Friday, February 10, 2012
FINALLY...Happy Anniversary!
Well. I wondered at times if I would see the day, but God is faithful! This week I will be celebrating
my 30th year of ministry of service to the Haitian people! Looking back to 1982, I see how the LORD has done wonderful
things in my life and in the lives of the people here in my adopted country.
I can truly say the person I am now
is not the one I was then. I have come through many trials and crises , but they all have proven to be for my spiritural
good. The Haitian people have been a witness and encouragement to my faith as I have seen them struggle against seemingly
overwhelming odds, yet God has done miracles that many will never know about.
God wants to use each and everyone
of us as part of the effort to reach lost souls for Christ. Wherever we are, there are countless opportunites to witness
to others and be used to introduce people to Jesus, who is the ONE that God has chosen as the means to reconcile people to
God.
You can play a role in this great endeavor by helping Gospel Growers to continue its work here in this obscure
corner of Haiti. Please consider becoming partners with us in this mission.
8:18 am est
Thursday, February 9, 2012
PRAISE THE LORD!
I have been able to find some wonderful Haitian Christian music lately that is really annointed by the Spirit.
As a consequence I have gotten a lot of feedback from listeners of our Christian Radio Station here in Cote de Fer.
The recorded sermons and uplifting music is definitely having an effect on these people. In spite of their economic
problems, they still try to give something in order to help us buy fuel for our generator so as to keep the Station on air.
Thanks to you all who were helping us by praying for rain. We just had a couple nights with showers!
Praise the Lord! The farmers have been preparing the land for planting. If the rain keeps up, planting can go
forward.
David has returned home from the hospital in Port au Prince after having spent a couple of weeks being
treated for typhoid. He has lost a lot of weight, but is feeling better. Thanks for your prayers!
One of
our Radio Station staff members, Guedy Pamphil got married last year. A couple of days ago the Lord has seen fit to
bless him and his wife with a baby boy. His name is Guedjiny. They are very happy, although the birth process
lasted 4 days and ended in there having to be a Caesarian section done.
We pray that the Lord will bless
you all who follow this blog and hope that you will be led to send financial assistance so that the work here can continue.
Any such help can be sent to our office address which is:
Gospel Growers, Inc
Box 92814
Southlake, Texas
76092
attn. James Guerriero
11:00 am est
Monday, February 6, 2012
Things progress...
There is some progress to report. A grant had been given to re-do the crumbling section of the Dariol
elementary school. The work has progressed nicely and soon the 4 rooms will be ready for the tin roof which will cover
it.
A couple of preparatory and planning meetings have been held for the Youth Retreat which will be the 3 days
of 19,20,21 of February. During this period things pretty much shut down in Haiti for the 3 day Mardi Gras festivities.
The government always wastes a lot of money to entertain the masses during this time. All that comes about from it are
some deaths and multiple pregnancies. This is why we chose to try to "retreat" with the youth during this
period and try to work with them.
I am greatly in need of funds to complete the walls of the Dubois church to give
them greater security and protection from the elements. I need $2225 in order to get the remaining materials and pay
the construction crew. PLEASE consider helping in this matter. This is the only church in this community and the
need is great!
9:58 am est
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Urgent prayer need...
Drug runners are refurbishing the makeshift airstrip across the road from our church. They bring light
planes in with drugs, Please pray that the Lord will block these attempts!
Rain hasn't fallen, and certain
people in this farming community have seen this as a way to get some money to get by on. Meanwhile, giving to missions
is down and this limits what I can do to intervene in cases of hardship. Also pray that resources can be found so that
God's work can continue to be done here.
5:50 am est
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Power to CHANGE lives...
I was reading through 2 Chronicles and found confirmation of how GOD can restore a life no matter how depraved
and lost it was before. An encounter with the Living God can effect a mighty transformation.
