Prayer of the People for this Third Sunday in Advent

(painting from the Brooklyn Museum, by James Tissot)

 

God of boundless compassion, at times such as these, on this 3^rd Sunday of Advent, our words seem inadequate to describe our sorrow and disbelief. Help us focus on your promise in Psalm 147: to heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.

We pray for all around this world who are traumatized. But especially today we pray for those suffering as a result of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT,:

• We bring before You, Lord, our deep grief and anger at the massacre of so many children, teachers and the parents of the gunman.
• We pray for the parents, children and staff of those who are dealing with post traumatic stress.
• We pray for all who responded to the call from the school and have the images of disaster in their minds.
• We pray For those who are using their gifts and talents to "heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds."
• We also ask for your wisdom to guide the decisions made now to prevent such tragedies in the future.

·        Show your face, O God, in the midst of such distress
and grant your peace where great loss and sorrow abound.

Help us, Lord, bring light into this darkness. Show us Your Way and bring us peace as we continue to prepare the way for others to know and trust in your love.
Help us, Lord, persist in trust and hope in your goodness and justice as shown in the life of Christ who channeled your love wherever he went. Lighten the darkness of this world with the light of your presence.
Bring healing where it is possible
and patience in the waiting.

Remind us of the hope you bring
and of your great love for this world
at all times and

Lord God, Creator, and Savior of all, we hold up in our prayers those who also suffer as a result of war, oppression and violence in other parts of our world. So often we cannot seem to grasp that there too are  suffering parents, relatives, friends, school-children and ordinary folk like ourselves in Syria, Afganistan and the Congo.

We pray for all suffering in these hard financial times....In this month of great excess and consumerism, call the financial and business communities to act justly and generously. Make known your deeds among the people, O God. Save the lame; gather the outcast and inspire each of us to invite those in need to share with them our lives of plenty.  Lighten the darkness of this world with the light of your presence.
Bring healing where it is possible
and patience in the waiting.

We pray for those in ministry in your churches around the world who are asked to provide a ray of hope to the downtrodden.  May those without coats be clothed and those without food be fed. We pray for God's mercy to come forth in all the corners of the world in need. Bring healing where it is possible in body, mind, and spirit and give patience in the waiting.

Holy Beloved, we thank you that we are alive in your creation where grace breaks out like a flowing stream in wilderness places. May your springs of salvation renew the earth. Heal our planet and restore in us a sense of responsibility and gratitude.

 

Lighten the darkness of this world with the light of your presence.
Bring healing where it is possible
and patience in the waiting. Lighten the darkness of this world with the light of your presence.
Bring healing where it is possible
and patience in the waitinHelp us Lord God: to love as you love us; to forgive as you forgive us; to serve as you serve us and may each of us be peace where trouble is found. Keep us trusting you and in your way; let us not propagate doom and despair, for Your kingdom is near. On this 3^rd Sunday in Advent we plead for a strong sense of your everlasting presence remembering that you also weep along with us.  Come, Lord Jesus! Amen

Time for an Epiphany?

 

Epiphany history and origin of the Epiphany painting

 

At this moment I am listening to a child in our nursery school loudly chant: "I love you, I love you, I love you!" to another child who is giggling and delighting in the moment. What a reminder of Epiphany! The magi who visited our Lord communicated the same message with words,gifts and other adorations of the Christ child after making the long journey to meet him. And in some way I am certain the Christ child responded back to them, "I love you, too!"

 

Where do we journey to meet Jesus and show him our love? By attending worship? While on a mission trip? At the grocery store? All of these places are important. God calls us to demonstrate our love for Jesus in our words and deeds in every moment along our life journeys? In this new year, a wonderful resolution would be: "To love Jesus more and more each day by loving those in my life more and more each day." God is in our midst all around us. And yet we fail to see Jesus in one another most of the time.

 

Brandon Heath wrote an inspiring song: "Give Me Your Eyes." It beautifully repeats: "Give me your eyes for just one second, give me your eyes so I can see, everything that I've been missing, give me your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken-hearted, the ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me your heart for the one's forgotten; give me your eyes so I can see."

