Dear Nazarenes:

I want to give you another update on Haiti while we are traveling on the Caribbean Region to conduct district assemblies. Haitians are never out of our hearts and minds, and they are always in our prayers.

Word has just been received from the General Treasurer’s Office at the Global Ministry Center that giving to Haitian Nazarenes for earthquake relief has reached $1.5 million (USD). Thanks be to God for your generosity!

After prayer, money is the most important contribution Nazarenes can make right now.

If you would like to give to the relief effort, you may do so at through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries/Haiti Earthquake.

It is now two weeks since the earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on 12 January 2010. According to the Associated Press, the death toll is currently estimated at over 150,000.

Nazarene Damage Assessment in Haiti

Reports from the Caribbean Region indicate the following damage as of 26 January:

•Scores of churches in the South Central District have been ruined.
•The churches in Boutin and Tabarre report that their buildings are destroyed and numerous members are injured.
•Many members are dead or missing from our Bel-Air church in Port-au-Prince.
•A great number of members of the Petionville church have lost their homes.
More details will be forthcoming as regional, district, and local church leaders continue to assess the extent of these tragic events.

The Nazarene Response

The denomination has 555 churches in Haiti and nearly 120,000 members. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is great faith and strong spiritual leadership among the Haitians; there are no missionaries. The strength of our church in Haiti is the result of your prayers, the efforts of Work & Witness teams, and faithful giving to the World Evangelism Fund.

There are Nazarene responders on the ground in Haiti – primarily Haitian Nazarenes who are working diligently to provide relief and comfort to their own people. You are making this possible with your prayers and monetary gifts.

We know there is a strong desire in the hearts of many to go to Haiti and help. Nazarenes are people of action, but there is a need to keep order in the church’s response. Some volunteers from other organizations have arrived in Haiti with no supplies of their own and have had to depend on relief organizations to assist them. This consumes scarce resources needed for Haitians.

The church’s time in Haiti for further relief work, including reconstruction, is coming soon. Medical teams are already assisting; other kinds of help will be needed for the longer term.

In Closing

I leave you God’s Word:

“Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs” (Psalms 12:5, NASB).

Prayer is the most important thing the church can do. Keep praying that the Lord will provide safety for Haitians in the midst of this devastation.

In and for Him,

J. K. Warrick
General Superintendent

bgs@nazarene.org

Note from NCM concerning U.S. donations: The U.S. Congress has passed a bill allowing cash donations made to U.S.-based organizations working in Haiti earthquake response to be itemized on either 2009 or 2010 tax returns. These donations must be made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010. For further information, click here to visit the IRS web site. We encourage each donor to consult with their tax advisor regarding their individual situation.

Personally, I think that God gets blamed for things He had nothing to do with. Hold on to your chairs, I didn’t say that God has no control over things that occur. But I think all too often, when people do stupid things; God is blamed. God does not cause a drunk driver to mow down a family of four with his car and walk away unharmed while a family is devastated with the death of four. That was the stupid behavior of one person. God does not cause massive landslides that destroy hundreds of homes; stupid people build on mountainsides without consideration that the earth is not set in concrete. God did not cause the people of Haiti to strip their land of all foliaged (setting themselves up for disaster) or even build on an island that was created by an earthquake. But in the midst of all those examples, God can work and He can be glorified.

On about day 3 or 4 after the Haitian earthquake at least one news network captured homeless, hungry, devastated Haitians singing and praising God (I want to believe that perhaps they were brother and sister Nazarene Christians). Less than a week after the quake shanty towns were being reconstructed and families coming together to eat (yes, eat). It appeared to be fruits and vegetables, perhaps a wandering chicken that met her fate, but as in the church of old, they came together and shared all that they had. A postal worker pulled, alive, from the ruins on day 6; immediately began to sing praises.

Please to not assume that I am overlooking the massive destruction of mankind in Haiti. No, I realize that tens of thousands lost their lives. But I am not about to “blame” that on God. Yes, I recognize that the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere was dealt a devastating blow. But want an opportunity for Christian nations to come to the aid of these dear people. What an opportunity for compassionate ministry. What an opportunity for self-less giving and unconditional love. I pray that our nation will not fail to show the love of God to a country that is many ways is Godless. But please remember that there are many, many God fearing and God loving Haitians. There are approximately 118,000 Haitian Nazarenes. There is a huge number of Catholic believers in the small nation. Yes, there are also heathens, voodoo believers, and devil-worshippers. But it may surprise you to know that the same live among us in the U.S. We are no longer a God-worshiping nation. Please do not let that statement escape you. We have a ripe mission field in our neighborhoods.

