News For June 24, 2015

Little Steps

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings to all of you in the name of Jesus!

As I am writing this many things are going on. Haitians and some Dominicans of Haitian decent are being deported to Haiti by the thousands. It is not a hurricane. It is not an earthquake. It is not Cholera. It is not Chikungunya [a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mostquitoes], at least not yet. No, we are facing a serious humanitarian crisis in a time when our gourdes [Haitian money] is at its lowest value in my lifetime. Troubles of all colors and shapes seem to keep a regular appointment with us. Yet my eyes — our eyes are on JESUS.

I am someone who loves and appreciates progress. I like to see people progressing as well. It cheers me up. It cheers me up to see the progress in my country in spite of all the terrible things which are going on. Yes, we are the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. But the number of people getting a good education increases every year and our literacy rate is increasing positively every year. Little steps, I know, but good ones. 

In 1791, when the slaves of my country were revolting against France, they launched the revolt with a sacrifice of a pig to the voodoo gods. But 200 years later when they wanted to renew the voovoo contract it was impossible. Christians in my country got together and prayed so that God prevented it from happening. I know of a young guy 19 years old then who was involved in the middle of all of that. That is huge progress in 200 years, but it was done via little steps.

In 2004 the leadership of my country imported witch doctors from Africa in an effort to resume the initiative of rededicating our country to Satan. Again they failed by the power of the Mighty God. Those spiritual victories are even more important than all the economic progress that we could have made. Today we are blessed by having vocal Christians as lawmakers. They have frustrated the plan of The Enemy against our nation. We have a long way to go, I know, but we value those little steps.

At Living Water we know what little steps look like. But we also celebrate them. Six years ago we had nothing in Bassin Billé, Marmelade. Today we have a growing church and a growing school. We enjoy the little steps made toward a positive mindset and the value of education that those parents are cultivating there. Praise the Lord for that. 

We dream that someday we will be able to generate enough local funds to foster future growth at Living Water. One of the steps toward our goal was the purchase of 170 acres of farm land. This took a lot of little steps: planning, finding the land, paying every dime for the purchase and finally clearing the land.  As I am writing to you there are 37 farmers hoeing it and preparing to plant seeds. Oh yes, little steps, but encouraging little steps. Please pray for the success of this project. We hope that next year we don’t have to rent a machine to plow. We pray that we can even own a small planter to plant seed by next year. God is able! 

Thanks to all of you who help lift our heavy legs in making these small steps. Thanks to all of you who cheer us so we can be encouraged to take those little steps. Thanks to all of you have made those little steps with us. May God richly bless you.

The construction of the school at While Mountain is making little steps and the construction of the transitional church building is making more than little steps. Again praise God for all of that.

In Christ,

Salonique Adolphe and team