My troubled soul.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

The children in the attached photo attend the school in Lauture which was established in 2003 in the Jacmel District in the south-central part of Haiti.

Prior to attending this Lutheran school, the vast majority of them had never seen a Bible, opened a Bible, heard the good news of Jesus Christ, understood the need to confess of their sinfulness or probably had not even thought that they were living outside of God’s commands as they only knew of what the vodou priest had told them and their ancestors.

Then a person like you came along, brought the good news of a forgiving God and the promise of a meal where there was none and the understanding of the difference between right and wrong.  The Holy Spirit worked through people like you to touch lives such as these.  These children now accept the Bible as their authority and have learned to confess their sins and how important that is and how important it is to know that our sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ. 

Confession is so important for those of us who profess our faith in the Triune God.  We still stray at times as do the children in Lauture, but we confess and are forgiven.  What will happen on the day when those still locked into the chains of the vodou priest meet our Lord Jesus on Judgment Day?  I listened to an evangelist on the evening radio, telling about what will happen when we meet Jesus and have to account for our life and after his program had ended I asked Alexa some Southern Gospel and the very first song was “Please carry me home” by Jessi Colter; it was a God moment.

“When the blood curdlin' scream of the fear in my veins pierces the darkness circlin' my brain.  When the pain in my soul is too great to explain I reach out for you, I'm callin' your name.  Lord, please have mercy on my troubled soul.  You keep me together when there's nothing to hold.  Lord, please have mercy, I've nowhere to go when the temptation is over, please carry me home.  Would the jewel of deception rest in the crown upon the heaven, the tempter who's hand keeps me down.  Living so carelessly, so easy to do.  But now that I'm paying, I running to you.  Lord, please have mercy on my troubled soul.  You keep me together when there's nothing to hold.  Oh, Lord, please have mercy, I've nowhere to go when the temptation is over, please carry me home.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

A glorious home.

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,” 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

Have you ever yearned for your Heavenly home to come quickly?  Have you been in a situation where another human was lying in a hospital bed next to you or in a nursing home asking why Jesus doesn’t come and take them now?

The woman in the attached photo is lying on the bench in the waiting room of the Lutheran medical clinic in Cap Haitian, waiting for her turn to see the doctor from the U.S. Medical Mission team from Nebraska.  It is hot and humid and she is in pain and the board she is lying on is hard and she may be wondering “ki le Jezu Cris vini?”; “When is Jesus coming?”  Her child is being brought up in the Lutheran school and is receiving a meal; they will do fine, when will she meet her Savior?

Physical death for Christians holds the promise of a new, perfect body in heaven where we will live eternally with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am fairly certain that each of us has a hole in the heart that only God can fill; hope that it is not just me.  So many of us reach a certain age when we become homesick for heaven.

The words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians are pure wisdom.  Our Triune God created us to be homesick for heaven and we will never be at peace until we share eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The words from a song by the Hoppers titled ‘Yes I am’ are such a great reminder of how we each should feel about our Heavenly home.

“I'm gonna leave some glorious morning; yes I am, yes I am.  I'm gonna cross the chilly Jordan, yes I am, yes I am.  Though the water is deep and the river is wide I'm gonna stand on the other side; I'm gonna live in the heaven someday, yes I am, yes I am.  I am waiting at the stations listening closely for the call; I have made my reservations through the one who paid it all.  Not by might, not by power but in Christ and Christ alone.  I'm leaving any moment praise the Lord I'm going home.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

We need GREAT things.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  Isaiah 43:2

I typically read news from Haiti several times each week but recently more frequently with the increased gang activity surrounding Port-au-Prince.  It’s becoming more serious as most everything from fuel to food, comes into and flows out of the port in Haiti’s capitol city.  If, or probably when that port falls into the control by the gangs, the country will be suffering like never before.  It is in God’s hands…He has a plan.

