Kristina Sachs and her husband, Dennis Tarr, will conduct a New Man, New Woman, New Life seminar and a New Life Master Class in Haiti, April 20 to 27. The following is a piece that Kristina wrote following her second trip to Haiti in August 2012.
God’s Presence Midst the Storm
by Kristina Sachs
August 22, 2012
Midst the uncertainty of the future, God is certain. He is the God of Isaac and Jacob, and the God of you and me. Fully present in the past, and fully present today, and fully present in eternity. Midst the joys in life, He is there to celebrate the milestones. Midst the storms in life, He reaches out and offers his peace and comfort.
In the howling wind and torrential rains of Hurricane Isaac, God provided his reassuring presence and protected life. When the storm hit on August 24, 2012, my husband Dennis and I and our Haitian Christian Mission family were sequestered in the safety of a their mission compound made of sturdy walls, floors, and ceiling, built upon a firm foundation. . While I felt secure, I was also acutely aware that the countryside was in treacherous turmoil.
The following day we visited homes in the outlying villages of Fonds-Parisien. Betty Prophete, our hostess and co-founder of Haitian Christian Mission, wanted to assess the damages and gauge the needs of the community. We were heart-broken to see many tin roofs ripped away from walls, strewn on the ground, rooms without ceilings submerged in water, belongings soaked by the relentless rains. In one family, the mother was expecting her 5th child within 2 weeks. She had sent several of her children to stay with their grandmother. Yet, she greeted us with a smile. Her young daughter sang us a sweet song upon our departure.
In the days and months to follow, these families will continue to put their lives back in order. But for that day, all we had to offer them was compassion and prayer. At the time our effort seemed like such a meager gesture.
For the people of Haiti, they live in a storm each day. The storm of lost jobs, lost family, lost health. Yet midst an impoverished economy and natural disasters that plague this island, there exists a wealth of spirit among the Christians. A wealth of laughter, of smiles, simple tasks and simple pleasures. Free from the hyper distractions that rob others of time and peace in more developed countries, it is a place where life moves at a slower pace, where you rise with the crowing of the rooster and are lulled to sleep midst the music of crickets. A place where dreams still exist, but in many cases are harder to fulfill. Where hope for the future, because of God’s promises, is carving its way through the rubble of yesterday’s destruction and today’s challenges. Where other communities of faith are coming alongside Haiti to help develop sustainable resources economically, educationally, and spiritually.
What a privilege it is to serve Empower and the family of God by guiding church leaders through New Man, New Woman, New Life, built upon His firm foundation, the Word. A Word that is faithful and true A Word that holds promise and offers freedom. A Word that heals wounds and restores lives. And a Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. A Word, in Jesus the Christ, that came to serve as well as to redeem, who reassures us “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Dear sisters and brothers, can you rest in Jesus’ arms regardless of the storms of life that rage around you, and trust that He has the best plans for you? May the Lord grant you the faith, wisdom, and courage to see it through.
Please join us in praying that God’s strength will lead the Church in Haiti – and everywhere, for that matter – towards a kingdom revival, where lives will be transformed. When you change a heart, you help change a family. When you change a family, you help change a community, a state, a nation, and the world. Prayer and the Word of God is our battle cry for freedom. Freedom bought at the cross. Thank you.
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
In Christ’s love,
Kristina