The day before our mission trip to Haiti started, our team had the privilege of having a share time to better prepare our hearts for the upcoming trip. An interesting question was asked: "What are you most afraid of about the upcoming trip?" Of course Michelle Matijevich said spiders, some talked of language barriers, and others talked about how hard it would be to not be in a leadership position of control.
However, there was one answer that was a common theme among college age people including myself. (does 23 still count?) As the fact that we were leaving tomorrow set in, many of us were afraid because we felt inadequate to share the gospel and serve in His Name due to struggles and sins in our life that we were bringing into the trip. Why did it take me the day before my mission trip to have a willingness to deal with that inadequacy or weakness? I knew inside that God was desiring to make his love known through me, but how is that any different than any other moment throughout the year when I am in Lubbock? It's not, but I make it different. I realize many times I focus on fixing myself instead of looking and asking God how he is longing to transform the people around me and myself. There have also been times in my life when I focus so much on ministry that I forget and ignore really what God wants to do in me. It's crazy to me to see how naturally a lifestyle of being apart of God's royal priesthood, a minister, a preacher, or a christian still intersects with God transforming my own weakness. I think it is apart of God's desire to grow the whole of me and not just part of me.
I also think spiritual inadequacy is the first tactic the enemy uses to keep us from sharing his gospel. I think we need to do a better job of recognizing that. Kelly McCuaig encouraged us by sharing "Remember that if anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation! Live in that promise."
Are you living in that promise of being a new creation?
Are you allowing God to grow the whole of you, not just part of you?
Are you sharing Him?
Are you overwhelmed with inadequacy?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Haiti: The Enemy Has Been Defeated
As many of you know, I spent the last week on a mission trip with 17 other people in the city of St. Louis de norte, Haiti. I am still processing many of the things I saw and circumstances I experienced, but I hope this blog will be a great way to share with you how God moved on our trip.
Here is what people say about Haiti. Haiti is 20% Baptist, 80% Catholic, and 100% voodoo. This statistic just goes to say that it is very culturally acceptable to be a christian and also to practice voodoo rituals. Going into my Haiti trip, my picture of voodoo practices came from James Bond and Indiana Jones movies. Anybody? Anyways, on the last day of our trip, our team traveled an hour to "tour" a voodoo temple and monument in the surrounding area. The first place we went was the voodoo monument. This monument was actually the base of a crumbled catholic cross which was placed on a 300 foot hill overlooking the surrounding village. When we got there our hearts truly broke. People would take this 15 minute hike to bring pictures or letters or articles of clothing to burn in holes to represent prayers. I was unsure if these prayers were to bless, to curse, or both. There were about 5 Haitians at the monument when we arrived. One was a witch doctor making a woman with a donkey tail walk around the crumbled cross 5 times so her prayers would be answered. It sure seems to be a human condition that we try frantically and crazily to fix our problems. Some of us try other religions; others of us simply practice pure selfishness. There was also a boy whose body was shaking violently and making wierd demonic noises. It was dark. We had been instructed to not take pictures, to not make a scene, and to be very nice because our facial expressions were a witness. As you look out over the city you can't help but realize what this monument means. This voodoo monument was laying claim to the territory of this village in the same way the cross had laid claim to this city 100 years ago. I think before this trip I had heard a lot about spiritual strongholds and territorial spirits, but the picture of what was unfolding before my eyes in this city and at that specific spot helped me fully grasp what a spiritual stronghold looks like. So, naturally we prayed. Our team joined hands around the crumbled cross and asked for the sacred voodoo spot to be redeemed, for God's light to penetrate the darkness, for God's love to grip the leaders of the voodoo following. It was a prayer we prayed with faith. We were leaving the next day and knew we would not see results while we were in Haiti. However, listen to these verses I was blessed with reading this morning:
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to maked it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
There was a war waged on that hill that day overlooking the city, and I firmly believe that divine power was sent to demolish strongholds. I give God glory and thanks for the work he did, he's doing, and will do to redeem this spiritual stronghold.
Here is what people say about Haiti. Haiti is 20% Baptist, 80% Catholic, and 100% voodoo. This statistic just goes to say that it is very culturally acceptable to be a christian and also to practice voodoo rituals. Going into my Haiti trip, my picture of voodoo practices came from James Bond and Indiana Jones movies. Anybody? Anyways, on the last day of our trip, our team traveled an hour to "tour" a voodoo temple and monument in the surrounding area. The first place we went was the voodoo monument. This monument was actually the base of a crumbled catholic cross which was placed on a 300 foot hill overlooking the surrounding village. When we got there our hearts truly broke. People would take this 15 minute hike to bring pictures or letters or articles of clothing to burn in holes to represent prayers. I was unsure if these prayers were to bless, to curse, or both. There were about 5 Haitians at the monument when we arrived. One was a witch doctor making a woman with a donkey tail walk around the crumbled cross 5 times so her prayers would be answered. It sure seems to be a human condition that we try frantically and crazily to fix our problems. Some of us try other religions; others of us simply practice pure selfishness. There was also a boy whose body was shaking violently and making wierd demonic noises. It was dark. We had been instructed to not take pictures, to not make a scene, and to be very nice because our facial expressions were a witness. As you look out over the city you can't help but realize what this monument means. This voodoo monument was laying claim to the territory of this village in the same way the cross had laid claim to this city 100 years ago. I think before this trip I had heard a lot about spiritual strongholds and territorial spirits, but the picture of what was unfolding before my eyes in this city and at that specific spot helped me fully grasp what a spiritual stronghold looks like. So, naturally we prayed. Our team joined hands around the crumbled cross and asked for the sacred voodoo spot to be redeemed, for God's light to penetrate the darkness, for God's love to grip the leaders of the voodoo following. It was a prayer we prayed with faith. We were leaving the next day and knew we would not see results while we were in Haiti. However, listen to these verses I was blessed with reading this morning:
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to maked it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
There was a war waged on that hill that day overlooking the city, and I firmly believe that divine power was sent to demolish strongholds. I give God glory and thanks for the work he did, he's doing, and will do to redeem this spiritual stronghold.
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