 

Here is the "official" video recording of  "Give Me Your Eyes."

 

As an Epiphany gift to Jesus, let us become even closer to God by connecting with love to all we meet. See them through the eyes of Jesus and seek to find God in the people you meet along your life journey. Our Epiphany lectionary scripture reading guides us to do our part to "save the lives" of those in need: "For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy, from oppression and violence. He redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight." (Psalm 72: 12-14)

 

What will you do this Epiphany 2013? Don't let it go by uncelebrated! Celebrate Epiphany by giving the gift of YOU to someone who needs a helper. Watch "Your Love" - and feel inspired to share this message wherever you are in 2013! Love YOU!

 

 

 





YOU are invited to a Resiliency and Prayer Study!

Please consider participating in Pastor Cindy’s Resiliency and Prayer Study.     For completion of the Doctorate in Ministry program in Science & Theology, Pastor Cindy is analyzing the effect of prayer on resiliency. Join us on Saturday, November 3^rd, from 3-5pm in the Parlor of the Parish House and you will receive prayer bead training. This is a “new ancient” way of prayer using prayer beads. The training includes creating your own personal string of beads similar to the image below. A brief resiliency survey will be given at the first meeting and again on December 15^th after 6 weeks of daily personal prayer.
 

  A brief history of Prayer Beads: Christian prayer beads can be useful to focus the mind and heart on prayer. Since the late 1980’s many Protestant churches have begun using a set of 33 beads to represent the years of Christ’s life on earth. Ancient faith practices included the use of prayer beads more than 2000 years ago. Now ecumenical prayer beads have been developed to deepen prayer life for many faith traditions. The beads encourage meditating on God’s love and what Jesus has done for us as our Lord and Savior. This way of prayer may help to remove oneself from distractions in a busy world and focus on prayer that invites the presence of the Holy Spirit into our lives.

Please join us for this study of a “new ancient” way of praying.

For more information email: calloway@pcmorristown.org or call: 973-538-1776.

You are invited to see the movie "I Am!"

I love this movie/documentary so much I am inviting all to come to our Faith on Film event for a free showing at our church Parish House this Sunday, October 28th at 4pm.  We will also have pizza and birthday cake to celebrate another one of my 39th birthdays! Yay!

Plan to join us at 65 South Street, Morristown this Sunday. Here is the trailer to the movie to preview it: http://t.co/02B1JsiG
 

Noah’s Ark and Our Church, Examples of Life-Giving Sanctuaries

Last week I visited our PCUSA headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky for the first time. It is a huge office building and chapel. The atrium walls are lined with a series of amazing paintings telling the story of Creation by artist Maritza Morgan. This one in particular caught my eye.

The cramped quarters of Noah’s ark are portrayed with beautiful colors and block shaped images. Viewing this perspective caused me to realize how every inch of space on the ark was important, including the lap of Noah who is holding a dove. God instructed Noah to share his ark for the life of the world and he did with warm hospitality for the large and small in creation.

Thanks to successful stewardship campaigns year after year our church ark has stayed afloat ever since 1733. We have consistently heard and answered God’s call to share our church for the life of the world. PCM has a reputation in the community for being hospitable, like Noah, and for sharing the life-giving gifts we have been blessed with. Like the ark, our church is a holy refuge for healing and hope for all who need to get away from the chaos and storms of life.

The 2012 Stewardship campaign grand finale is on Thanksgiving Festival Sunday, November 18^th when we all bring food to share with some of our mission partners who feed the hungry in town. It will be a joyful way to connect our food and financial resources with those in need.

This year’s stewardship theme: “Creating Pathways to Giving” inspired each of us to pledge for our church’s future. Our pledges have provided not only funds for our church to thrive on, but also a blessed future for our children and grandchildren and all of creation to enjoy.  God is good!

You are an Essential Part of the Resuscitation Team for the Global Church!

John chapter one begins with this proclamation: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….”

