave out hugs and smiles. We were both a blessing to them and them to us.

God is among us.

Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:31-46 saying when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite a stranger in, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and in prison we are doing it unto Him. So we are to treat every person as if it was Christ Himself.

GOD IS AMONG US.

It was a refreshing day to be able to see all that God is doing in the lives of the men, women, and children in Haiti that we were blessed to meet today. Be encouraged that whatever you are going through - - - God is among you.

~ <3 ~ Michaela