“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8
In late 2000 I was feeling nudges to quit my government job and move to Haiti and be a Lutheran missionary; ‘what was I thinking’ was the question from co-workers and my mom. In March 2001 this essentials things I needed were in Haiti and the remainder of my North American stuff was either donated local missions or placed in a storage shed. Thirty one years working in the Civil Engineering field had ended I went where God’s Hand led me; Petionville, Haiti.
Today, in the U.S. we celebrate Labor Day. We didn’t celebrate Labor Day in Haiti or most of the other holidays I was accustomed to having off while living in Nebraska. School is scheduled to begin today in Haiti and it may or may not happen as too many parents have heard the news from the vodou followers that there is no school today, or tomorrow or for that matter, the remainder of the week. That lie was spread by the devil every year that I lived in Haiti and probably every year there has been Christian education in Haiti; and it works. If parents send their children off on a 1-2 hour walk to school and there may or may not be school from what they have heard, they will keep their children home a few days. A few days away from hearing the Good News and a few missed Trinity/HOPE lunches. Please keep those parents and kids in your prayers today and always. I am closing today with words from the hymn ‘Here I am, Lord’ that were written by Daniel Schutte.
“I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard My people cry; all who dwell in dark and sin; My hand will save. I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear My light to them? Whom shall I send? Here I am Lord, is it I Lord? I have heard You calling in the night. I will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart. I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have born my peoples pain. I have wept for love of them, they turn away. I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone. I will speak My word to them, whom shall I send? Here I am Lord, is it I Lord? I have heard You calling in the night. I will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart. I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame. I will set a feast for them; My hand will save. Finest bread I will provide, till their hearts be satisfied. I will give My life to them, whom shall I send? Here I am Lord, Is it I Lord? I have heard You calling in the night.I will go Lord, if You lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay