Spending much time in prayer these past few days.
It is amazing the chaos that ensues when you agree to step out of your comfort zone and do something that calls you to rely completely and totally on your God. It can be scary territory for one who has spent her life trying to control what is beyond her control. (That would be me in case you did not follow)
Suffice it say, that the evil one has stepped up his attack and is in assault mode.
From the initial clumsy feet meet wet floor incident last Thursday morn, to events of a very personal and hurtful nature midweek, to Paul and I coming down with what could only be described as a fabulous case of what we Southerners call "the crud," to what is now a hurricane with sites set on Haiti, one has to wonder what God has planned for this team from TN, MS, and WI when they arrive in Port au Prince later this week.
I try not to spend much of my time asking WHY all of things are happening at once, rather I choose to ask my God WHAT He wants us to learn from this.
I come away with the belief that he is demanding that His children rely on Him and Him alone, that we have faith enough to believe that He knows what He is doing, and that He will take care of His precious children in Haiti. It is not our place to question the One who created everything. It is our place to trust that His will is for the good of all.
I believe He wants to show us just how mighty and powerful He truly is. He CAN repair what we cannot. He CAN change the hearts of those who seem to have lost their way. And He CAN dissolve a hurricane IF he so chooses, and we have to believe this with every ounce of our being.
I know He expects us to seek Him, to change our wicked ways, to humble ourselves, and to PRAY to him about all of this. And if we do these things, He will hear us. If His answer happens to be "no" regarding any of these issues, I pray we have the grace to accept His will, knowing that whatever His plan is, that the God who created the universe, still has us all in the palm of His hand. Is there really any place we would rather be in the midst of our storm?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
The devil doesn't want you going anywhere
I was just telling my 20 year old son Destin about how I hurt my knee pretty badly yesterday morning. The first sentence out of his mouth was "go to the doctor, the devil doesn't want you going anywhere!"
How right Destin is. As soon as you make plans to go and do something for God, where you KNOW He will be glorified in the process, Satan is going to spring into action as quickly as he can to stop you! And he really does pull out all the stops!!!! It can be a very simple little thing to literally knock you off your feet...
Rewind to yesterday morning. My sweet husband was trying to help me, so he "swiffered" the house for me before work. In my haste to get dressed, I scurried into Shelby's room in my wedges, and all of a sudden....clumsy feet meet wet slippery floor...
You can probably tell where this is going - and you are right....
My left leg, which already has a screw holding the medial, lateral, and posterior cruciate ligaments in place from an auto accident some 20 years ago, went sideways - popping, crunching, and cracking all the while - as my right leg went in the opposite direction....
Needless to say, it was not a pretty sight, and had it not hurt so badly - I would have laughed at the comical nature of the event...HOWEVER - with our mission trip to Haiti only 2 weeks away, I was not laughing....crying in pain and frustration was more like it.
I made my way to work and quickly realized my knee was functioning far from normal. It hurt to walk, it hurt to bend over and it CERTAINLY hurt if it twisted in any direction....Walgreens is right across the road, so I hobbled over, got a sturdy brace and a bottle of Aleve, and said many prayers for miraculous healing of the knee.
Needless to say, the whole situation troubles me. The knee feels no better, and the entire outside of my quad muscle feels bruised...and I really cannot walk very well at all.
We have work to do in Haiti, and I cannot figure out for the life of me how this injury figures into God's plan. I know He HAS a plan for us, and I know in my heart that it involves the beautful people of Haiti.
I know that satan would love to stop us from going and sharing the light and love of Christ, so I ask that you please pray that we are protected from these attacks of the enemy that aim to stop us from serving. There is power in prayer, so we all have to remember to pray for one another each and every day we take a breath. The battle is already won....we just have to do our part as His soldiers.
How right Destin is. As soon as you make plans to go and do something for God, where you KNOW He will be glorified in the process, Satan is going to spring into action as quickly as he can to stop you! And he really does pull out all the stops!!!! It can be a very simple little thing to literally knock you off your feet...
