GOD IS MOVING

The following is a post from my good friend Melonnie who has been called to the prison ministry at NWHCM and just a few months ago called to start a Brothel ministry. I know I have posted about the amazing work that God has been doing threw her but this blog post just brought chills to me as it testifies to the BIG GOD who is moving in BIG WAYS in Haiti right now. It was not until the earthquake that Melonnie was weven able to get into the Big prison in Pout a Pey and that was 1 day a week and the guards only allowed her. To now hundreds have accepted Christ, the guards have become Christian, the inmates have been baptised, clean water and food are provided, basketball hoop, sewing program, education....Only God could orchestrate all this. Please pray for the prison ministry and the Brothel and for Melonnie as she pours out her life as a sacrafice everyday!

was so excited to get to go to Port de Paix today. I’ve been in the states for the last three weeks with my family and was really looking forward to seeing everyone. Through emails and phone calls I was able to keep up (mostly!) with what was happening at the prison and brothel while I was gone.

Ivenor went to the prison every week and Jessica was able to go a couple of times too. Dennis and Lori still went and did clinic so it was business as usual. I missed them all like crazy and couldn’t wait to get back. The sewing classes started while I was gone… Ivenor delivered the new treadle machines and the ladies had all kinds of little skirts and things to show me. It was so sweet! They were so proud of what they had learned so far and I was SO happy for them. They were thrilled when we brought all of the fabric and other sewing supplies from TCC. They will hopefully have enough to keep busy for a while!

A great big surprise was that the hallway in between all of the cells had been scrubbed clean and painted. It looked and smelled SO much better! They were also using the big blue barrels we brought them to hold water for each cell. The men can reach into the barrel and fill their own personal containers. They used the buckets of white paint we had bought them right before we left… it was neater and cleaner than I had ever seen it! It was a wonderful surprise and I made sure to thank the guards and tell them how amazing it looked.

Three of the prisoners accepted Christ today. It was very cool. For our devotion today, I shared a letter from a father who’s son had been murdered. He was writing to one of the men on death row that had been convicted of murdering his son offering forgiveness and the opportunity to adopt the man as his child. You have probably guessed that the Father was God and the Son was Jesus. It was pretty powerful. It was the perfect opportunity for these three men to confess their sins and accept God’s offer of forgiveness. Love it!

Ivenor and I met with one of the guards afterwards and I have some pretty amazing updates. The UN has agreed to help with the water tanks we had been talking about so that the prisoners can have plenty of clean water. This is a HUGE deal. They have asked that we try to help build a small enclosure to protect the new tanks that are coming. I’m not sure how much this will cost yet but will try to get numbers together for anyone who is interested in contributing. I’m hoping that hubby can oversee this project while he’s here (hint, hint).

Even better than that…. we are going to be starting classes for the boys that are in the prison. Right now there are eleven underage boys all in a cell together. The guards have agreed to let them continue their studies and take the government tests. Not only that… but the teachers will also offer classes to any of the other prisoners that do not know how to read or write. Unbelievable! They have already been trying to teach each other but this is an awesome opportunity for them to really learn and better themselves. I need to build benches for the classes, buy a chalkboard and enough notebooks and pencils for all of the prisoners. Notebooks will be an ongoing need so feel free to start collecting! ;)

Moving onto the brothel… this is the big news. ALL of the girls that were there when I left are gone. They all packed up and left in the middle of the night a few days after I left. I am so excited for new beginnings for them! I pray that the work we had been doing and God’s Word we had been studying sunk in and they have truly left this business for good. I have to admit (selfishly!) that I am pretty sad about not getting to see them again. Those girls truly became my friends and I love them more than I can tell you. Please pray for them as they try to start fresh somewhere new.

Ivenor had called me and Jessica had emailed me so this wasn’t a surprise… but it’s still an odd development. The girls that Papa Yo replaced them with are all from the Dominican… meaning they all speak Spanish! Lol…. great! I can barely speak CREOLE and now we are throwing something new into the mix?!? Today was hysterical! We were trying to just get to know each other… I would speak in English, Ivenor would translate into Creole and one of the girls (who sort of knows Creole!) would translate into Spanish for the others. It was really pretty funny but it worked.

They all seem really nice and are VERY excited about this Bible study. None of them have ever done one before or have been part of a “small group” so they are really looking forward to it. They all have a basic understanding of the Bible so I just need to get copies in Spanish for them and I think we will jump right into Romans. Hubby is hoping to come down in a couple of weeks so I am hoping he can find some for me and bring them.

God certainly has a way of keeping me on my toes and always reaching for more than I have to give. I love it and am so grateful for that push. Coming back into Haiti was especially difficult this time. It gets harder and harder each time I say goodbye to my family. I thank God for giving me this new challenge and reminding me why He has me here to begin with.