As I ponder the future of the Church, John 1 gives me great hope. Many in the “Western Church” currently announce that “the Church” is drastically declining. Some are even saying it needs to die so it can be reborn. I don’t agree. I believe the message from the passage above inspires us to trust that the light of Christ will still shine even in the darkness of decline and will not be overcome by it. We, you and me, and all in “the Church” today can rally together to transform and reform the church to give it new life without letting it completely die first.

An analogy might be found in healthcare, where I previously worked. Caregivers don’t let the patient die first and then try to resuscitate. Nurses catch the patient on the way down, before life is completely gone, so that chances for a favorable outcome are good. Each of us can do this now on behalf of the global Church of Jesus Christ.  Each of us is critically important in the resuscitation process. You are vital to the life of the church, and your presence in this process makes a successful resuscitation happen.

Our Presbyterian Church in Morristown is doing better than most. We have a vibrant, growing congregation. This new church year is our opportunity to give hope and life to others personally and invigorate our church itself. When we thrive, others will catch our contagious hope and be inspired to thrive as well. The light we shine out into the community of Morristown brightens the lives of others who are feeling hopeless about their own futures.

Stopping the decline of the "Church" takes all of us working together as a team. Like the Code Blue team in the hospital, success depends on each of us -- using our gifts and talents to strengthen our own church so we can reach out and help others. Does this sound exhausting to you?

Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

There are many whose lives we touch who may feel too exhausted, stressed or alienated to attend church. Each of us can proclaim the gospel by inviting these weary folks to receive the strength and rest that comes with attending worship in a faithful community. May you not let the darkness and confusion of unrelenting busyness overwhelm you this new church season. Be an active resuscitation team member and find new life in the light that shines as a result of your service - all for the glory of God and the global church. 

My Prayer for a Dying Church Member

Creator God, Nancy is your beloved child who was known to you before her birth. Now Nancy's life on this earth is coming to a close. We are grateful Nancy has had a wonderful life fully lived. She will never be forgotten as her life and loves are carried along in our own lives in many ways. 

Wrap her in your loving arms so she can feel your presence here at this time. Reassure Nancy that she is never alone, that you are here with us and there is nothing to fear, for you promise that NOTHING can separate us from your all-encompassing love. Please forgive the things that Nancy believes need to be forgiven. Give her reassurance of your mercy, understanding, and unconditional acceptance; for you alone know our deepest thoughts and needs.

May Nancy trust in your promise that you are with us to the end of the age and that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Take away any present suffering and fear. Replace our worries with your gifts of grace, love, and comforting peace that surpasses all understanding. And in your wise timing, may your heavenly angels peacefully carry our beloved Nancy to the next dwelling place where there is joy; no more tears or sorrow.
Receive Nancy into your tender loving arms of mercy.

And grant us all an awareness of your love interweaving the Universe together in everlasting life. Amen

Prayer for All People

I lift up to you, our Eternal and Loving God, in prayer:

The lost and all who go searching for them, the broken and wounded, and the merciful who tend to them.

The frightened souls and those who advocate for them;

all nations and their advisers who have influence over them.

The diverse peoples of the world and all who protect the smallest and the weakest, 

those involved in warring regions, and for the peacemakers who try to bring a just reconciliation.

We pray:

For the hungry millions and for the homeless, for refugees;

and for all who do their best to provide for their needs.

 For the physically challenged, the oppressed, the addicted;

 and each clinic, advocate and therapist that offers respect and hope.

For the diseased, the mentally ill; and we ask for God's tender loving care of them and encouragement for those who patiently work for their wellbeing.

For the dying and for those who comfort them, and we pray for those grieving the loss of loved ones.

For the unemployed and all who despair with economic problems. 

Inspire those of us who can be of help to boldly take others under our wings.

For the church in its many denominations and congregations. 

May we together present a strong armor to the world protecting the weak, providing for the poor, lifting up the downtrodden, and doing justice with mercy and kindness.  May we channel God's love through all our words and actions.

Thank you Lord for challenging us to be more than we think we can be. Help us be alert to the inspiration of your Spirit and remember to pray at all times. As we draw strength from your power may we stand firm against all that can corrupt your creation.  

Thank you for the reassurance that you deeply love each one of us. 

