Sunday, November 28, 2010

Safely Home

I made it home Saturday night November 27 untouched by cholera or any other sickness that was possible for me to contract while I was there.  It was an amazing time with the Fire and Fragrance team and the Awaken DTS crew.

Before I left for Haiti, the impression I had was that it would be like India and I was right.  Although it was not as hot as India it was as dusty, dirty and had similar smells as I imagined it would have.  Haiti is a beautiful place that has been ravaged by an earthquake.  The people are very kind and full of joy even though they live in conditions that are well below what we consider poor in the West.  It's crazy to think that right off the coast of Florida that one of the world's poorest nations exists and that they need so much help rebuilding their cities as well as their own lives.

Pheobe and Una praying for
some new friends
The 200 hours of worship and prayer was not like what I imagined but it was very practical.  Everyone took a different shift through the day and in the evenings we would worship and pray together as a group.  During the day there were other ministry's available.  At one of the ministries, I was able to go to the tent cities and help minister to them through prayer, the gospel, and in very practical ways like building tents for those who lost theirs when the rain came.  Some people also needed better tents because it was torn or in very poor condition.


Presidential palace.  It used to
be two stories.
 One of the tent cities we went to was right by the Presidential palace.  The "president" of the tent city (he's like a leader/manager of the tent city) told us that no one had gone into the tent city since Jan 12 which was when the earthquake happened.  He said that other organizations and ministries are too afraid to enter in because the people in this particular tent city are prone to violence and rioting and that it means a lot that we are entering into the camp and meeting the people where they are.

There are so many stories to tell about this short trip and I guess I'll be sharing little be little in the next coming week.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ground fees and Haiti

The countdown until Haiti is about 2 days.  The 200 hours of prayer and worship start this Saturday and I am happy to say that I will be joining the group.

I have purchased my ticket to go this Saturday and I will be there until the following Saturday.  Also I have received all of the ground fees to cover my stay in Haiti.  I think through the preparation for this trip the Lord has shown me his provision and blessing.  It's funny to me because when I was in YWAM trying to raise support to go to India and China was much harder than this time and I feel like I did much less to announce my plans or at least it was a shorter notice.  But no matter, long or short, harder or easier, the Lord is faithful to provide for his children.

The Lord has really given me favor for this trip.  I can't get over the fact that Target gave me "black Friday" off so that I could go to Haiti when the main reason that they hire is for the holiday shopping season.  It really was the hand and favor of God that I am able to go.  Even during this time at home God has been opening doors for me to share what God has been doing in my life.  Tomorrow, I will be going to a worship night where I have been invited to share a testimony of what the Lord has done in my life and just today I was invited to share when I return from Haiti about what the Lord is doing there.  Through these opportunities, I pray and hope that it will stir a passion in their hearts to run after God.

So, its off to Haiti I go.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Praise

With the Haiti trip around the corner, it's hard to think it'll happen without any money and such short notice to supporters.  But God is good and he's providing every step of the way.

A week ago or so I was praying about Haiti, going and provision for this short trip.  One night during that time I had a dream.  The details of the dream are kind of fuzzy to me and they were when I woke up but one line that was spoken to me was very clear.  I heard someone tell me that everything that I needed would be provided for.  Those were the most comforting words at the time and I from that time I was convinced that I would be provided for to go to Haiti.

Today I received a couple donations to go to Haiti from the church I attend.  It's enough for me to get a plane ticket to Haiti which is the amazing provision of God.  Thank you Jesus.  It's this kind of thing that makes my relationship with God more real and personal.  I know that he is looking out for me and that I do not need to worry because he cares for me more than the "birds of the air" or the "flowers in the field" like Jesus said in Matthew 6.  

Another praise report that I have involves work.  I was hired by Target for the seasonal position so that means the main reason I was hired was for the upcoming holiday season which is Christmas.  Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year.  I was hired to help cover different areas of the store during that time.  But because of the Lord I was able to get that whole week off of work to go do the Lord's work in Haiti.  

So it looks like I'll be heading out on November 20th and returning on the 27th.  I still need some more funds for the daily cost of living in Haiti but I'm not worried as much because Jesus was faithful with his promise and provided money to go to Haiti and he will be faithful to provide the rest of the money I need.

Please keep me in your prayers.  The financial provision is just the beginning of a major spiritual struggle for a nation to turn to Christ.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Yesterday my friend Aaron, who was visiting from California, left to journey back home.  His time here was refreshing for me.  During my last trip to Harrisburg, PA, I dropped Aaron off with some friends of ours so that he could spend some time with them.  So this past Monday I went up to Harrisburg to pick him up.  

In Harrisburg I was again able to connect with some friends.  Also Amy, a leader of Fire and Fragrance in Kona,  happened to be visiting at the same time.  She had a time of ministry that night releasing the word of the Lord about circuit riders.  Amy had an encounter with the Lord where He spoke to her of people that would be released as circuit riders through the nations to speak out the word of the Lord.  These people would be like Paul Revere in the Revolutionary war.  

During the Revolutionary war, Paul Revere was the famous rider who rode through the night on horseback warning the people of the town that British troops were on their way.  Circuit riders were clergy who would travel by horse back and preach in the 1800's I believe.  We live in such amazing times and God is doing something new in the earth.  Before I returned home I had the privilege of leading worship for the two hour prayer set.  Our topic of intercession was for the elections that took place on Tuesday.

This past Thursday I was invited to share at a bible study.  Aaron came along with me and we both shared on Global passion and what God was doing in the nations.  Of course we don't know everything that God is doing but we do have some idea in certain regions of the nation.  It was an honor and blessing that we were given an opportunity to share our hearts with this community that met together.  Aaron and I were blessed with an offering to help with our journey and to sow into our ministries.  

Haiti update:
Hurricane Toma, which was heading towards Haiti, has shifted and missed Haiti but is now flooding parts of the nation and could possibly flood more of the nation.  Although the hurricane has not directly impacted the nation, the flooding has increased the spread of cholera. Please keep praying for Haiti and the teams out there.  

The 200 hour burn of prayer and worship will be taking place on November 20-28.  There is a new website that's up and running, http://ipray4haiti.com/ that has more information about the burn.  Please join in by praying with us and for us.  

Also, if you would like to partner with me to see Haiti change you can e-mail me at schoi19@gmail.com.  Any kind of partnering helps from prayer to donations.  I would love to know who would be partnering with me so that I may also be able to invest back with prayer and news from the forefront.  If you have any questions or would like to meet with me or anything at all please feel free to e-mail me as well.  Also if you would like to know more about the situation and work in Haiti you can go to www.jasenchung.com.