An update on the Church of the Nazarene in Haiti from the Nazarene Communication Network: http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000023&id=10008866

A continuing report: Nazarene churches affected by Haiti earthquake
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries-Caribbean continues to receive sporadic reports from Nazarene churches in Haiti due to limited lines of communication from a country which remains devastated from the January 12 earthquake.

Haiti South Central District
The district superintendent reports 17 churches are down and many pastor’s houses have been destroyed.

Central District
The Nazarene church in Boutin is reported to be down.

Tabarre
The Tabarre church reports eight people injured and many members have lost their houses.

Bel-Air
The Nazarene church of Bel-Air has many of their members missing. There is still no report on the total amount of people that have died here, but there are three that have been confirmed dead.

Lastic
The Nazarene church of Lastic knows of one member still considered missing. Her house is down and they have not been able to find her.

Petion-Ville
The Petion-Ville Church of the Nazarene reports they have lost members and 75 percent of the church’s members have lost their homes.

Additional Reports
People remain sleeping outside their houses in fear that they may collapse on them. There are homes that are still up, but damaged. After the first earthquake there was a damaged house which later collapsed and killed six people on Delmas road.

Food is becoming scarce and water is hard to get. Diesel is also running out.

While at this time it is hard to tell how many members the Church of the Nazarene in Haiti has lost, there is still hope as there have been reports people are being pulled out of the rubble still alive.

This is the time to continue to pray that God would give strength to those holding onto life and hope they may be found quickly. Continue to pray that food and water gets to the people and that God would give them strength during this time.

Haiti: How to help
–Franckel Formetus, Haiti Church of the Nazarene Statistician, for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries-Caribbean (Slideshow available. Photos courtesy of Franckel Formetus)

Please go to http://www.ncm.org/haitiearthquake to see how you can help. And pray for this island nation and those who minister to her people.

He spoke of the mentor, the one you look up to and from who you receive guidance. Mentor – the one who encourages you to stretch outside your comfort zone; the one who challenges you to dig deeper; the one who educates. Then there is the peer. The Peer – the one who is in the muck right beside you. The one with whom you can share struggles, secrets, and successes. The one who is experiencing life right along with you. And finally the one you bring along. The one who is not where you are in your life, but the one you bring along, mentor, and educate.

He was speaking about all this in the spiritual parts of our lives. I think is easier to find folks in those roles in our physical life. We rarely take the time to think of those roles in our spiritual lives. What a shame! So this morning coming into work, I began to think about that.

As I thought of my spiritual mentor, I offered up a prayer of thanksgiving. It is that mentor who challenges me to dig deeper in my spiritual life. It is that mentor whom I look up to and who leads me on a spiritual journey that sometimes, believe it or not, is a lot like climbing the face of a mountain with nothing to hang on to but small rocks and little crevices. My mentor is often the only safety net I feel that I have.

I thought of my sister in Christ that walks beside me. And as I did, I offered up a prayer of thanksgiving for her. It seems that struggle rarely confront both of us at the same time. So when one is struggling, the other is there to put an arm around a waist and steady the other in the struggle. She understands where I am because she is there too. We share struggles and we share victories. When one cries the other does too. We can be totally honest with each other and know that the only place that honest sharing will go is upward, and only in a prayer for understanding. What a wonderful gift from God!

And then I thought of the one I am trying to bring along. I offered up a prayer of confession; I find myself falling short of the task more than I want to admit. I prayed that God would slow down my pace; I cannot go faster than that other less the path grow cold and my friend loose the way. It’s a heavy responsibility to bring another along. But it is something we are commissioned to do! Today I committed to work on that area of my spiritual life. God has placed that person in my life for a reason; I cannot fail Him.

So where are you today? Are you a mentor, a peer, or bringer alonger? Who fills those roles in your life? How and how often do you pray for them? Will you start praying for them in earnest today? All three are awesome roles, important roles, in building the Kingdom.

Just my thoughts and reflections.