In Christ's name we pray. Amen

A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine

 “A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

Last weekend a staff member commented that it was good to hear laughter in the congregation during the service. She believes it attracts more people to our church when they hear how happy and fun we are. I agree with her! When we count our blessings here at PCM we have lots to be thankful for and show it with joyful laughter.

"The power of humor can transform heads and hearts," said Michael Farrell, author and publisher. He believes God gave us a whole system of facial muscles designed just for laughing; so we must use them! We are created to laugh! Yet, life is a mix of tragedy and comedy. Soren Kierkegaard wrote: “Wherever there is life there is contradiction and wherever there is contradiction the comical is present.”

As our church seeks to connect more people to Jesus Christ, we can do so with our facial muscles to greet visitors and old friends with smiles and laughter. People are automatically attracted to laughter when it is positively based on God’s good humor. Plus, a light-hearted look at life can give us hope and optimism in times of trouble.

God had a plan when human creation was blessed with the ability to laugh. Laughter lowers your blood pressure, improves your digestion, and increases the serotonin in your brain that enhances your mood. One of my favorite sounds is a baby’s belly laugh when playing peek-a-boo. I find it impossible to not laugh along with the baby I hear laughing. Humor is contagious! (I can't help but laugh when I look at this photo of my son, Ian, who was laughing at me when I took this picture.)

As a Psychiatric Nurse Therapist/Pastor, I must share with you more of the mental health benefits of humor. Laughter adds joy and zest to life, eases anxiety and fear, relieves stress, improves mood, and enhances resilience. A dose of laughter is important to have each day. Look up a new joke-a-day on the internet and start your day with a laugh. Share the good medicine by making one of your daily goals to make another person laugh heartily and positively.

Strive to see the funny side of tension, disagreements, disappointments, or surprising changes in plans. Marriage counselors say that one of the key qualities to a successful marriage is when one of the couple is able to step back and diffuse an argument with genuine positive laughter or lightheartedness. Not to ignore the problem, but to give a new perspective on it that changes the tone from hopeless to hopeful.

God created us to enjoy three L’s:  to laugh and love and live together. Angela Macnamara suggests it is best to seek the lighter side of life in all circumstances. She said, “There is no period of life that does not have its own silver lining.”

As we become more “silver,” over time, let us keep the gift of laughter active to enhance our faith and mental health status as we respond to the contradictions and calamities of life on earth. (For more on the health benefits of laughter see: http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm)

Your Image of God is Created in You and Creates You

Hand of God Nebula image by NASA/CXC/SAO/P.Slane, et al.

Forgiveness was the theme for a week of my Interdisciplinary Approaches to Trauma seminar this semester at Princeton Theological Seminary. One particular article described the parental influences on a child’s religious perspectives. How we see God (or the image of God we carry around with us) is greatly influenced by our relationships with our parents or other caretakers growing up.

With this in mind, I discovered this quote from Albert Einstein who said, “I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation and is but a reflection of human frailty.” He added, “God may be subtle but he isn’t mean."
                                              
How does this perspective on God reflect the influence Einstein’s significant role models had on his development as his image of God was being created? 
                                                    
Richard Rohr, a Franciscan friar who writes a daily devotional for his Center for Action and Contemplation said, “Your image of God, your operative image of God --  lives in a symbiotic relationship with your soul and CREATES what you become. Loving people, forgiving people have always encountered (or perceived) God as a loving and forgiving God. Cynical people are cynical about the very possibility of a coherent loving center to the universe.” 

Ponder this scripture: Psalm 103: 1-5 -- “Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits; who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfied you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
                                                                          
2 questions for your soul to contemplate: 1) How do these words align with the image of God that continues to create you? 2) How does your life show this image of God to the world?

Making Summer a Time of Rejuvenation

“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”

(Psalm 29:11 NIV)

When we think of summer we may think only those who get to lounge on the shore or go on a tour of some exotic place are truly enjoying summertime and having a summer vacation. Sadly church attendance tends to slump in the summer because of this expectation that one needs to “get away” or “take a break.” But there are many ways to take “mini-vacations” right here that can rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit – in healthier ways without having to go away.

Hebrews 10: 24-25 tells us to keep coming to church even in the summertime: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I suggest approaching summer differently this year, with healthy Christian living that can rejuvenate and give you rest without having to go anywhere and spend money. Then donate the money you saved to a good cause like our PCM Outreach programs. By doing so you will be helping others rejuvenate through food, clothing, or by participating in mission trips like the Foundation for Peace trip serving those in the Dominican Republic.

We are instructed to: “Have no anxiety about ANYTHING but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” (from Philippians 4:8-7) 

When I am stressed I consider the passage above as a command from God. The scripture doesn’t say, “Maybe if you pray you will feel less stressed.” It says first to have no anxiety about anything. This is stated as if it is a sin to be anxious. We are told to give up everything to God gratefully. And the Peace of God “will” (it doesn’t say “possibly”) we are guaranteed that God’s peace will guard our hearts and our minds as we follow the ways of Jesus. John 10: 10 also reminds us that Jesus came so we can have life abundantly. His ways show us how to be healthy in our living in community with others and in our relationship with God. 

A summertime rejuvenation plan is: 1. Keep coming to church. 2.To prevent feeling stressed, take “mini-vacations” (even in the car or plane) and Pray, Pray, Pray. Learn the Centering Prayer method used in the study of resiliency last Advent. (Nearly 100% of our PCM study participants improved their Resiliency status with just 20 minutes of “resting in God” each day for six weeks!) 3. Learn the ways of Jesus for faith and health. And feel God’s peace rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit. May you have a blessed summertime! See you at church! 

Learning About Resilience in Haiti

As the tears ran down my cheeks, I watched them drop to the dusty ground. Upon arrival to this village I could no longer contain my sadness in seeing the overwhelmingly impoverished living conditions. Our medical team of nurses and other volunteers stood in a big circle holding hands with the Haitian people and children of the Vilaj Kanes near the Lake Azuei, a salt lake in the center of Haiti.  In an effort to hide my tears I didn’t release my hands from the circle.  I just bowed my head low and watched them hit the dirt until the prayer was finished. Then I jumped up into the back of our tap tap  (open air bus) parked nearby to find a tissue. Soon I would be asked to greet the crowd on behalf of our Presbyterian Church in Morristown and the Foundation for Peace. So I had to pull myself together.

My tears surprised me because I normally do not cry when I am in the presence of the people I came to care for. As a psychiatric nurse therapist and a pastor, I have witnessed many sad situations. But the overtly poor condition of these children, the primitive dirt floor shacks where they lived, and the sparse barren land surrounding them was clear evidence of their desperate poverty.

At 10am, the hot sun mixed with the humidity coming off the lake created a tropical atmosphere. The only sheltered place available for the free medical clinic was under the one large shade tree in the center of the village. Twelve University of Pennsylvania graduate nurse practitioner students and the Foundation for Peace, Haitian and US team members spent some time shaking hands and introducing ourselves to the kids and adults who were waiting for us to arrive. We played with them by blowing bubbles for the kids to jump up and pop. And we let them touch our stethoscopes and gloves as a way of warming them up to the idea of being examined by these strange white nurses.

After singing a few hymns in Creole and saying a prayer of thanks for this opportunity to be with our brothers and sisters in our global family in Haiti, I felt spiritually more at peace.  This was our third medical clinic of the week and we came prepared to care for whatever need came forward to the best of our abilities. I was so proud to be a nurse/pastor among this team of graduate nurses who never complained about the hard work of providing free healthcare in desperately poor communities almost every day of our trip to Haiti. 

As the nurse practitioners set up mini open air exam areas with a few card tables and chairs, the rest of the team opened the suitcases full of medicines and wound care supplies and created a “pharmacy area” with two wooden benches. Then the Haitian pastor-leader of our group, Pastor Valentin, began to call people up to the designated intake area.

The people of Kanes watched all of this activity patiently and understood that they would all depart with vitamins, anti-parasitics, or other medicines as needed. Each family unit also would receive a bag containing beans, rice and cooking oil.