God’s plans are always far greater than what this world would have scripted; His plans turn this world upside down.  God the Father brought His Son back to life and one day placed Him on the road to Emmaus to walk with two whom He had walked with before and they didn’t realize ‘Who’ they were with.  This happens to us as well; we never see the Savior in the person that is helping us or correcting us or bringing us a smile on a dark day.  We can’t begin to imagine God bringing a complete change to the corruption in Haiti in our time; HE has a plan.

There the disciples were, walking along, and Jesus was walking with them. It's a reminder to us that at all times, even when we don't realize it, Jesus is walking with us.  The child in the attached photo attends school in Merrotte and she is enjoying her noon Trinity HOPE meal.  She is experiencing a great thing and walks with Jesus.  You may be the person who donated the quarter for her meal, you are walking with Jesus and your small gift has done a really great thing for her, and for Jesus.

We might as well be walking on that dirt road to Emmaus as we don’t often realize that we are walking with Jesus, we always are; He is there right beside us.  We may only think that He sits next to us in Church but wherever we go, here in North America or in Haiti; He is there walking with us.  The Bishops recorded a song titled ‘Great things’ and the lyrics bring a wonderful closure to this message and hopefully you will look a little harder the next time you are walking down that dirt road.

“Peter and John saw while walking along a lame man begging alms by the gate.  Straightway they told, “We’ve no silver or gold, but for you a great treasure awaits.”  Now such as I have give I thee in the name of the Lord, rise up and walk.”  And be not amazed that a crippled was raised it’s through Jesus we do great things.  Great things are in store for the child of the Lord when he walks with the King of kings and each word that you say when you kneel down to pray will be carried on the backs of angels wings.  When you walk with Jesus you’re going to do great things.  Now we have big dreams when we’re younger; it seems of a life where we do great things.  But life finds a way of taking our dreams away when our plans unravel at the seams.  And though you feel small in God’s eyes you’ll stand tall if your footsteps are faithful and true for the same power that raised Lazarus up from the grave is the same power Jesus gives to you.  Great things are in store for the child of the Lord when he walks with the King of kings and each word that you say when you kneel down to pray will be carried on the backs of angels wings.  When you walk with Jesus you’re going to do great things.  I won’t worry if I’m never famous, or for those worldly pleasures I’ve missed.  For Jesus gave me sweet peace like a river.  Tell me what could be greater than this?  Great things are in store for the child of the Lord when he walks with the King of kings and each word that you say when you kneel down to pray will be carried on the backs of angels wings.  When you walk with Jesus you’re going to do great things.  When you walk with Jesus you’re going to do great things.  Great things; great things.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Are you a stranger?

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” 2 Timothy 3:1

It seems like the sand in the hour glass that measures our time on earth is running like a raging river as we listen to the news accounts of what is taking place on this planet and in our country.

A friend sent me an E-mail recently with some historical facts and quotes from Thomas Jefferson and one of them was recorded in 1802 and he said “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.  If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” 

It seems like the sands of time are swiftly passing before our eyes and as we slide with it, the children in Poteau are still waiting to hear about Jesus and our Triune God is calling upon each of us to ‘go and make disciples’ with their lives.  I listened to Alexa play a song today that was written by Ricky Skaggs, ‘Are you afraid to die’.  Thought about the words and while I am not afraid to die, I do fear for those children attending school in Poteau and continue to pray for them and the feeding program in their school.  As you read through the words, think about what is taking place in our country, Haiti and around this world and then consider the urgency of sharing the Gospel message to the ends of this earth.

“Are you a stranger to God; carried away with your pride?  Tell me sinner, do you ever stop and think; are you afraid to die?  Are you afraid, are you unsaved, are you afraid to die?  Call on Him while he is near; moments are swift passing by.  Will you seek Him while He still may be found?  Are you afraid to die?  Are you afraid, are you unsaved, are you afraid to die?  Are you too wicked to cry; would you to Gods’ bosom fly?  Soon He’s comin’ like a thief in the night.  Are you afraid to die?  Are you afraid, are you unsaved, are you afraid to die?”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Giving thanks.

