"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians - you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Tom: Today we were blessed with the oppurtunity to join our brothers and sisters in the church service at the Church Maranatha which in English means Church of Jesus is coming.

Kacie: Well, we actually went to two church services today - the first one at the church in town and the second one the "Come as You Are" service here at the compound.

Tom: Fine, you coulda let me finish as I was going to say that next but yes, we did attend two services today. The second service is intended for the locals who can not travel into town or who can not afford to dress up for church.

Kacie: Our fearless leader Joel gave a message at both services (translated by JeanJean), taken from Romans 5:1-5. I was especially touched by the worship we experienced alongside our Haitian brothers and sisters - such enthusiasm, joy, and passion in their singing.

Tom: Today the beautiful, amazing cooks that have been preparing our meals this week and washing our dishes had the day off. So we were left to our own devices for food. We all pitched in and washed the dishes and then we began preparing lunch. Let me just say that i'm glad that we had those cooks this week.

Kacie: After lunch a family came to the compound with a little boy (maybe 4 years old) who had just burned his hand. The little boy, Woobie, had bad 3rd degree burns to one of his hands and on his arm. As a theme from this week, it was once again overwhelming to be a firsthand witness of the needs here in Haiti and our own inadequacies to meet those needs. As we have all been learning, we give or do what we can and commit the rest into the hands of our loving, just and merciful Father God. Woobie left the compound with a bandaged "boxing glove" hand, medicines, and love and toys given from the team. We'll see him tomorrow to check up on his burns.

While we were in the midst of our 2nd service, JeanJean recieved word that a local witch doctor, Price, who we had given food to on one of our previous prayer walks wanted us to come back so he could pray to recieve Christ. We once again made the 20 minute trek to his house and found him ready and eager to pray with us. It was an experience I will never forget. Price has been a witch doctor and worshipper of voodoo for 40 years now. His wife knows Christ and has been a witness to him by going to the "Come As You Are" services and his children are fed at the Mompremier's nutrition center. As a short cultural lesson, when you become a voodoo worshiper it is said that satan "mounts" you and is able to comtrol you as a master controls a horse with a bit in its mouth. The beauty of the Gospel is that is a message of love, mercy, freedom in Christ. For Price, today was the day he was freed from the chains of sin and became a son of God. He asks us to continue to pray for him and his family: for food and clothes, for his eyesight (he is almost completely blind) and for his new faith in Christ.

Tom: I have to say that on this trip this team has been amazing. God has placed people that work fantastically together on this team. Everone has an amazing heart for God, seeking to do his will wherever that may take him. The compassion that fills the hearts of my team members amazes me. We all work together to help these kids, and put a smile on their face with Kacie working on little Woobie with his 3rd degree burns and Chaz carrying little peter in a game of limbo. who suffered from protein deficiency and so now he has the limbs of a 1 year old though he is 5 years old. I can not fully articulate the compassion that fills the hearts of this team. As I was sitting and thinking about how much i will miss being here in haiti I realized that it is not only being here in Haiti that i will miss. I will miss this team. I will miss the way we work together as one body in Christ working for the will of the Lord. I will miss the way we constantly watch out for eachother. I will miss this team.