Rewind to yesterday morning. My sweet husband was trying to help me, so he "swiffered" the house for me before work. In my haste to get dressed, I scurried into Shelby's room in my wedges, and all of a sudden....clumsy feet meet wet slippery floor...
You can probably tell where this is going - and you are right....
My left leg, which already has a screw holding the medial, lateral, and posterior cruciate ligaments in place from an auto accident some 20 years ago, went sideways - popping, crunching, and cracking all the while - as my right leg went in the opposite direction....
Needless to say, it was not a pretty sight, and had it not hurt so badly - I would have laughed at the comical nature of the event...HOWEVER - with our mission trip to Haiti only 2 weeks away, I was not laughing....crying in pain and frustration was more like it.
I made my way to work and quickly realized my knee was functioning far from normal. It hurt to walk, it hurt to bend over and it CERTAINLY hurt if it twisted in any direction....Walgreens is right across the road, so I hobbled over, got a sturdy brace and a bottle of Aleve, and said many prayers for miraculous healing of the knee.
Needless to say, the whole situation troubles me. The knee feels no better, and the entire outside of my quad muscle feels bruised...and I really cannot walk very well at all.
We have work to do in Haiti, and I cannot figure out for the life of me how this injury figures into God's plan. I know He HAS a plan for us, and I know in my heart that it involves the beautful people of Haiti.
I know that satan would love to stop us from going and sharing the light and love of Christ, so I ask that you please pray that we are protected from these attacks of the enemy that aim to stop us from serving. There is power in prayer, so we all have to remember to pray for one another each and every day we take a breath. The battle is already won....we just have to do our part as His soldiers.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Our worst day is but a dream.....
Last night I was reading the blog of a missionary in Haiti. She had been working at a med clinic all day, when a young lady came in for a pregnancy test. She already had 2 small children, and was single. She had been on birth control, but something went wrong. The young lady's test came back positive, and in an instant she decided to abort the child.
As heartbreaking as this news was to the missionary at the clinic, she realized that there are not couples in Haiti waiting to adopt this child as there are in the U.S. - there are orphans everywhere. The government is corrupt and makes international adoptions a nightmare, and how is this young woman going to take care of another baby?
Who knows if she even has a "home." With 1.5 million people still living in tents in Haiti, with no jobs, very little food, unsafe drinkning water, what was this woman to do?
I am utterly ashamed to ever think I have had a bad day in my life! Right now it does not matter what most Haitians do, their tomorrow is going to look just like their yesterday, and it is going to be that way for a VERY LONG TIME! They cannot go get another job, or move to a better part of town. They cannot work harder to make it better. There are no jobs, and there is no town to speak of!
Haitians need the hope and grace and love that only Jesus can provide. I cannot imagine the feeling of getting up everyday knowing I was completely powerless to change my situation. As a Christian, I try to imagine that minus Christ. WOW! A feeling of hopelessness like no other overtakes me. What is it that makes you go on? How do you go on day after day amidst the darkness that is sure to try to consume you?
I imagine you pray to whomever for someone to come and help. To love you. To show you that there really is hope when you cannot see it for yourself.
This is why we must go. Our heart breaks for these beautiful people who continue to hang on depite all odds.
Help us help them, won't you?
As heartbreaking as this news was to the missionary at the clinic, she realized that there are not couples in Haiti waiting to adopt this child as there are in the U.S. - there are orphans everywhere. The government is corrupt and makes international adoptions a nightmare, and how is this young woman going to take care of another baby?
Who knows if she even has a "home." With 1.5 million people still living in tents in Haiti, with no jobs, very little food, unsafe drinkning water, what was this woman to do?
I am utterly ashamed to ever think I have had a bad day in my life! Right now it does not matter what most Haitians do, their tomorrow is going to look just like their yesterday, and it is going to be that way for a VERY LONG TIME! They cannot go get another job, or move to a better part of town. They cannot work harder to make it better. There are no jobs, and there is no town to speak of!