Each community we were sent to by the Foundation for Peace had little to no access to healthcare prior to our arrival. But this Village Kanes was suffering the most of all. Many of the children were covered with bug bites probably acquired from sleeping on the dirt floors in their little huts.  Some of the children were extremely weak due to a lack of water and food. Three infants with high temperatures needed rehydration immediately upon arrival to our clinic.

A few months prior to this clinic the Foundation for Peace (FFP) staff had discovered this fishing village was unable to fish due to broken fishing boats. Now with help from the FFP, they are starting to fish again; but the time of desperation when they had lost their ability to fish took a toll on their spirits and on their bodies. Many seemed depressed and ill with parasites, body aches, and other signs of malnutrition.

So where does one start working in partnership with a group when confronted by a place with such overwhelming need? You look for signs of hope and start there. The goal is to empower them to build upon the strengths they already have.

At the end of the day I found a group of the healthy looking kids swimming in the lake near the fishing boats. One little girl in a blue dress grabbed my hand as I walked toward the water. She had a huge smile on her face and spoke a few words of English.  When she beckoned me to go for a swim with her and some of the other kids already in the water, I quickly caught her attractive smile on camera.

Her name is Adrienne. And she gave me hope for the Vilaj Kanes. Adrienne’s resilience shines out through her smile, and her clever engaging personality.

Although these children have many challenges, they have advantages our children lack as US families become more isolated inside large high tech homes. Their village is a cohesive community that cooperates, plays and works together. Their care for each other was demonstrated by the way it was nearly impossible to distinguish blood relative from neighbor as they came forward in the medical clinic as “families” with each other’s children. We discovered mothers were breastfeeding one another’s babies. They cared for all the children as their own. No one family had a shack much larger than the other. And as we handed out the food, it became clear that this attitude of sharing all their resources was the key to this village’s survival. All of the food would be shared among the village rather than kept by just one family.

In contrast to the overwhelmingly sad feelings I experienced upon arrival at this beautiful lakeside Haitian village, I departed with a sense of hope that by working together in partnership they can be empowered by building upon their strengths: community cohesiveness, deep abiding faith in God’s love and care for them, compassion for one another; and their strength of resilience that is clearly within those who have endured many years of hardships.

I came away with a blessed realization that Americans have much to learn from the Haitian people about mutual care, cooperation, and faith for the development of resilience within our own communities. I look forward to returning to Village Kanes in the Fall to learn more from these resilient Haitian people.

Sharing my Haiti Devotional Guide by Pastor Cindy

Medical Mission Trip - May 3-10^th 2012

This is why we go….

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you do for one of the least of these, you do for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Suggestions for using this devotional:

1.     Make time every day to read through this in the morning and ponder how the scriptures relate to your work throughout the day.

2.     Take time to let the words of God speak to you through these words in print, through reading the whole chapter where these verses are from, and through listening to God’s spirit speaking to you in silent prayer.

3.     Each evening, jot down a few thoughts about something you learned, a person you met, someone you want to remember and pray for at home.

MAY THIS DEVOTIONAL BE A BLESSING  FOR YOU AS YOU SEEK TO SERVE, HEAL, AND BRING HOPE TO THOSE IN NEED….

Here is a prayer of blessing to ponder as you begin your work in Haiti:

May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may seek truth boldly and love deeply within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really CAN make a difference in this world (Haiti), so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you and remain with you, this day and forever more. Amen

The team who read this devotional daily.

Day One:

Deuteronomy 31:8   The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; he will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Philippians 4:6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

What feelings do you have starting out this trip? Such a beautiful country from the air! The closer to the ground we get the more we can see the tent cities and the impoverished way of striving to survive. Write down at least 3 things you are pondering today. Take note of names of all you will be living with this week.  1. Excited! 2. Feels weird to get upgraded to first class when going on a mission trip to Haiti. 3. Hoping my traveling companion, church member, Yoga instructor, Susan, has a good trip since she is trusting me in this!

Your first day is full of excitement and exhaustion both emotionally and physically. May you rest well this evening and ponder this scripture assurance to give you strength and peace for tomorrow.

