Called to Haiti

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 7^th 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 8^th 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 8^th 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 9^th 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 10^th 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 10^th 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 11^th 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 11^th 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 14^th 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 15^th 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 16^th 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 17^th 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!!