Day 5

This morning, we woke up and had breakfast, tore down our little "camp," and left for church. Watching the rubble does not fail to shock you as you drive through the streets. We sang some songs and listened to Andy Stanley. What was really cool was I was thinking about Romans 8 and Andy Stanley talked about it also, about how nature groans and is subjected to futility in hope. One day we will no longer have to worry about earthquakes. At the end of the chapter the writer of Romans asks.."What then shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The cool thing is the first thing listed is death. Isn't it awesome that death is not a problem for Christians? C.S. Lewis said that when we get to heaven it will be so glorious that when we look back on our life, we won't see that heaven has supplied a solution to death and pain and tragedy but we will look back and see that there was no problem at all. How awesome that when we get to heaven EVERYTHING will be made right. The thirst we all have will finally be quenched, the itch will finally be scratched, the injustice will finally be made right and life will be lived as it should. I was brought to tears this morning reading that chapter. The amazing thing was after the message we heard this morning, one of the young guys on a visiting construction team here said, "I have never been a religious man, but right now I feel the closest I have ever been to God.." Even people in our team are having their perceptions of God radically impacted and they are seeing God like never before.

After the service we went on the top of the house so we could get reception for the satellite phone. Kim's church set up a live transmission for her to talk to the congregation. While we were up there we got to see the houses in the ravine behind the missionary's house. Before the earthquake, there were an estimated 75,000 people living in that ravine. Now it looks like at least half of those homes are destroyed and the badly damaged ones are still falling. The eerie thing is that there used to be so much noise in that ravine. Now, it is mostly silent. Many of the survivors moved to this side of the ravine and have set up tent cities all around teh missionary's home.

This evening, Kim was updating the blog and I was chatting with the missionaries about their salvation stories. And just 15 minutes ago a man came to the front gate with a broken arm that needed help. Kim helped translate to find out that he needs surgery on the arm but is afraid that the doctor will amputate. We had to explain why there were so many amputations the first week and why this doctor will be able to fix his arm. We were able to help and direct an appointment for him with an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow morning. We prayed with him before he left and were excited to find out that he is a believer.

There is so much going on it is hard to even write it all and in a way I almost feel like I am cheapening the experience and not doing it justice. But I am reminded of one thing: that Jesus knows all these people personally, and knows each one of their stories even better than I do. I'm so thankful that our God is not an unsympathetic high priest.

Also, please be praying for me as I will be preaching tomorrow in the chapel service to all the students and staff at Quisqueya. They have all had a crazy two weeks so far!

Johnny