Jeanine

I’m guilty! Diet and exercise have not been a priority in my life recently. Today I start to do better.

I’m guilty! Sometimes I work too hard and play too little. Today I will look for a vacation option to put in an upcoming “not already taken” weekend.

I’m guilty! I have not kept up by email or phone call with too many friends. I will try harder (lol – try harder never works). I will do better!

I’m guilty! I will be watching and cheering for The University of Florida (yes, I am the class of ‘78 and’79 – 2 grad degrees), even though my husband and friends are at the game dressed in red and black.

I’m guilty! Of feeling too guilty this morning. So I will turn this leaf.

I’m innocent! Of my sins and my life before I met my Savior.

I’m innocent! And because of that I no long have to live in fear of death and beyond.

I’m innocent! And live daily with His Spirit, and know God places His guardian angels at my side when I need them the most, even if I don’t realize it at the time.

I’m innocent! And if I allow God to guide my steps I always end up where He wants me, and needs me, to be.

I’m innocent! So with that I have an obligation to share with you the reason why.

If you are guilty today, make it your day to declare innocence!

Benjamin, jr.

Well, folks, it has been way too long since I last blogged. Excuses … no. Explanations, maybe.

Since I last blogged much has happened. A quarter has started and ended at that College.

Alexander (my oldest grandchild) has come and gone. Six wonderful weeks with him included Nashville, TN, Goodguys Car Show, Kiwanis International Convention, days at the Y with new friends, unlimited pool time, time with east coast relatives, and capped off with 3 days at Universal Resort Orlando, and Islands of Adventure.

Since I last blogged, Dorothy (our Yorkie) had a pup (proud Dad is Toto). Now 10 weeks old we have finally named him “Harry Wizard Of-Ours.” And our youngest Yorkie surprised us all with a pup of her own — go figure — we didn’t even know she was expecting!

But the most talked about of the events during this time was the arrival of our third grandchild — and Ben and Katie’s first child; Benjamin Hayward Long, Jr. As I write, he is 6 days old.

It is impossible to witness the birth of a child an doubt the existence of God.

It is impossible to witness the birth of a child and deny miracles.

It is impossible to to witness the birth of a child and say, “the world is going down the drain.”

It is impossible to witness the birth of a child and continue to believe that you are the center of the Universe — at that moment that child is!

Finally, it is impossible to witness the birth of a child and believe that it’s just a collection of cells, and not a child until birth. From sonograms, to 4D pictures, our little Benjamin was a child, a person, long ago. And God has blessed this small one with parents that take seriously the gift God has placed in their hands.

So, yes, it’s been a long time since I blogged. But it’s also been a busy time.

Stewart is a man now. A husband and a father. More importantly, Stewart is a Christian that is trying to change the world by winning one person at a time to Jesus. Stewart is a really neat guy; I wish you each could get to know him. Stewart lives in the United Arab Emirates. That means that he is a Christian (one who is excited to share his Jesus with others) that lives in a Muslim country. He has to be very careful who he speaks to about Jesus. He has to go to a house church on the Sabbath – Saturday there – to worship his Lord and Savior. All that means he cannot be a lackadaisical Christian. When he says he is a Christian, it means something in a heathen world.

I admire Stewart. I pray for Stewart. And most especially, I thank God for Stewart. I see myself as falling far short of the witness that he is. And I pray that God will give me the boldness that He gives Stewart. Now, don’t go thinking that Stewart is this guy with supernatural strength. He’s no superman in his own right. He only has supernatural strength because he follows the directives of God, and it is He that gives Stewart strength. Put that way, we can all have supernatural strength!

Stewart listens to God. He listens to God. I mean he really listens. We tend to listen to God when He says something we agree with. Or when we need a personal answer from God. But Stewart really listens to God – all the time; then he does as he is told. And he does that in a place where that is not a popular or accepted thing to do. Makes me feel ashamed. Here we live in a country established on God’s word; yet we read it only when it is convenient to do so. He listens to God when he could be persecuted for doing so. He listens to God when it is not the common thing to do. We find it difficult to listen to God when we are sitting in our padded pews at church – God help us! We find it difficult to talk to and listen to God when we live in relative freedom.