Haitians need the hope and grace and love that only Jesus can provide. I cannot imagine the feeling of getting up everyday knowing I was completely powerless to change my situation. As a Christian, I try to imagine that minus Christ. WOW! A feeling of hopelessness like no other overtakes me. What is it that makes you go on? How do you go on day after day amidst the darkness that is sure to try to consume you?
I imagine you pray to whomever for someone to come and help. To love you. To show you that there really is hope when you cannot see it for yourself.
This is why we must go. Our heart breaks for these beautiful people who continue to hang on depite all odds.
Help us help them, won't you?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Everyone has the ability to help
As our day of departure of November 4 quickly approaches, I become acutely aware of how much "help" we need. I know that not everyone feels called to go to the "mission field," but I do believe everyone can help those who do go. Everyone has a God given ability to help send....
There are three impoertant ways in which you can help Paul and I in the coming weeks.
PRAY
I have always believed in the power of prayer, and I have seen God move in my life and in the lives of those I am close to. There is no doubt in my mind that those changes are the result of intercessory prayers - others praying for their fellow believers.
We are going into a country that has been devastated. Life for the most part is chaos. Voodoo is widely practiced and was actually acknowledged as an official religion in Haiti. I can only imagine the spiritual warfare that is present there. Prayer is critical!
So PLEASE pray for our trip, and pray for the missionaries who now call Haiti home, who try to shine the light of Christ in what I am sure can be a dark and dismal place much of the time. Pray for the Haitian people - that they are receptive to the Gospel, and that they have the strength to face the obstacles that are continually placed before them. I know that God hears, and God answers the prayers of those who pray in belief.
DONATE
I am very uncomfortable asking for financial assistance of any kind, but Christ tells us that we have not, because we do not ask...So that leads me to believe that if we are to do his work full time, we will have to have financial support of those who want to help, but do not want to go, and we will have to ask for that support.
It is our goal to be full time "missionaries" in Haiti. There is a need there that will never be met if we (Americans) do not leave the comfort of our lives and "go make disciples of all nations." With 1.5 people living in tents, and hundreds of thousands of orphans in Haiti, I think there is a lifetime of work to be carried out, and it is time to go and shine His light, and show His love to a hurting and broken nation.
I believe we do not have to be perfect, "holy," people to be called to action by our God, like so many of us think. All we have to do for proof of that is read His Word, and take a good look at the original 12. Isn't amazing how God can take a common, not so special, ordinary sinner and use him/her for His glory. I think it shows us just how awesome and powerful He is!
It is our desire to be obedient to the call that God has placed upon our hearts, and we need your help to do that. I know that if this is His will, then He will put it upon the hearts of family, friends, and even complete strangers to support our call to missions. So thank you for your help. :-)
If you wish to donate, you can click the DONATE button on this blog, or if you prefer to send a check, email me for details.
SUPPLIES
There are supplies that are needed in the orphanages and medical clinics all over Haiti. I have posted a short list on a previous blog, so if you are interested in helping with supplies for us to take down with us, e-mail me to see what we need the most.
Thank all of you who are already praying for us, and those of you who plan to sponsor us with the gift of a financial donation. Please be assured that all financial gifts will go towards this trip - and what we pray will be a semi-permanent stay in Haiti taking care of orphans.
God Bless all of you,
Melody and Paul
My email address - melody.neier@yahoo.com
There are three impoertant ways in which you can help Paul and I in the coming weeks.
PRAY
I have always believed in the power of prayer, and I have seen God move in my life and in the lives of those I am close to. There is no doubt in my mind that those changes are the result of intercessory prayers - others praying for their fellow believers.
We are going into a country that has been devastated. Life for the most part is chaos. Voodoo is widely practiced and was actually acknowledged as an official religion in Haiti. I can only imagine the spiritual warfare that is present there. Prayer is critical!
So PLEASE pray for our trip, and pray for the missionaries who now call Haiti home, who try to shine the light of Christ in what I am sure can be a dark and dismal place much of the time. Pray for the Haitian people - that they are receptive to the Gospel, and that they have the strength to face the obstacles that are continually placed before them. I know that God hears, and God answers the prayers of those who pray in belief.