Joshua 1:9   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Loving God, we thank you for our safe travels this day. May I be a blessing to all I meet and may our brothers and sisters in Haiti sense your love through me. Hear my prayer requests this day: for the people we are about to meet at the medical clinics. …………….. Let me listen to your message for me as I pray: trust in me. Be still, be at peace. Amen

Day Two:

Psalm 34:1  I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

Now that you are settled in your new home for the week, what have you learned about Haitian people already? They make wonderful chicken, beans, & rice, the fruit is amazing! And they have beautiful smiles! Our guides/shepherds are taking great care of us. Riding in a TapTap is fun! This country is struggling to deal with an overwhelming problem of poverty and lack of basic needs being met. Yet, there is much hope and the people we meet are so grateful we have come to see them and their beautiful country. They deserve much respect for their strength and for their hospitality to strangers.

What are your goals for this week besides learning cross-cultural healthcare skills? Learning all I can about the differences and similarities between Haiti people  and the Dominicans that I know so well from previous trips.

Ponder the following verses and consider the importance of keeping your focus on how Jesus would respond to all you meet -- including your house-mates.

Psalm 145:18,19  You, LORD, are near to all who call upon you, to all who call upon you in truth. You satisfy the desire of those who fear you; you hear their cry and save them.

My faith helped me today when: I was hot and tired and wanted the last patient to come through the clinic faster. Prayed that we can see all who showed up and we did.

I will always remember: The little boy,  I gave my FFP visor to so he would keep the scalp bandages in place.

Dear God, keep my spirits up as we deal with the heat and pressures of helping those who have little or no access to healthcare. Help me understand the desperate situations I see and seek to make a difference however I am able. Remind me that a smile and loving attention goes a long way in giving hope. Help me to pray when I need your strength to endure. Amen

Journal notes: Thankful for healthcare in the US and for a place to sleep that doesn't have chickens and dogs making noises all night long. There is something we miss in the US when we no longer live our lives outdoors  simply being with people all day, and spending time in a village where they all know each other.

Day Three

Jeremiah 32:41  I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in the land with all my heart and soul.

God created each of us to feel “good” when we help others. It is a blessing to be a blessing and physiologically the brain and circulation are improved by helping others. How did you feel today after giving of yourself? Thankful to be on the giving end. It takes great humility to be on the receiving end. What would you like to remember about this day? Worship under a "Tree of Life" felt closer to God and each other. Visited a hand pumping water well like used in the olden times in the US. They are so thankful to have clean water! We take it for granted. What are you thankful for? The sermon about "Self-care: love your neighbor as yourself." Who that you have met and on your team do you want to lift up to God in prayer? All who are shepherding us. Today we went into downtown Port au Prince and they were very careful to stay close to us. But no problems. We even bought some handmade keepsakes from Haiti at a market.

Romans 5:1   Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Where did you find peace for your soul today? When we worshipped under the tree. Looking up into its gorgeous branches while listening to the singing of the people was heavenly! Did others help you with this? Yes, our Pastor Valentin, his wife and kids and  the whole community of Kwa Kok.

Almighty God, help us to focus on what we can do and not be overwhelmed by the great need here that seems impossible to heal. Give me good hope that you are working through me in obvious and mysterious ways. Help me to trust that I am where I am supposed to be doing your work to bring grace and love to all. Help me love as you love us. Amen

Journal notes: It is sad to see the ruins from the earthquake two years later still crumbling down....

Day Four

Romans 8:37  No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!

By this time on the trip you may be feeling tired of being in a group. If you live alone and typically can control your environment and schedule this kind of trip can be especially hard. How do you cope with the hardships of mission work? By now I am sleeping well because I am used to the bed and the sounds. Having less water in the shower makes showering take longer. But it reminds us how precious water to wash with is! Looking for things to be thankful for.....Not hard to find!

How do you deal with the temptations to judge others and devalue personal relationships when you are tired? Go away from the group for a little quiet time.

How does a focus on the way Jesus coped with stress help you cope? Yes, he prayed and had no fear. What de-stressing method do you use? Prayer, yoga, journaling, meditation, talking with a friend? All of the above....

