When a storm is rising, the winds often begin to blow stronger and from varied directions. There is a feel in the air that the environment is changing and the possibility of needed rain is coming. The storm may bring lightning and thunder, which for some is scary while for others it is a heavenly light and sound show that causes the person to stand on a porch to watch the sky light up and feel the ground shake with the rolling thunder. Over the past eight years in Haiti, we have witnessed several strong storms, including a tropical storm.
While in Sobier this summer, we witnessed two mighty storms: one physical and one spiritual. The physical storm occurred on our last night in Sobier. The storm built and as the clouds grew larger, we could only see their growth as the lightning in the distance illuminated the clouds. It looked like there was a good probability that we would get wet, but I did not understand the power of the storm until it was right over us. I was finishing up my shower, when the tarps surrounding me began to blow and pop in the wind. I hurried up and got done with my shower just in time for the rain to begin to fall. The wind picked up and soon I could see the wind causing our tents to compress and then in a downdraft, they would pop as they exploded upward. If they had not been staked down and full of our luggage and beds, I think they would have taken flight. I was standing on the porch of the house where we eat, and I decided to check on my team members who were in the tents. I found a branch on top of one of the tents, and thankfully there was no damage. After a while, the rain stopped and the wind died down. We made a quick assessment of how our tents had weathered the storm and how our team members were all doing. The next morning, when I stepped out of our gate, I found several banana trees laid over or snapped from the previous nights storms. I was amazed at the power of the storm and the path of destruction it had left behind.
The other storm that occurred was on Sunday morning when one of the construction workers I had come to know, Nanel, came forward after the sermon and made a public proclamation that he wanted to be forgiven of his sins, to be set free from his bondage, and to be a follower of Jesus Christ. The storm that was brewing came to a head, and the years of drunkenness and trust in Voodoo gods was broken as Nanel committed his life to Christ. That evening we went to Nanel’s house where he had already cleansed his house of all alcohol and Voodoo items. His wife mentioned how he was a changed man. She had already noticed the change and she was thankful. This storm was a good storm. The path it left was not of destruction but of new life. The battle had been fought with darkness and evil and light and good had won!
Through this spiritual storm, the Circuit Evangelist and Steward, Simeon, asked me in front of the congregation to lead a Good News Crusade in Sobier when we return next summer. Sobier is a hotbed for Voodoo and there is a lot of darkness, defeat, and despair in the village. I am excited that I have been invited to lead these special services, and I have already begun to pray that we will be able to see a mighty wind of the Holy Spirit come on the people and the village of Sobier. The storm is brewing and no one will be the same once the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit falls.
Please join me in prayer for Nanel and for this wonderful opportunity offered to us. As Living the Adventure Ministries becomes more engaged in international evangelism, like these special services, we will need more people to come alongside us to provide the financial resources we need to travel around the world to share the Gospel. Please prayerfully consider getting on board with us at whatever financial level you can, so we can see more people being saved.