DONATE
I am very uncomfortable asking for financial assistance of any kind, but Christ tells us that we have not, because we do not ask...So that leads me to believe that if we are to do his work full time, we will have to have financial support of those who want to help, but do not want to go, and we will have to ask for that support.
It is our goal to be full time "missionaries" in Haiti. There is a need there that will never be met if we (Americans) do not leave the comfort of our lives and "go make disciples of all nations." With 1.5 people living in tents, and hundreds of thousands of orphans in Haiti, I think there is a lifetime of work to be carried out, and it is time to go and shine His light, and show His love to a hurting and broken nation.
I believe we do not have to be perfect, "holy," people to be called to action by our God, like so many of us think. All we have to do for proof of that is read His Word, and take a good look at the original 12. Isn't amazing how God can take a common, not so special, ordinary sinner and use him/her for His glory. I think it shows us just how awesome and powerful He is!
It is our desire to be obedient to the call that God has placed upon our hearts, and we need your help to do that. I know that if this is His will, then He will put it upon the hearts of family, friends, and even complete strangers to support our call to missions. So thank you for your help. :-)
If you wish to donate, you can click the DONATE button on this blog, or if you prefer to send a check, email me for details.
SUPPLIES
There are supplies that are needed in the orphanages and medical clinics all over Haiti. I have posted a short list on a previous blog, so if you are interested in helping with supplies for us to take down with us, e-mail me to see what we need the most.
Thank all of you who are already praying for us, and those of you who plan to sponsor us with the gift of a financial donation. Please be assured that all financial gifts will go towards this trip - and what we pray will be a semi-permanent stay in Haiti taking care of orphans.
God Bless all of you,
Melody and Paul
My email address - melody.neier@yahoo.com
Saturday, October 2, 2010
You are their hope....
In just five short weeks from today we will be in Haiti. We are so very excited to see how God is going to use us on this first trip, and it is our prayer that He will see fit to use us permanently in His service. It is our heart's desire to be in the center of His will, to be His hands and feet, and to go and show the love of Christ to those who are hurting.
We do need help from everyone, as we cannot do this alone.
Supplies are not readily available in Haiti, so we are collecting items to take with us that will be used at the orphanages and med clinics. Please look over the list and see what you can provide for some of the 1.5 million Haitians who have lost their homes, their jobs, and their families and have been left to live in tents. They are relying on the loving kindness of strangers for assistance. They have no other options.
Supplies Needed:
Children's Tylenol, Motrin, and Aspirin
Adult's Tylenol, Motrin, and Aspirin
Antacids - TUMS, Rolaids, similar product
Neosporin type ointment
Band Aids
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Washcloths
Twin Sheet sets
Towels
We prayerfully ask that you consider supporting our call to missions. There are many expenses involved in such an endeavor - supplies, airfare, lodging, and meals to name a few. We pray that you will ask yourself how you can help, be it it purchasing supplies for us to take with us, or helping financially by clicking on our "Donate" button.
Thanks so much to all of you who are praying for us and supporting this trip. May God bless each of you as you bless those in Haiti. You are their hope.
We do need help from everyone, as we cannot do this alone.
Supplies are not readily available in Haiti, so we are collecting items to take with us that will be used at the orphanages and med clinics. Please look over the list and see what you can provide for some of the 1.5 million Haitians who have lost their homes, their jobs, and their families and have been left to live in tents. They are relying on the loving kindness of strangers for assistance. They have no other options.
Supplies Needed:
Children's Tylenol, Motrin, and Aspirin
Adult's Tylenol, Motrin, and Aspirin
Antacids - TUMS, Rolaids, similar product
Neosporin type ointment
Band Aids
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Washcloths
Twin Sheet sets
Towels
We prayerfully ask that you consider supporting our call to missions. There are many expenses involved in such an endeavor - supplies, airfare, lodging, and meals to name a few. We pray that you will ask yourself how you can help, be it it purchasing supplies for us to take with us, or helping financially by clicking on our "Donate" button.
Thanks so much to all of you who are praying for us and supporting this trip. May God bless each of you as you bless those in Haiti. You are their hope.
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