18 January 2010
Family and Friends of EMI America Latina,
I am writing to ask if you would join me in prayer for two EMI disaster relief teams that are departing for Haiti today. The first team includes Micah Florea (structural) and Josh Ayers (disaster relief) who are two EMI America Latina staff members. They will be joining Glen Woodruff (former EMI CEO & team leader), Eric Haddox (civil engineer and former EMI-AL long term volunteer) and John Wilder (civil engineer). The second EMI team consists of Scott Powell (EMI team leader, civil engineer), Zack Graham (structural), and Scott Peck (logistician). They leave this afternoon. Josh’s wife Alli and Micah’s wife Beth, who is pregnant with their first child will both remain in Atenas. Micah and Josh will depart with only a backpack, tomorrow they will pick up supplies, most of which will for water purification.
The Lord led me to a number of verses in 2 Corinthians, but 2 Cor 11:26-29a describes what they will probably face: “I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?”
The team’s focus will be providing clean water by constructing water filtration systems and structural assessments of damaged buildings. They will be working with Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry and other ministries providing relief. Please pray that they face all things with the joy that our Lord walks with them, that He will minister through them, and He will provide all that they need to persevere. Pray also for their wives who will be walking with them in silence of little communication, and for their children.
However, the greatest need in Haiti is not clean water, food, aid, healing engineering assistance or even Christian workers showing the love of Christ, while critical to life and well being, these will not make THE difference for Haiti. Only the Spirit of our Living God will make THE difference for Haiti and its people. It is not a church, or a ministry, or a nation, or a person that will prompt this work; it is the holy, catholic, apostolic church - the body of Jesus united in prayer humbly requesting our Lord to mightily pour out His Spirit upon Haiti that will make THE difference. Only His Spirit can break the bonds of slavery to Satan in the form of Voodoo that is woven into the fabric of culture and life in Haiti and touches every Haitian. Voodoo is evil and destructive, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family member against family member as they clamor for what they need to survive: life in Haiti even before the earthquake was survival at best. Please prayerfully consider having your family, friends, and church pray for this very thing.
The vision the Lord gave me this morning as I prayed for all those going to serve in Haiti and Haiti itself is of a worldwide revival starting in the one of the most unlikely of places, Haiti.
With brotherly affection,
Tom Bastian
Director, EMI America Latina
Read updates:
24 January 2010
Email from Micah Florea
20 February 2010
Disaster Response Trip Summary
Click here to read how EMI worldwide is responding.