Is Anyone There?

After riding a bike for over two hours, his reward was an abandoned church overgrown with vegetation. But for Wiljean Compere that was enough.
When the pastor of the neglected Haitian Baptist church died, the congregation slipped away. Pastor Compere’s desired to fulfill God’s plan to establish another church in that area.
He preached the first Sunday under the mango tree. He worshiped alone with God. The next week he returned to preach. Again, he worshiped with God.
He persevered. Only after he helped convert the local witch doctor to Christianity, did others listen. The former witch doctor came and others joined. Slowly attendance grew.
That church formed the foundation of the present mission. Because of the initial faith of that man, a church, school, medical center, and dormitory now form a compound. Soon an orphanage will be added.
Not content to have one church, he planted two others. Each Sunday he begins preaching very early so that he can make all three. Residents of the area are served spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
In a country with 90% unemployment, staff jobs support families. Many volunteers also assist at the compound. In return, they receive a nutritious meal, community, and a sense of purpose within a Christian environment.
Though they have little, the pastor leads mission trips to the hills to minister to those even less fortunate. Clothes left by mission groups are taken to the hill people instead of being used at the compound.
In a deeply impoverished country where voodoo is common, the dedication and faith of one pastor has affected thousands. He did not give up when the task appeared overwhelming. He overcame obstacles and persisted. God provided and blessed his ministry.
That dedicated Haitian pastor inspires me with his obedience and faith.

Galatians 6: 9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time, we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get a chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. MSG

Father, show me your plan and give me the dedication and faith to obey. Amen

Is That Rain?

What a wonderful sound! I woke to the roar of rumbling thunder. A few minutes later, gentle drops of rain began falling, which turned into a serene, steady rain. To the scorched grass, wilted plants, and depleted lakes, it was a welcome relief. Forest fires have been raging across drought stricken central Florida. Houses burned, and people displaced as consequences of the wildfires. Rain will reduce chances of more fires and help put out existing ones.
I watched rain popping like popcorn on the lake. I realized how beautiful and soothing it was. Had I always looked at rain like that? Of course not. Sometimes it ruined my plans for outside activities. It dirtied my newly cleaned windows. It drowned sensitive plants and flooded my lawn. Why was I so excited about it this time?
Today’s rain gave life to parched plants and replenished the low water level. Appreciation and abundance are often not companions. Only when something becomes scarce or nonexistent, does it become important.
Jesus said, “I am the Living Water.” That fact becomes real when we are scorched, parched, and desperate for relief. What a joy to give up trying to change situations on our own and let the Living Water revive us, wash us, and give us the strength to grow, mature, and branch out. Sometimes we only need a gentle rain, and other times we need a thunderstorm to get our attention. In either case, the Holy Spirit knows exactly what we require and provides it.

Journey to Haiti

A Missionary Flight International cargo plane lifted off from Ft. Pierce, Florida, bound for Haiti. The WW II plane held sixteen short term missionaries and a missionary from Open Door Haiti, who lives in Florida.
Scales weighed each team’s combined luggage before weighing every passenger. Quite different from a commercial airline.
Alan’s team consisted of himself, the missionary, Brian, and his nephew, Hunter, from Arizona.
Intense heat slammed the passengers when they stepped off the plane in Cap Haitien. There was no air conditioned walkway or helpful baggage handlers. Passengers helped unload the plane.
After a short drive, the trio arrived at the Open Door Haiti compound in a nearby town. Surrounded by a high concrete wall, stood a church, school, medical center, kitchen, and dormitory. Most of their time was spent in the confines of the protected area.
During weekdays, a generator produced electricity and ran fans which provided a little relief from the heat. However, the expense was too great to run it at night and on weekends. Small battery powered fans, helped some at night, but with little breeze, stifling heat remained a constant.
Thankfully, Alan used the pastor’s computer to send emails so we could keep in contact. Each one mentioned his activities and the oppressive heat-often more than once.
His eyeglass ministry began very slowly. With few clients in the beginning, he was able to spend time building relationships with team members. The schedules of two other teams overlapped with his team so there were people to meet from around the US and Canada. His previous mission experiences enabled him to share, encourage, and mentor.
Though his original project didn’t go as expected, God had a better plan. Bonds formed. Friendships began. Lives were touched.
He could have been discouraged because he didn’t give out his normal supply of glasses. However, he took it in stride and realized that God was working.