So why am I thinking about Stewart tonight; because he had made an impression on me in the way he is living his life. Stewart cares about people. In addition to what he is doing in UAE (where he is a college instructor yet always finds time for ministry too) he also cares about children in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua. Stewart raises money (and contributes a great deal of his own money) for these children. They live in economic devastation, most of whom are in families that cannot afford the couple of dollars a month to attend public school. In conjunction with a Christian day school, Steward is providing funds for these children to attend school, have school uniforms, books, supplies, etc.

I only know of two programs that serve people by the contributions of others where 100% of all the money goes to the project for which it is given. Yes, 100%! One is Nazarene Alabaster and the other is this project of Stewart’s. Not a penny goes to him. Not a dime of that money spent for advertising, literature; nothing! It all goes to the schooling of these children in Nicaragua. For Stewart, it is a labor of love and devotion to his Heavenly Father.
Please visit Stewart’s Stewart’s web-site. There is a lot of information at this site and I challenge you to read it all the way through. You will see that Stewart’s family is dedicated to the physical, educational, and most importantly the spiritual welfare of these children. If you are interested, he answers frequently asked questions on this website: Frequently Asked Questions . He is also in the process of building a “compound” of sorts across the street from the school where children can safely come on Saturdays to be involved in organized activity, a hot meal, Bible study, and learn more about Jesus. If you would consider sponsoring a child, I would be more than happy to share what I know with you, or you can email Stewart directly. But this is not all about child sponsorship. Stewart would greatly appreciate your prayers. Keep in mind that he is in ministry in a part of the world where his stand is a hazard to him and his family. Pray for God’s protection!

There is a lesson for us all, here. Listen to God, be obedient to what He tells you, and you will make a life-changing difference in the lives of others.

A year or so ago she was in and out of our offices. Me, the retention specialist, it seemed like she would talk to anyone who would listen. Her life was in shambles. Really … that is not an exaggeration; if anything, an understatement. To all of us, she seemed to be a lost soul floundering in waves far too deep for her. What happened in the year that she was gone is a miracle of God and truly amazing!

I would never share all that was going on in her very young life; suffice it to say, her life had taken several bad turns. To someone who doesn’t know God – she was a failure and was unfixable. Then she left college, which appeared to be the only stability of her life.

Fast forward about a year and there she was again sitting in my office. I must tell you; it was the BEST hour or so I have had in a long, long time. She came to see me and sat in my office for over an hour telling me how God had turned her life around. She shared how her life continued to get worse — and then she met the Savior.

She shared with me the most beautiful illustration of how God took care of her during the past year. I cannot repeat it exactly as she shared, but I will try. She held out a cupped hand and said, “God never overlooked me. In all that I was doing wrong in my life, I was right there in the palm of His hand. He could have turned His hand and dumped me, but that is not God. As my situation worsened, He continued to hold me. When He knew I had run away as far as I could, He took His other hand and held it over my life (as she cupped both hands together). It wasn’t until I sat in total darkness with nowhere to go that I realized all He was protecting me from. I realized I had nowhere to go but to His light.”

I had to think of all the ‘dark’ times some of our folks are going through and smiled at the image in my mind; God is holding us in that darkness, protecting us from far worse. When times seem dark, we are quick to say that God has deserted us; how wrong we are!

She continued, “He loved me and held me and pulled me to His side so that I could see in the darkness that I had to stop running and start relying. I’m still in the palm of His hand, but now His other hand has been removed and I can see His face.”

I don’t think I have ever seen such a radiant smile. She had God shining all over her. I expect to see great things continue in her life.

We all need to remember that we are in the palm of His hand, too. If it gets dark, He is protecting us from what could be so much worse. Then when the storms clear He will remove His protective hand and the light will shine from His face.

God, please help me remember, when it seems that life is at its darkest, You have not left me. You have just cupped Your hand over me to protect me from what could be worse than I am experiencing. I don’t know about you, but I think that is just about the best thing I have heard in a long, long time.

The actors were absolutely marvelous! And when they brought Jesus down the walk to the hill carrying His cross, I believe we forgot all about it being a re-enactment. Most were not ashamed for others to see tears filled eyes. The crucifixion made all of us flinch with each blow of the hammer.

But, then, the resurrection. It was by far the best production I had ever seen. But that wasn’t really what spoke to my heart. When it was over, everyone scattered to other attractions. About 10 feet from where we sat was the path that took Jesus to the cross.