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  Psalm 118:1

Yesterday was another occasion of giving thanks as I completed my third bag of medicine for the day to stave off the infection in my foot; getting closer to completing this prescribed home procedure.  Not sure how many angels were keeping my IV line clean and the meds and saline bag properly mixed, but they were there as they always have been and will be in the coming years no matter what the challenge may be on this side of Heaven.

Giving thanks, we have so much to be thankful for because all that we have comes from our Triune God; everything we have, the daily protection and guidance and most of all the forgiveness of our daily sins.  The small boy in the attached photo has much to be thankful for, shoeless, hungry, tired but he like us has much to be thankful for and too often we take all that He has done for us; for granted.

Without our Savior we are doomed to hell; that is our destination without His gift.  We may overlook the meals, the clothes, the weather, our families, our shelter but we must never cease giving thanks for gift of Salvation.  We also give thanks for our Father giving us the privilege to share our blessings with children in Haiti.

Alexa played a song today, and I was just was able to jot down the title ‘I just want to thank you Lord’ and it was by Judy Marshall.  I found the lyrics and they seemed to go well with the Bible verse from Psalm 118.

“I just want to thank you Lord, for every time you heard me pray; just want to thank you for always being there.  When I was so down and out you came along and made me want to shout; I just want to thank you Lord…thank you Lord.  If I had a thousand lives to live, I’d give them all to my Lord.  He’s been so good to me, He’s made the good times outnumber the bad.  He’s been the best friend that I ever had; I just want to thank you Lord…thank you Lord.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Hopeless?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

We live in a world that increasingly seems to be void of hope.  Wars, famine, pollution, recessions, violence, pandemics, etc. can cause us to become easily discouraged when we look at the prospects of our future; all of this  discouragement can lead to depression, and depression can lead to hopelessness.

When we are feeling hopeless, we see our circumstances and surroundings through a filtered lens that can cause us to continue to spiral downwards in our emotions and attitudes.  In the words from Jeremiah, God says that He has a plan for you, for me and the children in the attached photo; a plan that will prosper you and not harm you, a plan that will give you hope and a future.

God has a specific plan for the girl jumping rope at the Maniche School that is located in the Les Cayes District.  At the moment the photo was snapped, she probably could not tell you what the plan was for her life, but she knows that the Triune God who provides her with a daily meal has something special planned for her, because He loves her.

While the economy may be saying one thing to us, God is saying another; feed my sheep.  While your circumstances may cry out hopelessness, God is saying that He has a plan to prosper and not to harm you.  While we don't know what the future does hold, we know Who holds the future.  We can trust in the goodness of God to care for us and His children in Haiti who are living in the midst of situations that seem hopeless.  Our hope is not in our circumstances, but in God our Father.  That does not necessarily mean that life will always turn out the way we expected, but it does mean that we can always trust in our Heavenly Father to love us and watch over us.  

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Our name.

“But now, this is what the LORD says; he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1

We all have names, and He knows us by our name.  While looking through photos of children in Haiti there are many descriptive words come to mind that could be given as names; names like hungry, tired, lonely, sadness, empty, broken and hurting.  Through North American eyes there really doesn’t appear to be any joy considering their surroundings.

The attached photo was taken at the Messif school in Ouanaminthe.  Their school room was dark; at the time of our visit it was difficult for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of their room after coming in from outside.  It must have been over ninety degrees in their room.  They sat patiently listening to North American missionaries’ share the love of Jesus with them as their lunch time drew closer.  Our Heavenly Father knows their names.

Psalm 23 is one of those best known and loved chapters in the Bible because it comforts us with the image of a good shepherd caring for His helpless, wandering sheep.  At just the right time, he stands, calls them to follow him and gently reassures them as he walks forward.

