As the people of Haiti were in the midst of taking tedious precautions to guard themselves against the cholera outbreak, they received yet another disheartening word. “Brace yourselves...Hurricane Tomas is coming your way.” We prayed, they prayed, and Pastor Nahum kept us posted with regular updates over the two days it took for the storm to pass through.
Now that Hurricane Tomas has come and gone the people of Haiti have once again had their character increased through perseverance in yet another trial. The sun came back out and they returned to their lives of taking precautions for the cholera outbreak.
Today I just have to praise our God because the difficulties raging on all sides of the people of Haiti cannot prevent the hand of God from softening hearts and turning the eyes of the people to Him. I will share with you about two lives recently added to the family of God over this last week in Pastor Nahum’s village.
It’s a beautiful thing to witness the physical needs of the orphan, poor, and oppressed being met. You see a temporal relief of their pain and it’s good. Glory to God!!
It’s a whole different, unexplainable, phenomenal, joyous kind of beauty to witness the spiritual needs of someone being met. A heart alive with Jesus...that is eternal relief! Glory to God!!
Listen to these two testimonies and celebrate because you now have two new brothers in Christ living in Haiti.
TISERGE
First I will tell you about a man named Tiserge (pronounced: Tee-Sage). He has been a voodoo priest since before Pastor Nahum moved to Gilbert. He is married and has 7 children. His house is very close to Pastor Nahum’s home and I’m quite certain it was his rhythmic voodoo drum pounding that woke Kathryn and I at 3 o’clock in the morning several nights in a row during our stay in September.
As a devoted “seed sower” for the Kingdom of God, Pastor Nahum has always reached out to the people in the name of Jesus including voodoo worshipers.
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)
Here are a few of the events leading up to Tiserge's heart being transformed from voodoo worship into a heart that places his trust in God.
Six months ago, Tiserge’s wife accepted Jesus into her heart. Perhaps Tiserge saw Jesus in his wife.
Since then, Back to Life Kids School began a new school year and Pastor Nahum allowed 5 of Tiserge’s children to attend his school for free because he was unable to pay. Perhaps Tiserge saw Jesus in Pastor Nahum.
Children who attend Back to Life Kid’s School are taught about Jesus. Day after day Tiserge’s children would come home and share the things they were learning in school. The weeks passed. Perhaps Tiserge’s heart saw Jesus in his children.
Pastor Nahum noticed Tiserge began taking taking down some of the voodoo paraphernalia that had always decorated his home and yard. Perhaps Tiserge’s heart was being softened by the hand of God.
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| some of Tiserge's voodoo paraphernalia |
Three weeks ago a group of evangelist came to witness to Tiserge at Pastor Nahum’s church. Tiserge said he was not interested in what they had to say and went home. Despite Tiserge's actions, perhaps he saw Jesus in these people.
Two Sundays passed by from the time the group came to witness to Tiserge.
Tiserge called Pastor Nahum to pray with him last Sunday and he gave his life to Jesus.
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| the voodoo idols were burned! |
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| Pastor Nahum with Tiserge, our new brother in Christ! |
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| It was a celebration!! |
Tiserge says he is so happy to be in the family of God.
ARILUS
Hurricane Tomas had passed through leaving heavy rain, wind, and dark skies for over 48 hours in Haiti. As Tomas moved on, Pastor Nahum and his people all praised God for protecting them from the storm.
Yesterday, Pastor Nahum was sharing with me the good news about Tiserge’s salvation on yahoo messenger when a man from the village, named Arilus came to Pastor Nahum’s home. Pastor Nahum told me he had a visitor (Arilus) and he began to share with him about Tiserge’s salvation.
About 15 minutes later, Pastor Nahum tells me Arilus just prayed with him at his home and gave his life to Jesus also! How great is our God?!!! You can't make this stuff up. He is so good!!
Here is a picture of Arilus at Pastor Nahum’s home yesterday when he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. Thank you, Jesus!
Please pray for these new brothers of ours in Christ as they begin their new lives in Jesus. I hope you have been blessed as you have seen the impact of our God’s hand moving in the village of Gilbert, Mirebalais. Our God is able to touch even the hardest hearts (even the voodoo priests) and I pray these testimonies will inspire us to persevere in faithful prayer for the people we know who we may think will never change. With God all things are possible! Pray!!
My heart is hopeful and I am asking for you to join me in prayer for Leon, (he is the father of our twin daughters we are adopting and knows the newly saved voodoo priest, Tiserge).
Like many of the Haitian people, Leon has been influenced by the heavy voodoo practices in Haiti. When I found out the long time voodoo priest, Tiserge, gave his life to the Lord, I immediately saw the possibility of an open door for God to use Tiserge to reach out to Leon.
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| Leon |
When our adoption is complete and our daughters, Raphaella and Wana, come home to us, we will take them to our home in Haiti. My heart’s great desire is that the girls will see that although their father may not have great worldly riches, he does know Jesus as his personal Savior and because of this, he has a life of eternal riches that far outweigh anything this world can offer.
Jesus, please save Leon. Let him personally know Your great forgiveness and love.
Jesus, turn our eyes away from worthless things. May we live for things that will not burn away on the Day You return.
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