Haiti

 

A TRIP REPORT FROM APRIL 2007

   I would like to share with you a bit about my time in Haiti. I really enjoyed my time in Port-au-Prince and felt the Lord's blessing on the entire trip. I wish everyone could go there and see what the Lord is doing. It would be a great encouragement to your faith. It is just a privilege to be a small part of it. You can learn more about this and see some photos by clicking here. Thank you everyone who had a part in this through prayer. It was a great trip.

I arrived in Haiti at the end of a great gathering which took place in the heart of Port-au-Prince near the palace. Thousands of people, mostly young people, gathered in the main through-fare, closing the streets near the palace for a time of celebrative worship and prayer. They were asking God for revival in Haiti. While it is difficult to find out how many people were in attendance, it is safe to say nothing that the crowds were so large that nothing like this has happened in Haiti before. The meetings ended with a massive stream of humanity marching from the palace to the airport demanding that Voodoo be removed in their country. They were telling everyone that it has only destroyed their country and that they did not want it on the island any more. This was an extremely bold move.  It really caught the attention of the country’s leadership and the press. Everyone was talking about revival and wondered if this was the beginning of revival for Haiti. While no one person can take credit for all that happened during these days, the main organizer was a young man named Maxo Joseph. He was the one who invited me to come down this time. I met a few years ago and it was through him that the Lord opened some very large churches in Port-au-prince.

Everyone was talking about the march. Nothing like this has happened before and God really blessed it. The newspapers followed him for the next few days to see what he had to say about what had happened that weekend. Three journalists from various papers came to our seminar to learn more about revival. They interviewed me and had a lot of interesting questions. They stayed for the entire seminar out of their own need and seemed to be touched in a special way.

The Lord’s blessing was apparent immediately on our seminar, with about a hundred and fifty pastors and leaders in attendance. At one moment, God began to move in our midst, causing people to melt before Him. It was precious to see. It went on for a long time, with people praying and calling out to Him for personal revival. Near the end of this time I took a few photos of people praying to see if I could capture what they were feeling.

I had a freedom to preach and taught for three days and ministered in a couple of churches at night. Over all, it was worth-while trip.  One of the best parts was the freedom from fear I had in going there in the first place. Haiti has gone through an awful period of lawlessness, which made it hard to minister in Port au Prince, but because of a dream I had around the time the invitation allowed me to be at perfect peace during this trip.

When I was leaving Haiti, I noticed that the airport had set up large television screens so we could watch a funeral that was taking place.  There was solemn chanting and singing and various priests taking turns reading various passages of scripture. It was a heavy funeral, making me wonder who the person was who died. It was a high mass, so it must have been someone important, I thought. When I finally could ask one of the airline representatives if someone had died, she said yes. I asked her who, thinking it would someone like the President of Haiti or someone well-known, and she looked at me and said, “Jesus”.

I had forgotten it was Easter weekend. I also don’t think of His death like a funeral.  Thank God He is alive!

Again, thanks for praying. Blessings, Penn