Martine arrived safely in Haiti on Tuesday afternoon. She contacted us today, Friday, to say everything was going well. The past few days, and the coming weekend, Martine has been settling back into Haitian culture and the Kreyol language. The first team, a group of nurses from the UK, arrives next Tuesday. They will then travel to La Gonave, an small island off the coast of the big island that is Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This island was once used as a base for pirates and later a place to dump undesirables, criminals, the sick. It is now one of the poorest places in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
It is so clear that God is using this trip in mighty ways. So clear because the devil was intent on stopping it up until the last minute. Martine was to get some required medications for typhoid and malaria at the beginning of last week. When we called the doctor they said they don't give them, to get them at a Walgreens or CVS clinic. A appointment was made at the clinic but when we arrived they said they did not give these medications without the patient seeing her primary caregiver first. So back to calling the doctor where they suddenly realized all of Martine's records had been transferred to another office. Calling the new office was of no help because said they could not see her for three months! Finally we went to a clinic specializing in traveler's needs are were able to receive the prescriptions.
During that week some other things happened in our household that told us the devil was at work to bring frustration. First some plumbing problems led to us not being able to use the water in the house for a few days. We went to the YMCA to shower. That reminded me of the old days, when we lived in Romania. The water was frequently cut off there so when the French built a gym near their compound we joined mostly to use it to shower. On a more serious note however, Jeff's credit card number was digitally stolen. He called the company and cancelled the card but this was so lead to serious problems at the airport.
We had bought Martine's ticket to Haiti on that same credit card in May and paid the bill off at the end of May. At the airport trying to check in, they insisted they must see the card to give her boarding pass (something to do with the card being declared stolen). This despite the fact that the card had been paid off months ago. Delta, of course, had their money back in May when the ticket was bought so I don't really see why they cared. After much discussion with the counter attendant and her on the phone with her supervisor, they decided they simply would not give me the boarding pass. Here we are with the plane leaving in a hour..... In the end I had to RE-BUY the ticket. They insisted they would refund the first ticket (to the cancelled card?) but we have yet to see that be done.
People often tell me of hardships they have encountered while trying to do something good. They usually say something like, "Maybe God is trying to tell me not to do it." Personally, I don't think God works this way. If a person is sinning, yes, he will reap the consequences of that sin and those will not be pleasant. Children are disciplined. God may let out all the stops to allow you to see the deception and turn back to Him. Even non-Christians experience negative consequences from disobeying God's laws. But when you are doing something that is in and of itself right, he won't lead you with a whip. He will guide you through the Holy Spirit to wait before you do that good thing. Or to do that good thing differently. Or to let someone else do that and to focus on some other good thing. But his leading will be in gentle, kind ways, not with a slap.
That is why I am sure these punches were not from God, and Satan doesn't punch unless he is threatened. Martine asked that you keep her in your prayers. Please do. She's in the devil's bulls-eye but that is also the center of God's will, the safest place you could ever be.
It is so clear that God is using this trip in mighty ways. So clear because the devil was intent on stopping it up until the last minute. Martine was to get some required medications for typhoid and malaria at the beginning of last week. When we called the doctor they said they don't give them, to get them at a Walgreens or CVS clinic. A appointment was made at the clinic but when we arrived they said they did not give these medications without the patient seeing her primary caregiver first. So back to calling the doctor where they suddenly realized all of Martine's records had been transferred to another office. Calling the new office was of no help because said they could not see her for three months! Finally we went to a clinic specializing in traveler's needs are were able to receive the prescriptions.
During that week some other things happened in our household that told us the devil was at work to bring frustration. First some plumbing problems led to us not being able to use the water in the house for a few days. We went to the YMCA to shower. That reminded me of the old days, when we lived in Romania. The water was frequently cut off there so when the French built a gym near their compound we joined mostly to use it to shower. On a more serious note however, Jeff's credit card number was digitally stolen. He called the company and cancelled the card but this was so lead to serious problems at the airport.
We had bought Martine's ticket to Haiti on that same credit card in May and paid the bill off at the end of May. At the airport trying to check in, they insisted they must see the card to give her boarding pass (something to do with the card being declared stolen). This despite the fact that the card had been paid off months ago. Delta, of course, had their money back in May when the ticket was bought so I don't really see why they cared. After much discussion with the counter attendant and her on the phone with her supervisor, they decided they simply would not give me the boarding pass. Here we are with the plane leaving in a hour..... In the end I had to RE-BUY the ticket. They insisted they would refund the first ticket (to the cancelled card?) but we have yet to see that be done.
People often tell me of hardships they have encountered while trying to do something good. They usually say something like, "Maybe God is trying to tell me not to do it." Personally, I don't think God works this way. If a person is sinning, yes, he will reap the consequences of that sin and those will not be pleasant. Children are disciplined. God may let out all the stops to allow you to see the deception and turn back to Him. Even non-Christians experience negative consequences from disobeying God's laws. But when you are doing something that is in and of itself right, he won't lead you with a whip. He will guide you through the Holy Spirit to wait before you do that good thing. Or to do that good thing differently. Or to let someone else do that and to focus on some other good thing. But his leading will be in gentle, kind ways, not with a slap.
That is why I am sure these punches were not from God, and Satan doesn't punch unless he is threatened. Martine asked that you keep her in your prayers. Please do. She's in the devil's bulls-eye but that is also the center of God's will, the safest place you could ever be.