As we were walking to the path, Alex ran a little ahead of me. And then stopped dead in his tracks. He frantically called for me “Grandmother, Grandmother!” I could see he was not hurt so didn’t understand until I got to him. He was staring down at the ground. There were drops of blood right where the actor portraying Jesus walked. Alex just dropped to his knees; then looked up at me. “Grandmother, he really bled. He bled for you and for me.” As I took his hand and we walked away, he just kept looking back over his shoulder; at the blood. What a moment to share with my grandson. “Yes, Alex He did really bleed and He did really die just for you and just for me.”

Sharing this wonderful memory seems a very fitting thing to do on this beautiful Easter day. He is Risen; just as He said!

Coming in to work this morning I was listening to the AFR station on the radio. The DJ was talking about the “old home place” where his wife’s grandparents lived. From the time he started dating his wife, she spoke of the wonderful summers that she spent at her grandparent’s farm and how precious memories of those times were locked in her mind.Â

He said that each time they would drive through any small rural town, she would say, “This is just like it was at my grandparent’s.” She’d talk about how neighbors helped neighbors; about how they shared produce, and the work of gathering and preparing produce to last through the winter months.

Not long ago, on a family vacation, he decided that they would go to the small town where his wife’s grandparents had lived, and would find that old country farm that generated all those wonderful stories she’d had shared with him over the years. It took some doing; the small town was no longer so small. And the childhood memories of his wife held little more than landmarks as directions.

When they found that old home place, she was shocked. The house was almost obscured from view by overgrowth. The beautiful pastureland was filled with tall trees. She was extremely disappointed until she saw a large tree in the backyard where the close-line once stood.

Oh, that tree. It was there just as she remembered. She pointed out to her husband and daughter the big tree and, “See the fork in the tree, it was in that fork where my grandmother would put me while she hung out the laundry. My grandmother would sit me up in the fork of that tree and I would eat a bowl of cereal and watch her hang out clothes. We did that every day.”

They slowly drove away and headed for their evening destination. Soon he noticed that his seven year old daughter was sitting (too) quietly in the back seat. He asked her what she was thinking. “Daddy,” she said in a melancholy way,”I just wish I could have gotten out and touched that tree.” Thinking that odd, he asked her why? “Well, sometimes I just like to touch history”

As I listened and thought about the story, I too began to have a melancholy type feeling sweep over me. As I thought, my mind went to the woman in Luke 8. For me to also “touch the hem of His garment” would be touching history. Jesus is seeking to produce in you and me the kind of faith. I thought of Peter stepping out of his boat, eyes intent on Jesus, and as he gazed at the turbulent seas he began to sink, but that hand of the Master reached out to him. I’d like to be able to touch that history. Jesus is seeking to produce in you and me the kind of faith.  I thought of the story in Luke 5, “Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, ‘Friend, I forgive your sins.’” I would love to hold the corner of that mat in my hands and touch a piece of the history of one of my favorite Bible truths. Jesus is seeking to produce in you and me the kind of faith.Â

Jesus wants to develop in us a kind of faith that doesn’t require our able to physically touch history in order to make history. No one in those stories doubted that Jesus could and would change their lives. We can have that kind of faith. But it requires that we touch the most important tree in history. We must reach out and touch the cross. That is the only history that really matters. For on that tree, Jesus looked down at all humanity, those there on the hill, but more importantly, those of us who would come generation after generation. He stayed on that tree until His Father finished washing us with His blood. Touch that tree and we touch more than history, we touch eternity.

Today a co-worker sent me one of those “warm fuzzy” stories that we often see on the internet.

I remember being 10 years old and teaching my very first Sunday School lesson. I was a Girl Scout and our troop was doing a long weekend camping trip. Appalled that we would not be home on Sunday for Sunday School and Church, my mother helped me prepare a “lesson” to share with those who might want to have “Sunday School.” To my surprise, the whole troop attended. It was a lesson on how God keeps us under His protective wing. I’d not thought about that, my very first Sunday School teaching experience, until I read this today. The lesson is just as true today as it was almost 50 years ago.Â
A little something to put things in perspective…

After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage.

One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. Then the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast …because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live.‘He will cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you will find refuge.’ (Psalm 91:4)

Being loved this much should make a difference in your life. Remember the One who loves you, and then be different because of it.