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”


Dear Father, help me to not be discouraged when my plans don’t work out. You are the one in charge. Amen

The Monster in my Kitchen

A gulp of air stifled my scream. A gigantic, ugly creature blended into the marbled countertop. Its waving antennae, hordes of brown wings, and long, creepy legs revolted me. His beady eyes glared at me. I stared back as I planned his destruction.
What could I use for a weapon? I immediately scanned the sink area while keeping an eye on the intruder. The closest thing was a white dishcloth. While not the best item, it was within reach. Moving away to get the swatter from the pantry would give him time to escape.
I reached furtively for the cloth and held it over my head. With lightning speed, my hand crashed into the unsuspecting monster. I swept him into the sink. Dead.
A leg wiggled. He struggled to stand.
“Ugh! Ahhhh! Eeeeek!” I wailed as he fought. A knife slashed and stabbed to get him into the drain. Finally, he was past the rubber gasket and into the pipe. I quickly turned on the water and pushed the disposal button. His menacing body joined the flow to the sewer.
Relief. Peace. Then alarm filled my mind. Was he alone? Did he leave his family behind? How long had he lurked in the shadows?
A quick look produced no more unsightly critters. However, roaches usually stay hidden in the daytime and only come out at night. Others could be safely tucked away. Only the light had revealed the monster in my kitchen.
Often people have secret attitudes, thoughts, and actions hidden in the shadows too. Unkind remarks, gossip, prejudice, lies, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, drinking, drugs, gambling, pornography, adultery ... They all produce pain and destruction. Only with the Light are the monsters revealed and destroyed.

John 3: 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come to the light for fear his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. NIV

Dear Lord, expose the monsters and reveal the Truth. Amen

Therapy for Seniors

Sometimes as we get older, it seems like nothing works quite right or looks as good as it used to. Wrinkles appear, parts sag, necks double, hair thins, age spots materialize, and veins darken. The mind is young, but the body isn’t. Alan and I recently had a couple of incidents that perked us up and made us laugh.
While on our last cruise, we lamented the way our clothes had tightened. We knew that we had eaten much more than normal, but the food was always so tempting. On the elevator one day the occupants were discussing the problem we were all having with gaining weight. A lady that we had never seen before looked at both of us and said only to me, “You have not gained any weight.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a smile.
After she stepped out of the elevator, Alan and I burst into laughter. She had no idea if I had gained weight, but she made my day.
After we returned from our cruise, we decided it was time to get our yearly flu shot so we stopped at a local Walgreens. The young clerk took our information and directed us to the window. Alan sat on a stool, pulled up his shirt slightly, and waited for her to give the injection. When she saw his arm, a look of astonishment covered her face. “Ohhh!”
“I bet you did not expect that, did you?” I asked thinking she had seen his bird tattoo.
“No,” she answered with a smile.
When he raised his sleeve more, there was another look of total surprise followed by a wide grin. “I won’t have trouble finding your deltoid,” she announced.
We figured she was totally shocked to see such muscles and a tattoo on a seventy year old man.
Alan had not been feeling well for a few days and then had to endure several medical tests before we stopped at Walgreens. However, it was amazing how he perked up because of the smile and comments of the young girl.
We will take the compliments however we can get them.

A New Tattoo

“If you buy a Kia, you get a free tattoo,” Alan announced.
“What? That's strange,” I said.
“That's what they said,” he replied.
The peculiar promotion rivaled a recent one we saw at a Sanford truck dealership. They were giving away an AK-47 with each purchase. The world has become strange but a free tattoo?
“Can you replay that?” I asked.
With the wonders of modern technology, he was able to start at the beginning of the commercial. We both listened.
A booming voice announced the wonderful deal. “If you come in now, you receive a new I Pad.”
I collapsed into a chair. A duet of laughs filled the room. Each time our eyes met, we began snickering again.
A sheepish Alan said, “I guess I didn’t hear it right.”
“That wasn’t even close. Tattoo--I Pad.”
Life with Alan is full of surprises.