Read in 2 Chronicles
33:1-20 of the life of Manasseh, one of the Kings of Judah. He had a good father, but he turned terribly wicked during
the first part of his life.He worshipped idols, dabbled in astrology and the occult, even to the point of sacrificing his
sons to the gods. He practiced sorcery, divination, witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He murdered
his subjects.
God punished Manasseh by allowing him to be defeated by his enemies and he was led away to
a foreign capital with a ring in his nose dragged along by a rope in utter humiliation.
BUT, then read verse
12-- "While he was in deep distress, Mannaseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors.
And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. So the Lord let Mannaseh return
to Jerusalem and to his throne. MANASSEH HAD FINALLY REALIZED THAT THE LORD ALONE IS GOD."
Then from
verse 14 to 20, we read how Mannaseh changed his ways and endeavored to encourage the people of Judah to worship the Lord,
the God of Israel.
What a wonderful restoration of a life gone amok. Even we Christians can backslide and
fall, yet we read in 1 John 2:1-2, if we fall into sin, there is someone to plead for us before the Father--JESUS!
He gave HIS life and blood so that all who come to God through Him can find forgiveness and restoration. There is no
life so far gone that God cannot restore it!
6:40 am est
Thursday, January 26, 2012
TAKE HEED!
Thus saith the Lord through the mouth of HIS prophet Jeremiah....could these words also be applied to us?
"I was fair to your ancestors, so why did they turn away from ME?" (Roe vs. Wade, prayer taken out
of schools, elevating the decrees and the laws of government above the WORD of GOD)
"Has a nation ever exchanged
it's gods?....My people have done 2 evils: they have turned away from me, the spring of LIVING WATER.
And they have dug
their own wells, which are broken wells that cannot hold water."(liberal christianity, liberal politics and socialism)
Haven't you brought this on yourself by turning away from the Lord your GOD. IT IS WRONG NOT TO FEAR ME, says
the Lord GOD ALL-Powerful!" (degradation of society and economic ruin)
THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO
HEAR, LISTEN.....
10:46 am est
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Update
There is good news about David. His illness has been diagnosed as typhoid. He is being treated.
Thanks for your prayers!
While I was in a fast/prayer service a neighborhood boy tried to break into my house.
He had got the front door open when my next door neighbor saw him and scared him off. Pray for this boy.
My
message at the prayer service was from Matthew 25. Wake up and get your lamp filled with oil (represents the Holy Spirit),
Jesus is coming! Don't let him find you with an empty tank and in the dark!
Please consider donating to Gospel
Growers. The economy is causing givng to slow up. Lord, we need you to bless your people so that the work can
continue!
4:04 am est
Monday, January 23, 2012
An URGENT PLEA...
In view of of that is going on in the world at this moment, and the many signs that are there for all discerning,
thoughtful Christians who read their Bibles and are watching the "signs of the times", it is imperative that I encourage
very strongly that all who have yet to accept JESUS CHRIST as their personal Savior (confess sins, repent, ask Jesus
into your heart) and LORD (start conforming to what God wants as indicated in HIS WORD) had better do it without delay!
All we have is the present moment...tomorrow is questionable.......
I prayed with 3 people last week and they received
Christ. WE MUST APPROACH OTHERS WITH THE GOSPEL WHILE TIME REMAINS...the door of GRACE is about to close...
Our Radio Station is announcing the GOSPEL in our part of HAITI every day we are able to purchase gas for our generator.
PLEASE HELP!
8:46 am est
Friday, January 20, 2012
Needing more prayer...
I've got 2 of my co-workers here experiencing health problems--we need prayer backup! Please pray for
David Exane and Esai Precil. It seems we are under attack. Pray fo health issues to be resolved. David especially
has some kind of intestinal/stomach thing that the doctors haven't successfully treated yet. He had pain this morning
and had to seek help. Finances are limited, and faith needs to be strengthened.
4:44 am est
Monday, January 16, 2012
Message to the leaders and people of the nations...
