Day 6: Reflections and Ministry

Dear Parents, Family and Friends
We have had a great closing day today. We went street witnessing at a neighborhood park and many of us had great conversations with the locals. Sharing our faith can be a challenge, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead, faith grows. We also get to spend our afternoon loving on the orphans at Angels Orphanage. Did a short VBS presentation and crafts with them, and balloons brought tons of smiles to the little ones. God’s love is so encompassing.

Please note that tomorrow we will be driving to the Port au Prince airport at 5am. Pray for safe travel.

Don’t forget to pick up the students from CCFL circle parking lot around 1.15pm. We will keep you posted if the flight is late.

Reflections from our students:
Last summer I ventured to Haiti for my very first mission trip. I fell in love with everything about Haiti, the culture, the people and their love for God through thick and thin. This summer I returned to Haiti and was pushed beyond limits. After sleeping in a village, peeing in a hole, and showering with buckets, I realized how great we have it in America. Even after wondering why God allowed us to make so much effort for movie night to only have one man saved, I felt God tell me that He did it for that one person. This week i have experienced God and his wonderful grace to a new level, something I am so blessed to take home with me. ~Kayla Hobbs

This trip has seriously been such a blessing and I’m so glad I was basically forced to go by one of my amazing leaders Josiah, Lol. Haiti has opened my eyes,brought me out of my comfort zone& has shown me Gods heart. It has truly been an amazing experience with an amazing group of people. This trip has really opened my eyes to love and GOds love for his people. One of my favorite parts of the trip was just our random adventures of evangelism. It’s great when you can just have conversations with people and spread Gods light. I’m blessed to be here~Cairo Sims

This trip has been intense and encouraging. I came 2 years ago, just 5 months after the earthquake and I can see a lot of changes today. Camping for a few days really impacted me. I was surprised to see how honest and open we can be around each other; even though we weren’t in the best conditions, I truly loved every moment of it! There was a little boy there who stole my heart and I hope I can see him someday, I can’t wait to come back. ~Gaby Herera

Two years ago I took a step of faith and traveled to Haiti. I was shocked by what I saw, and heartbroken by the devastation that resulted by the earthquake that hit that beautiful country. Fast forward to the present, and by the grace of God, I was able to once again return to this beautiful place. The conditions have definitely improved but the is still much to be done. I was once again captivated by the generosity, hospitality, faithfulness and hope visible within the Haitian people. I have been stretch further than I have before, and I am so fortunate I have had the role models and leaders that helped make this trip a reality. But more so than anything else, I have realized how fortunate and blessed to have experience God’s grace, love, an faithfulness. This trip have opened my eyes, and I truly feel it was God who used this trip to draw me nearer to him, in faithfulness and reckless abandon.e
~Alex Benitez

Blessings.

Day 5: Closing the Camping experience

Dear Parents, Family & Friends

We just returned from camping outside a church in the mountains of Haiti for the past few days. We traveled with about 20 Haitian people from the local Calvary Chapels. We did a 3-day VBS and a movie night outreach for two nights. Overall many people came to know the Lord, many seeds were planted, and ultimately our eyes were opened to a whole new level of poverty and living and our lives were changed forever. We slept on the ground, showered with buckets, and used the bathroom in a hole in the ground. We were pushed out of our comfort zones and God used all of us to share the gospel with hundreds of people over the past few days. I look forward to seeing how God will use us tomorrow, the rest of the trip, and the rest of our lives. ~ David Brown

Throughout this trip I have truly been stretched in every single way. At the beginning, I was asked to take a lead role in one of our dramas. When we arrived at the movie outreach to perform the drama I realized that even in my weakness – my fear of the large crowds… God was my comfort. When I long to be comfortable and serve God with ease, He continually challenge me not to settle for simple “good works” for myself but rather aim for GREAT works for Him. ~Brittany King

Will keep you guys posted, we are exhausted tonight. Please keep us in your prayers for our last day of ministry at an orphanage tomorrow.

Thank You & Blessings.

Day 4: On the Mountain.

Dear Parents, Family & Friends,

Today was a full day. We started working on removing an old tarp off the roof of an old village chapel. Some of our guys joined hands with Haitian teenagers, helping them put the new roof on. We also made home visits in this community witht he hope to pray for them and share HIs love with them. Many of them told us they were surprised to see white people in their village; for many of the Haitians, it was their first encounter.