Every one of His sheep have a name, and He knows them all.  Each sheep hears that familiar voice and his own name and follows the steps of the Good Shepherd.  Thank you for answering His call to ‘follow me’ and bring food to Messif.  We all have a name, disciple, steward, benefactor, missionary, good and faithful servant.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

God working through you.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

How is God working through your life to accomplish the purpose for which he brought you here?  I can’t tell you how many times people have remarked that they don’t what their purpose is in life, why are they still here and not in Heaven.

Why do you suppose that He called you to help feed children in Haiti who will one day bring the message of Hope to just one or two of the people riding in a truck on a bumpy street in Cap Haitian in the attached photo?  Why do you suppose that your quarter was used to provide a meal for one life who in turn when skipping down that street, heading home while singing ‘Jesus loves me’ planted a seed in the life of the woman riding in that red truck?  It is a God moment in time; you are called, the child attending the Lutheran school in Cap Haitian was called and the Holy Spirit is entering into that person riding in the back of the truck.

Last night while waiting to load the next bag of medicine into my IV line, Alexa played the song ‘Softly and tenderly’ that was being sung by Merle Haggard and he is right in my range and we did a ragged duet.  This song was written by Will Thompson in 1880 and it is such a wonderful reminder that daily we are being called by Jesus to come home.  We are being called home as are the children attending school and the lost lives that they are touching.

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me; see, on the portals he's waiting and watching; watching for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  Why should we tary when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me?  Why should we linger and heed not his mercies, mercies for you and for me?  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, passing from you and from me; shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, coming for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!  O for the wonderful love he has promised, promised for you and for me!  Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon, pardon for you and for me.  Come home, come home; ye who are weary come home; earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Waiting for GREAT things.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”  Psalm 126:2

When waiting for something; a street light, standing in line at the bank, waiting for child at school or me laying in bed waiting for the IV line to finish dripping antibiotics into my body are times when we probably don’t consider the great things that God has accomplished in our lives.

A decade ago, when my oldest daughter gave birth to my first grandchild it was a process; she waited for nine months filled with Miles punching and kicking.  The children in the attached are a few of the 153 waiting for their noon meal at Pont Sonde which is located in the Artibonite District in Haiti.  As a Trinity HOPE supporter, I wait patiently for the next newsletter that has new photos and stories of lives being prepared to go into the mission fields of Haiti.

I hope that my grandson Miles, his sister Audrey and their cousin Cara, and you and me will never have to stand in line for our only meal of the day, as many of these children are doing on a hot midday in Haiti.  These children and you and me are waiting for one common blessing, being in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We have already received the blessing of being redeemed by His blood and are just waiting until our life’s work for Him has been accomplished.  While driving home from work today I listened to a song titled ‘Redeemed’ and the words were written by Fanny Crosby in 1882 and it’s message shares the joy that you, the children in Pont Sonde and me have.

“Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!  Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am.  Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; redeemed, redeemed, His child and forever I am.  Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus, no language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell.  I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of Him all the day long: I sing, for I cannot be silent; His love is the theme of my song.  I know there’s a crown that is waiting, in yonder bright mansion for me, and soon, with the spirits made perfect, at home with the Lord I shall be.”

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay

Share the Word.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1

There is a saying that life without God is like an unsharpened pencil; it has no point.  I have given this saying a lot of thought recently as I’ve been reading obituaries from Nebraska and there have been a few of the departed that I worked with, worshipped with and walked with; guess that I am reaching that point in time.  Sitting here in Normal reading their ‘story’, I wondered about how many others were doing the same, were redeemed or were just sitting there saying how young they were.

These children in the attached photo are a small group of the 593 children attending school at Fonds Parisien and they, like you and me, have God’s Word and we should be moved to put all that hinders us from sharing His Word with the lost souls left in this world.  It should be easy for each of us to do but satan continues to make it difficult.

“When you carry the Bible, Satan gets a headache.  When you open it, he collapses.  When he sees you reading it, he faints.  When he sees that you are living what you read, he flees and when you are about to share the Gospel news with others he will try and discourage you.”

Thank you for helping children like these with you prayers and support as they take the saving message of Jesus Christ to the lost in their neighborhoods.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you,

Jay