Need For Spiritually Well-Prepared Teams in Haiti

Sarah Painter of TouchGlobal Crisis Response sent an email about her recent visit in Haiti. She says...

"Katie and I went with Mark and Kevin this past weekend to Haiti.

It was wonderful! The Lord is so clearly working in the lives the people there. Churches are full...others seeking hope. It is def. devastated. It looks like a war zone. The roads cracked in two, homes are piles of rubble. Even if there is a home/structure left standing people prefer to sleep in tent-like structures. These are made of scraps from the rubble, blankets, and garbage. This is what many families are calling home."

Here's the section to pay special attention to...

"The Lord is clearly directing us to partnerships in the area. Churches are filling up as people seek His HOPE and TRUTH. The conflict between voodoo and Christianity is becoming more apparent for the Haitian people. The sermon of the Haitian preacher on Sunday addressed this. He compared the times of Haiti to that of Elijah...where in 2 kings he builds an altar along with those who worship Baal to show that God is the true and only God. The Haitian pastor encouraged the people to stand firm against those who say otherwise. I was so thankful that I we were able to hear this. In the middle of the service a Haitian man came over and interpreted for us! What a blessing : )"

I just finished reading Jesse Penn-Lewis' book, War On The Saints, written after the Welsh Revival at the turn of the 20th century. One of her concerns was counterfeit spiritual activity that emerged immediately after genuine acts of the Holy Spirit. She wrote for the purpose of helping Christ-followers discern between the works of the Lord and the closely mimicked deceptions of Satan.

My thoughts went to the apparent revival going on in Haiti these days and that we need to be praying for discernment among believers (Haitian and guests helpers). We can not be passive about this spiritual aspect of the work in Haiti. The task is not limited to medical care and physical rebuilding. Teams need to be highly sensitized to the spiritual dynamic at work in the heavenlies that has huge impact on the physical.