One of the homes that we visited in the village, had 10 children under the age of twelve, all whom were very malnourished. One can only wonder if they will reach their full potential….

Reflection from one of our students, Heather Wroth:

“In one phrase, this trip is ‘go big or go home’. This week, we’ve seen it all. We’ve driven for hours on some of the craziest roads in the world, prayed with more people than I can count and been stretched. A lot. Yesterday, I was asked to share my testimony in front of 200 kids at VBS. On previous mission trips, I’ve looked for opportunities to share my ‘God story’ and I finally got my chance this week. The surprise came when Christabel asked me to invite the kids to sccept Jesus- then came the biggest surprise, when all of those little hands went in to the air. Quite a few kids prayed with me and I was encouraged to see many of them return to VBS today.

Today, we got an opportunity to do a movie showing on a part of the mountain that the missionaries have never done an outreach at. I was reminded of the spiritual battle that we are fighting when our team came face- to- face with a demon- possessed woman. Despite the creepy situation, one person came to Christ and another asked s to pray that he would overcome his alcoholism. We were all reminded that the battle we’re fighting is real but our God is Mighty to save.

There have been many challenges these past couple of days. We’ve hardly slept, gotten dirtier than before and experienced a taste of what life is like for those who are still living in refugee camps. we’ve also seen God’s traveling mercies, miraculous conversions and realized how real God is and the roles he plays in our lives. So, like I said, it’s ‘Go BIG or Go HOME’. “

Please continue to pray for our team, and for the rest of the ministry that will be done in Haiti.

God Bless!

Christabel

Day 3: Camping In The Mission Field of Benait.

Our students are learning today, what it means to follow Jesus, even when it is difficult in their flesh to follow Him. This week is really denying sleep and doing unfamiliar things for many of them. When walking in obedience, they will bear fruit that is lasting… Beyond their Haiti experience.

In addition, we saw many children participate in the VBS we put on and many of them raised their hands to exchange their hearts for Jesus. Praise God!

The movie outreach was outstanding, despite technical difficulties in the beginning, but that is warfare. There was a great turnout and great conversations were had. The ragman skit went very well, and it is always a blessing to be ready with different tools to do this work of ministry.

Pray for Benait, and our second day of camping on the mission field tomorrow.

Laboring in Love with you, God Bless!

Christabel

Day 3: going to Benait, Jacmel

Dear Parents, Friends and Family
Leaving for Benait, Jacmel. It is going to be a 3 hour bus ride up the mountains. We are extremely excited to be ministering side by side the Haitians in their labor of love in Jacmel.

Pray for us. Thanks.

Day 2: Sunday services & home visits

Dear Parents, Family and Friends:
Today was a rather interesting day, with different pockets of surprises. To start off, we had been invited to be at two CC church plants here and their services are back to back. How I wish I could worship in French or Creole, jealous of how their intimate their language sounds in their worship.

Praise Reports:
At the CCHI church plant, met and talked to a few gals after the service. They were coming to church from the video and drama outreach in that area. We drove into that neighborhood and experiencing deep darkness. How His Light has come into this community drawing souls to commit to grow in their faith. Really, how blessed to see today the fruit of our team’s labor back in 2009. (I am sure that it’s a work that is being built upon by other teams after us).

We had an opportunity to do house visits and prayer for the community next to the church plant in a local refugee camp. Our students were invited spontaneously by some of the moms and children to visit their homes. We all took that opportunity to share Christ at a heart beat. Our translators joined us in this endeavor, and we were as His hands and feet today, praying for the sick and hopeless in that camp.

Many of us shot many pictures but we can only post some because of the wifi connection. Please check out #2012liquidhaiti on Twitter or Instagram.

Prayer Request:
Finally, we are leaving in 6 hours on a journey up the mountains for a well-planned camping mission trip with our missionaries and some youth believers. This will be for 3 days, so if we are not able to post daily, it is because we don’t have access to wi-fi. (Will still try our hardest to update the blog if at all possible. Please understand).

Thank you and God bless.