Thus saith the Lord through His servant the prophet Jeremiah...."...There may come a time when I will
speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by it's roots or that I will pull down to destroy it. But if the
people of that nation STOP doing the evil they have done, I will change my mind and NOT carry out my plans to bring disaster
upon them. There may come another time when I will speak about a nation that I will build up and plant. BUT IF I see
it doing evil by NOT obeying me, I will change my mind and NOT carry out my plans to do good for them..." Jeremiah 18:7-10
Those who have ears to hear, listen...
There is little time left...the LORD approaches.....
8:19 am est
Friday, January 13, 2012
Friday the 13th...unlucky day?
Jesus said "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me...", and so we who believe in HIM
and serve HIM have nothing to fear from unlucky days, or even unlucky stars for that matter.
The only
way this day can prove unfortunate for you is if you let it pass by without accepting Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior
and by not choosing to serve HIM willingly as Lord of your life.
Make this a lucky day by throwing that rabbit's
foot or any other lucky charm away and put your hand in the hand of the MAN from Galilee. JESUS will make every day
a blessed day for you.
5:45 am est
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Unhappy Anniversary
We are at the eve of the 12th January earthquake of 2010. Many are nervous that there could be a repeat
performance. There is much sadness as people remember family and friends who perished in those terrible seconds when
the world turned upside down for many Haitians.
Many are still in tattered tents in Port au Prince. The capital
is a shadow of its former self. It is not a pleasant place to pass through...so much dust, rubble and garbage.
Please remember those still without homes to live in, and the huge numbers of handicapped--those who lost arms
and legs in this terrible event.
5:44 am est
Monday, January 9, 2012
don't forget to pray for us...
And as if there aren't enough problems already, I just found out thieves stole two of the Radio Station solar
panels.......
9:16 am est
What...no McDonald"s?
In any third world country it seems the further away you get from the capital city the people get poorer and
poorer. Stands to reason as wealth goes with power, so people in Port-au Prince generally live better than their country
cousins.
Poverty not only means not having things, it also means you have fewer choices to make. Here I am
way out in the Haitian countryside with some money in my pocket and I can't find many things to buy. It took me 2 days
to find any bread. A family of four would need to buy $5 Haitian dollars worth of bread to satisfy their hunger. That
would be like 60 cents US. But consider that the per capita income here is about $400. It puts thing in perspective.
To buy a medium sized Cafe Latte in the States is $4.00. Down here that would be wildly extravagant! An 18 oz
jar of peanut butter is $4.00 US. The prices of things imported here are more expensive than the US. Think about
that. A Haitian has to pay more to make a peanut butter sandwich than you do!
A chicken egg here costs 13
cents! My choices are getting fewer and fewer. And to add insult to injury, in the US I don't feel too overweight
because almost everyone is overweight. Down here I feel absolutely obese! My self image is threatened! There
aren't many overweight people in the Haitian countryside.
Many holiday traditions are dying out. No Haitians
can afford to be festive during the holidays. Children now are growing up without experiencing a "typical"
Haitian Christmas. Things are too expensive and money rare. Haitians from the states have lost their jobs and
can't send much down to poor relatives--things are bad! Very few had the traditional soup gerimou on New Year's Day.
Sugar sweetened coffee, long a staple in the poor man's diet is virtually non existent as the cost of sugar and coffee has
gone up so high.
Fewer and fewer choices...I had too settle for saltine crackers (stale at that) as there was no
bread for breakfast. Am I homesick...no. I love these people and I love being here even if I can't find any fast food.
Wait a minute, there's some there...a chicken is running down the road. Now, if I could only catch it.....
4:42 am est
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Celebrate!
This shows you what it was like in Dariol Church on the 31st December. Standing room only!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Recovery mode...
All the bumps and bruises from my road trip to Dariol were forgotten on 31st December during the awesome worship/celebratory
service here in the church.
