Answered Prayer!

Dear Friends,

Many thanks your prayers regarding Pastor Oseme, who was kidnapped in Haiti and was threatened with death unless a ransom was paid within 24 hours.  Great News!  Pastor Oseme was released earlier today!  I don’t have any details to share at the present time, but I want you to know that prayer works, and let’s praise God for sparing this pastor’s life.  

Haitian theologian Dieumeme Noelliste, currently professor of theological ethics at Denver Seminary and president of the Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association, was recently interviewed.  This is a portion of what he said:
“One story that hasn’t been told in the secular media is the number of Haitian pastors who died in the earthquake, leaving their parishioners without any shepherd. The American church should know about this and think about what can be done to help. Haiti was already struck with a paucity of pastors before the earthquake; many trained pastors have left for Canada, the U.S., and other places…  On the theodicy question: I don’t believe people will turn from God. I don’t think there is the kind of approach to life in Haiti that would lead people to think this is proof that God doesn’t exist or think God is against us. If anything, believers in voodoo will think the voodoo god is angry or that things weren’t done to appease the voodoo god. They will be searching their souls for what it is that they didn’t do. As far as Christians are concerned, this is not the first time that disaster has come to us. This may be the most brutal, but two years ago we had four devastating hurricanes and even then the people didn’t turn against God. They’ve suffered many things at the hands of fellow Haitians and remained fast to God… I see the church continuing to grow. In these situations people tend to turn to God. This is their only hope.”

One of our missionaries, Christian psychologist Wilson Phang, has been invited to Haiti to provide counseling and support for the medical personnel there who are overwhelmed with the stress of dealing with so much death, devastation and destruction.  Lord willing, Wilson will be leaving for Haiti on Feb 1.  Please keep him in your prayers!    You can still give to the relief efforts in Haiti through Crosswalk Church, either on Sunday morning or through our website.  

Many Blessings, and I hope to see you Sunday,

Pastor John