Day 1: Jacmel & we are safe

Dear Parents, Friends and Family of Liquid Haiti Team:

We landed safely at about 10am this morning, followed by a 4 hour mini van ride to Jacmel. We are staying at a quaint missionary hotel for short term missionaries – Isaiah’s House. It is a luxury to have wifi and our own bathroom in our room. So, we praise God for all of you praying and interceding for us.

We Just had dinner and were reviewing through all our materials for Vbs and Drama. The students are doing a great job practicing even when their flesh is tired and weary. This is the time when we have to nail our flesh on the cross.

Please continue to pray for our camping trip from Mon to Wed. We will be living among the locals to reach the locals. Excited and can’t wait.

His love is winsome and tireless

Reflection from our students:
Haiti is an extremely different setting from anything that I have ever experienced. God has truly blessed me to allow me to go on this trip. I am eager to continue on my journey and help people. God bless the remaining time of out trip. ~Eric Henschel

Blessings

Travel Shots

Hi Team
If you have not gotten your shots for HepA, Tetanus, Typhoid (shot or pill) & Malaria pills, please do so this week. An inexpensive place to get shots will be at the Broward Health Department, Travel Clinic. They are located on 205 NW 6th St, Pampano Beach. The travel clinic is open only on Thurs and the appointment hotline is 954-467-4705.

Thank you.

Missions Training: God’s heart for the Poor / Evangelism

Hi Yall:

If you missed our training today, please check out this video on Poverty.

1.God’s heart for the Poor: He commands us to give food to the hungry, to clothe the naked, to plead for the cause of the unjustly treated, the poor and the needy.  (Ez 18, and 1 John 3:17-18)

It is easy to for us to label a person as poor because they do not have proper food, nutrition, clean water, electricity, shoes, and proper healthcare, etc. Many of them live in the third world and make only $1.25/day among many other symptoms of poverty.  They may be poor materially, emotionally but they are also poor spiritually.  Without the message of the cross, there is no hope of anything different for them, no hope of leaving the cycle of poverty,  no hope of leaving the slums that they live in, and most of all no hope of receiving Christ and the hope of Heaven.

You see, the root of poverty is “Give Up, since no one care about us”.  When we see children, orphans, widows and the poor respond to the good news, they started to understand that they have worth, and it is Jesus Christ who gives them worth. When his Son exchanged his life for ours, and demonstrated this love to us by offering his life for ours, they soon began to understand that they are worth everything to Jesus Christ.  Then they start to call on his name, because they matter to Jesus. This is the first step out of Poverty.

2. Presenting the Gospel – Read Acts 2:42.  Evangelism is not one of the 4 main purpose of the church. It is a way of life of the new testament church.  They live it.

Do you know why the modern day church don’t share the gospel.

Main reasons:

1) We don’t care – the ‘me” world…. have very little thoughts and time to think about the needs of others.  Don’t care about the eternal state of the person who does not know Jesus. (Paul cares about the eternal state of those who does not believe, to the extent of wishing that he be accursed for his fellow Israelites who do not believe – Romans 9:3)

2) We don’t know how – practice your testimony, learn the Roman’s road (Rom 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:), and key verses in presenting the gospel (from your training manual).  Care to learn? Read 2 Tim 4:2.

3) We’re not convinced – not convinced that we ourselves believe that Jesus is the only Way, Truth and life.  Know the God of the Bible, check out Ez 18.

Please read through the training manual, and check out the homework.  You can email it to JosiahG@calvaryftl.org and ChristabelC@calvaryftl.org.

Our next meeting is Sunday 6/24, Green Room from 3pm to 5pm (latest).

Blessings

Serve Haiti This Summer

Thinking back, it was three years ago when CCFL and CC Costa Mesa joined hands in a Calvary-wide effort to reach and restore Haiti (after the earthquake) by sending weekly mission teams across America into Jacmel, Haiti.  It was the same March when high school students started to pray about joining CC Haiti Initiative’s effort to bring the good news to the desolate country via humanitarian aid, evangelism, church planting, church support, sports and children ministry.

Following that first mission trip in Spring Break of 2010, we have been faithful to ask God to raise young man and woman to go and make disciples in Haiti every Summer and Winter.  This is our fourth mission trip to Haiti, and we are inviting you to join us on this journey.  Pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest to send  you this Summer.