As I'm sure most of you are aware, David and I have been feeling led to
Haiti for mission work since this past March. We wanted to share our
story how God has called us to serve in Haiti. Below are some notes
David typed...his story is in blue and mine in red :)
The first time I felt prompting that maybe God was calling me to
missionary work was on my way home from Haiti the second time we went (2011). I seem to remember having a definite feeling
of leaving behind unfinished work. I
used the Bible app on my phone to read the daily reading. It was II Kings 8 where Elisha tells a
woman to take her and her house and go sojourn in another land because there is
going to be a famine for seven years.
The woman does and when she returns at the end of the seven years all
that was hers including the crops from the seven years was restored to
her. This spoke to me very directly
about being a missionary and that God would take care of what I left behind.
This calling was again spoken to me when a few days later, I believe I was
on my first full time shift at Duffy’s, and I opened for the first time in a
new Bible that I had. I believe I opened
to where the marker was from the factory, II Kings 8 again.
My first day home from my third Haiti trip Janella and I read at the lunch
table. I had somewhat forgotten about
the previous times we had opened to II Kings 8 and did not immediately
recognize it when it opened to us for the third time. Janella did and it quickly all came back to
me. This was the turning point for both
of us at which time we both felt very seriously and undeniably that God was
speaking to us about missionary work.
March 7th One thing that I was not sure of was if now was the
time. I prayed and put this question to
God. I opened and read St. Luke 2
where it speaks of Mary and Joseph go to be taxed, while they are there Jesus
is born. When the Shepherds hear of it
they say let us now go and see him. This
spoke to me on several levels first Mary and Joseph were willing to go despite
the inconvenience, because of this prophecy was fulfilled. The wording of the Shepherd’s response also
spoke to me in that when they heard of Jesus they left everything and said let
us now go.
March 8th AM I felt that it was probably Haiti but I had not
really felt any specific direction so I prayed that God would show me if it
was. I opened to Psalm 18 where
it speaks of God making the earth shake.
This spoke to me of Haiti and the earth quake they had.
March 8th PM Began to doubt myself and if this was all what it
seemed. I prayed again that God would
show me if it was time. Read in Philippians
2 verses 12-16 stood out where they are told what to do now in his
absence.
March 9th Janella was at
a friend’s house and she spoke to her about what we had opened to when I got back from Haiti. She went to open the Bible and show her, the
Bible opened to the chapter II Kings 8.
March 10th AM Listened to a sermon at work. It was on Luke 18 and the minister spoke
about how cross bearing is not something that is laid on us but that we willingly
take up ourselves in the name of serving Christ. Minister also spoke of a missionary couple
and how they witnessed to a leader of another religion. This leader had been very cruel to this
couple and Christian converts persecuting them.
When this leader became sick the missionary couple felt that it was the
right thing to do, in spite of risk of infecting themselves and everything
else, to bring him some soup. It ends up
that before this leader dies he asked the couple to adopt his son. They do and he goes on to become a Christian
missionary himself.
March 10th PM Opened to II chronicles 13 Spoke of Hezekiah
being given a sign and he did not render again according to the benefit given
him. I don’t want to ignore the calling
of God.
March 11th the night before Janella and I had talked about
going to Haiti and we had both shared some of our cares and concerns about
it. One of her big concerns with going
now was the posibility of having children down there. On the morning of
the 11th I prayed again for God to speak to me. I opened to Luke 3 it speaks of John
being called to preach and he did. That morning when I checked my email I had
just received an email from Eric Hartzler (another missionary down at Hospital Lumiere).
In it, he gave me a link to his blog. The very first post that came up on the
screen was of their new baby born in Haiti.
Janella red in Hebrews 13 v14
“For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” and it spoke to
her that she should not get too rooted in one place. This world is our temporary home.
March 14th Janella opened
to John 2 and read where Jesus says “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” This made her wonder if now was not the time. It also caused me some doubt.
March 15th On my way to work I listened to the Bible and the
chapter was Mathew 27 it speaks of Jesus trial and crucifixion (when his time
came) Janella opened to John 17 v1 “…father
the hour is come”.
March 16th opened to
Colossians 3. This was the same chapter that she read when she
felt at peace about marriage. V.18 wives
submit to your husbands. She felt that
she should submit to what I was feeling called to do. She talked to me and said she was willing to go on my faith if that is what I really feel like we should do. Also a comfort to me because I had prayed and
asked God to show me just this if he wanted be to “be the head” and lead by my
faith alone when Janella was struggling with feeling ready.
March 17th Janella
had been thinking about an account of a Missionary she had heard years ago. He traveled by foot so much that it damaged his feet terribly. He came to the home of another missionary couple. The wife was trying to clean and bandage his feet, and it was so bad that she had to leave the room. As she did, she felt God say, "These are beautiful feet to me." Although she felt
at peace about going to Haiti, she thought it would be nice to read the verse that talks
about the beautiful feet. That same
morning she opened to Romans 10 v.15 “And how shall they preach, except they be
sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the
gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”. This opened again to her in church that same
day.
At this point, we talked to our parents, and to Marvin Dotterer, the Elder. We started the process for mission work, and this brought us through the summer months and into fall. Around our anniversary in August, David talked to me about him reading over and over in the Bible about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. We wondered what God was trying to tell us...to use this time as preparation before our "mission" begins, that something bad was going to come upon us, or that something was going to happen in 40 days? We decided to use this time as preparation, and wait and see what 40 days brought.
In October, right around the 40 day mark, David received an email about a position opening up at Hospital Lumiere in Haiti, to help with construction work. We really felt like this was what God was leading us to do. We spoke again with Marvin and others with World Relief. In November we took a week long trip to the Hospital to see where we will live and make sure that all was going to work out. But that's a story for another time.... :)
Thanks for your love, support and prayers during this time!!