The service started around 6 pm when it gets dark here. We began with praise
songs, then prayer, the Bible reading and then the message. After that the "fun" started with special singing,
jokes, skits, and questions with prizes for correct answers given.
After this was the Agape or meal
prepared by ladies of the church. This year it featured chicken, rice and beans, sauce and a type of pink potato salad(because
of the beets in it). It was all very good and served in styrofoam containers to over 300 people. The meat ran
out but the rice and beans was sufficient. Even enough soft drinks for all!
There was standing room only as the
meal was served and they ran a DVD called "Better Decision" about some people with their problems with voodoo,
after which they all came to Christ--even the witchdoctor! It was a great hit! The festivities went on until
2 AM.
The next day at 9 am there was a Sunday worship service (with considerable less people). How I love
these people and being here with them. They have so little and suffer so much, but their faith is great and their love
for the Lord genuine.
I am in great need of resources to continue our programs to help these wonderful people and
to spread the Gospel here. Please consider helping us. If you could interest your church to form a relationship
with a church here as a "sister" church it would be a blessing for both!
The Radio Staion is badly
in need of funds to purchase fuel for its generator to keep us on the air. A month of fuel costs us around $1000!
The radio station is a fantastic evangelism tool and we hate to see it not used to its full potential because of lack of funds
for fuel. Please consider helping this Christian Radio Station to reach thousands!
3:27 pm est
Friday, December 30, 2011
Finally!
Well, I'm back in Dariol, Haiti. What a horrible trip it is though as the road is SO bad. It is
definitely not advisable for anyone with back problems! I'm hoping that after 2-3 days I will be recovered.
This is the worst I,ve been shaken and bounced in years!
To add insult to injury, my own car is in the garage with
electrical problems and I had to use a rental car to get here (at great expense).
6:54 am est
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry Christmas to us all!
No snow, but that's fine with me! I am putting the finishing touches on things I have to do before leaving
for Haiti in the midst of Christmas bustle and confusion!
I find it's easier to mail down almost all my
things so I don't have a lot of luggage. It's great to travel with just a carry on.
I want to wish you all
a very, blessed Christmas and New Year as well! The greatest gift I could give you is JESUS, but He must be taken personally
and individually by each person. If you haven't invited Jesus into your hearts yet, why not do it this Christmas,
why not do it NOW?
God has blessed me so during my visit to the States. I had successful bilateral cataract
surgeries, and my Mom had a miraculous recovery from her stroke! The Doctor said she should have been dead, but God
decided otherwise!
Let us look to HIM who established Christmas, continue to trust and listen to His WORD.
Let us be truly thankful for what He has done for us this past year and look forward to this coming year with faithful anticipation!
Let us look up and expect HIS coming at any moment...
11:38 am est
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Pushing the Gospel further...
Last month the Christian Radio Station we founded and support upped its transmitter status from 130 to
300 watts of power. This has doubled the amount of territory that our signal reaches.
Because of the mountains
and lack of roads in Haiti, the most effective means of getting the Gospel to as many people as possible is radio. There
is potential listening audience of a couple of million people.
We've decided to do even more by donating our old
transmitter to a small radio station near Camp Perrin. We have also donated some of our Christian music to them to start
having an impact with the Gospel in this area of Haiti as well. Pray that God will continue to make more opportunites
to let people know about Jesus.
Your financial help makes all these ministries possible. PLEASE continue
to help Gospel Growers.
In February we will again sponsor our annual Youth retreat. Our budget needs are
$1500. If you can help in this please send a designated gift to our office in Southlake, Texas.
8:30 am est
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wedding bells will be ringing...
At the end of this month, our Director of Programming at Radio Semence will be "tying the knot".
Yes, Ovard Pamphil and his childhood sweetheart, Modeline Brianvil will exchange vows in the Baptist Church at Coraille L'Herrison.
We wish to wish them the best and pray that God will bless their union.
5:39 pm est
