Travel Day Has Many Surprises

Day 1 was a travel day for everyone. We had the majority of the group of 15 people going on the trip fly from Dayton to Baltimore to Ft. Lauderdale yesterday. We did have one coming from Chicago, two from Cincinnati and three from Portland and all of them made it on time and safe (PTL). From the start of our trip God was moving. I had to go back on the shuttle from where we parked our car because we needed some duck tape to make a duffle bag smaller. On the drive back, the lady driving the shuttle asked me where we were going and I told her. I asked her if she knew Jesus and she did. She asked me to pray for her grandson who actually led her to the Lord eleven years ago. She said he had fallen away for his walk and that he really needed prayer. Her church had fasted for him for 3 days and he had recommitted his life to the Lord, but then got put in jail. As she dropped me off to the gate again, I was able to pray with her for her grandson, she was crying. If I would not have had to go back to get the duck tape, we would have never had that conversation.
The next experience was on our flight to Baltimore. For those that don’t know Donna Harnishfeger, she has a BIG heart for our military troops. She sends cards, food, bibles, etc. When she sat down, the person next to her was a man that was in the air force. He was being moved to a US base in London. They talked the entire flight and exchanged addresses. The man also told Donna that she could stay with him and his wife if she was ever over in London. On that same flight, Anthony sat next to a Christian brother who is starting a ministry in the Washington DC area for troubled black youth, they encouraged one another, they exchanged cards and committed to stay in touch and pray for each other.
Our next experience was in the airport in Ft. Lauderdale. Anthony DiPenti got a skycap for all our bags (we all had large suitcase full of clothes, candy, medical supplies, etc). The man that he picked was named William and as we were waiting for our bags, William grabbed out his Bible and was reading it. Anthony and I went up and talked to him and he told us that he was in the process of starting a church and that he was a pastor and evangelist. He really knew that word and encouraged us on our journey to Haiti. We prayed with him and then sat to wait for our transportation to the hotel.
As we were standing at the hotel, there was a man in a wheel chair with two women. My sister-in-law Colette asked me to help them, because the man in the wheelchair had to get up to get in a van. As Anthony, Joe and I helped him, they noticed that they were on the wrong transportation. We sat him back down in his wheelchair. I asked the lady’s who he was with what had happened to him and they told me that they were on a cruise with him and he had a major seizure. He was in his 40’s and was on a cruise for physically challenged people when this happened. These two women said that he had never had a seizure like this and he was not doing well. I asked them if we could pray with him and we all laid hands on him and asked God to heal him. We then helped him get in a cab. The airlines would not put him on a flight since he was so sick, but these women had to get him back to Rhode Island.
I am amazed how God works, we have not even gotten to Haiti to help some of the poorest people in the world and God had us pray and encourage people in the United States. It just goes to show you that there an many people that need God’s love no matter where you are in the world, even in the richest countries, the US. I do believe that we are supposed to help people in our own city, county, state and country. I also believe that we are suppose to also go to the ends of the earth with the gospel as well (the good news), that is why Jesus told his disciples just before he left them and ascended into heaven to be with the father (Acts 1:8-But you receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
We are looking forward to all that God has planned for us in Haiti, but I know that he has already blessed us and we just got started. We thank you all for your prayers; please continue to pray for BIG things in Haiti. I have been praying for salvations and healings as well as showing God’s love to the people of Haiti. Thanks