The Calm After the Storm

Many of you will have heard the news out of Haiti about the storm on Friday afternoon.  David Nakhla (short-term missions coordinator visiting from the head office in Philadelphia) and I were at the National gas station near the airport when it hit Port-au-Prince.  The storm really did come out of nowhere and it went from sunny and warm to a huge downpour within 5 minutes.

We could see some dark storm clouds off to the east but didn’t think much of it.  This is the rainy season after all and afternoon storms are fairly commonplace.  But the rain and the wind came in with no warning.  The guys selling their wares in the parking lot outside were scrambling for shelter.  The roads quickly became rivers and people got wet.  While we did not see widespread damage where we drove, you could tell some tarps had gone flying and some had collapsed from the water.

Fast forward to Sunday.  It was the Lord’s Day and we were headed to Port-au-Prince to recommence services at the church plant there.  It was the calm after the storm.  The tarps had been put back in place and life seemed to be going on as before.  There were some trees down as well as electrical poles. 

The calm of our Lord’s Day also involved a worship service at the home of Randy & Karen Lodder in Port-au-Prince.  The decision on a new location for the church and Adoration school has not been decided on yet.  So the Lodders kindly open their home to the folks who have decided to continue to worship with us.  Pastor Octavius Delfils, PCA missionary, led the service and I preached from Mark 8:27-30 on Peter’s confession before Christ.  We enjoyed a good time of fellowship and were served a delicious lunch.

Please continue to pray for everyone involved in this important church in a strategic city in Haiti.  Pray for Pastor Delfils and his family as they move out of their current shared living situation to a more permanent location in Criox-de-Bouquets.  Pray for the Lodders as they await the arrival of their second covenant child in November.  Also pray for the decision about a new location for Adoration School which will also be a more permanent worship location for the Port-au-Prince church.  Pray for safety of all the missionaries in Haiti in the run-up to elections here.