6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
7 Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.” –Isaiah 58:6-9
When the cameras have gone and the troves of relief dissipate to just a few committed groups of people focused on Haiti’s renewal, I will still be there. My heart is buried deep beneath the untouched rubble found in parts of Port-Au-Prince. Four years have passed yet the slightest sight or mention of the devastation experienced in Haiti is a constant reminder of the need for action. Action that removes the chains that bind people. Action that removes the chains that have bound a people. Yes, Haiti has long since won its independence, yet it remains imprisoned to poverty. Shackled to disease. And so, my heart still breaks…because His heart still breaks. It breaks for His people, His chosen, redeemed and beloved. So as I prepare to once again venture into the nation of Haiti that I so love and cherish, it is my prayer that God will prepare me, prepare the team of 12 from HFCC to embody the call to fast for Haiti.
For some this may mean abstaining from food, social media or a favorite TV show. For me it’s committing to not eating out on my lunch hour and instead eating homemade food or fasting altogether until I have met my fundraising goal. It means dedicating that time to doing his will whether it is reading his word, writing a blog like this, researching ideas for this mission’s trip or just listening in silence for His voice. I’m sharing this because I want all of you to hold me accountable. I believe that whatever it is we fast it ought to be a sacrifice, reminding me of when King David built an altar to the Lord to stop the destruction of Israel on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite and his words “…I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Sam. 24)We are called to sacrifice to fulfill his plan. No it’s not easy to leave behind your family, to go to a foreign place and submit to doing whatever God has for you to do. It is faith that must keep you even as you wait upon God to see how He will meet your fundraising goals. It is the sacrifice that he is looking for…fasting, prayer and faith that will break chains, bind up wounds, heal, feed and clothe the hungry. For some it may be easy to just write the check and go on a mission’s trip, for me that is not an option…even if I could. Because God will supply all my needs. In His richness of glory, He already has. And how could I not offer him everything when he has given me everything. My family, my job, my dreams, my goals…all laid down upon that altar for Him. Let our sacrifice pleasing to Him; let us humbly accept this call to go forward in His name.
If you would like to help my meet my goal for this trip here are some ways to support me:
1. Prayer!!
2. Donations can be sent on my behalf to HFCC at: (Please include Haiti Missions - Elaine Glover in the notation)
Harvest Fields Community Church
2626 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10475
3. More Prayer!!
Blessings,
Elaine G.
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