Psalm 32:6  So all your loyal people should pray to you in times of need; when a great flood of trouble comes rushing in, it will not reach them.

Everlasting Creator and Sustainer, help me cope with the fatigue that is setting in. Make me an instrument of your peace and strengthen my ability to be empathic towards others. Give me your comfort when I am sad, give me your wisdom when I am discerning the right decision to make and give me your peace that surpasses all understanding even in the midst of chaos. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen

Journal Notes: Learning some Creole! Bondje beni ou means God Bless you! Assisted a nurse at the Haitian Christian Mission Bandage up an accident victim who had a huge gash in his forehead. I admire this nurse very much and her ability to care for whatever comes into the clinic with no anxiety about it. Nurse Genines was so brave and peaceful while stitching up a terrible wound. She and I also worked together to help a young woman journalist from the US who came in with a concussion after being in a car accident.

Day Five

Ephesians 5:8   You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light.

The trip is coming to a close very soon. Before you know it you will be saying your goodbyes! What do you want to say or do for your new friends before you leave them? How do you want them to remember you? How will you remember them?

How have you been changed? Found I have an affinity for Haiti. I love the people and the countryside beauty.  What new understanding or “light” has been shown to you or on you that has helped you serve well during this time in Haiti? I have come to have more hope in human resilience after seeing the women carry so much weight on their heads and necks and the general perseverance of the people is so admirable! They show you how people can survive with very few resources and still have joy and care for others.

Loving Lord, you are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank you for shepherding us on our trip; for sustaining us and comforting us as we seek to be your hands and hearts of love. Show me how to use these remaining days to shine your light of care and love upon those most in need. Teach me what I am still to learn while I am here among your children in Haiti. Enlighten my mind to ways I may begin to share this experience when I return to the US. May I be an inspiration so others will care and want to help here in the future. With a heart full of thanks and praise, Amen.

Journal notes: I am so thankful I trusted the Spirit's lead to come to Haiti and to bring my friend Susan to teach Yoga to the graduate nurses as a self-care method - and to teach the patients in our medical clinics while they waited to be seen. All has been a true blessing and it has all gone very well!

Day Six
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10

The work of a nurse often brings holistic life in a way that no other profession is able. We are taught to look at the whole person, not just their disease. Nurses are skilled at enhancing the body, mind, and spiritual functioning of their patients. Psychological/spiritual healing and physical healing happen in concert with one another. How have you observed the power of your gifts and talents for healing at work here in Haiti? Where did you (by the grace of God) make a difference in another’s life?

How have you been changed/healed, made more whole, as a result of coming on this trip? I can see that I too have the resilience to go on mission trips to Haiti and it can be safe and inspiring at the same time! I will be back and in the meantime I have many new friends to pray for and remember.

             "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." — Ephesians 2:8,9

Eternal and Loving God, our rock and our salvation. We thank you for all we have experienced together and individually here in Haiti. We thank you for the wonderful family of Valentin who took such good care of us this past week. We thank you for the leadership of Carrie and all who shepherded this flock. And we thank you for the friendships we have made and the memorable times we have shared together. May I say my farewells in a way that honors my new friends with a sense of hope and joy.  Give me the words that express my heartfelt thanks and love. According to your will, bring me back to this place or elsewhere so that I can continue serving those in need with the additional skills I have attained during this trip. Amen

Journal notes: Leaving for the US today because I have to go back to finish some papers for my Doctorate in Ministry in Science and Theology. I can share this experience on my blog.

Day Seven

2^nd Corinthians 9: 12-15: "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!"

Thanks be to God for you and for your willing spirit and loving soul. May you feel God’s grace surround you and may the angels carry you home safely as they sing, “Well done good and faithful servant!”

I feel blessed to have met some of the Haitian people who have survived many more challenges than my life will ever have to deal with. I am so soft and lazy compared to the people of Haiti who possess much courage as they tackle the challenges of each new day. We were One when we smiled at one another, and in church we held hands and sang together as old friends do. I am glad to have had this chance to meet more of our global family and honored to serve them with the few skills I brought with me.