Mark Wilkerson’s Blog

March 31, 2010

March 31, 2010

Spiritual Prep

On the same theme as yesterday, I have an Aunt who the faith is in just like my mother and their mother.  Nadine has been a solid rock for our family through the years.  When Grandmother died, she selflessly left a career in New Jersey and moved back to Alabama to take care of Grand Dad.  In addition, she has been available to watch our kids when we needed to travel for work and even came to help with CJ sister when she was living with us and we had to travel.  I have always been amazed at her willingness to do for others.  She even bought me Bill O’Reilly’s book Culture Warrior for Christmas, and that was truly a major sacrifice for me.  Love and respect her a lot.  I see the fingerprints of God on her.

Training Prep

Got in a quick 3 miles of intervals this morning.  Full day and then traveling home to pack for Haiti.  We leave tomorrow!

March 30, 2010

March 30, 2010

Spiritual Prep

2 Timothy 1:5,  Paul tells Timothy he is sure of the faith that is in him which first dwelt in his grandmother and mother.   I want to take a minute to honor my mother.  The faith that is within me was first in my grandmother and then my mother just like Timothy.  She instilled it in me at a very young age.  There were many times where I am sure she wondered and worried if it was there, you know really there.  By that you can get a drift of how difficult I might have been.  She used to say I would pay for my raising and she meant that I would understand how hard it is to know the truth and have a deep desire for you child to understand the significance of it as well.  By having faith dwell in her, it was transported to me and that is a significant act of love and to her I am eternally grateful.  How much our Father, God feels the same.  There are people who don’t have a mother or grandmother like I did who has the faith to pass on.  We, you and I,  are God’s plan to show and demonstrate our faith to them.  People who have much and are satisfied are not as hungry for hope as those who have little.  Feeding and helping those who can’t climb out of their situation is exactly what God did for us.  Thanks for you help to return to others only a little of what the Lord has done for you and me.   If you didn’t go to the link from yesterday, go back and take the time to read what Melonnie wrote.  Just scroll down and click on the link.

Training Prep

Stole an hour at lunch today and ran for an hour at a 10:10 pace on the treadmill.  I have got to start moving outside.  Running on the treadmill is easier than on the ground.  It takes more energy to move your body along outside.  You get used to a faster pace on the treadmill and outside that pace fatigues you quicker.  Key is to transfer back out at a slower pace and build up.  38 days and counting.  Still need more pennies! Keep the faith– I am!

March 29, 2010

Spiritual Prep

I have a running buddy who has run by my side for many years.  She is a lot faster but she is willing to run by my side and encourage me to stay in shape and at times we have discussed the affairs of the world and of the Spirit.  Jenny is my buddy, she is my pal.  I love running and doing things with her.  She will be leaving for a medical mission trip in South Africa this Thursday as we leave for Haiti.  She is part of the Crossroads team in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It is a very large and growing congregation of Christians.   I prayed to God before she was born that her mother and I would do our best to raise her in Him.  He took her heart and I am proud to have a little piece of it myself.  She will run all the way with me in this race.

Stories from Haiti

Take a look:  http://melonnieinhaiti.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/411/

Training Prep

Took a sick day yesterday.  Better today.  Biked for 1hour and 45 minutes at a 135 heart rate.  Time is gettting squeezed.  Will have to find some odd times to get the work in.

March 27, 2010

March 28, 2010

Spiritual Prep

Was flipping through Naves Topical Bible and came upon a word and was captivated by what followed.  Here is the word and what is recorded.  WAITING. Upon God:  As the God of providence Jer. 14:22; as the God of salvation, Psa. 25:5; as the giver of all temporal blessings, Psa. 104:27, 28; 145:15, 16.   For Mercy, Psa. 123:2, pardon, Psa. 39:7,8; the consolation of Israel, Luke 2:25;  salvation, Gen. 49:18;  Psa. 62:1,2;  guidance and teaching, Psa. 25:5;  protection, Psa. 33:20;  59:9,10;  the fulfillment of his word, Hab. 2:3;  the fulfillment of his promises, Acts 1:4;  hope of righteousness by faith, Gal. 5:5;  coming of Christ, 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Thess. 1:10.  Is good, Psa, 52:9.   God call us to, Zeph. 3:8.  Exhortations and encouragements, Psa. 27:14;  Hos. 12:6.   Should be with the soul, Psa. 62:1,5;  with earnest desire, Psa 130:6;  with patience, Psa. 37:7; 40:1;  with resignation, Lam. 3:26;  with hope in his word, Psa. 130:5;  with full confidence, Mic. 7:7; continually, Hos. 12:6.

This string of verses dealing with the word “waiting” gives a great message for meditation and thoughtfulness.

Training Prep

Cold still with me but not in my lungs.  Did 4 miles tonight on the road.  First run after a break always seems hard to me.  Always makes me think I should not take a break.  CJ and I went and got stuff for Haiti today.  Getting closer to leaving.   Thanks for reading.  In Him.

March 26, 2010

March 26, 2010

Spiritual Prep

I am filling out our census.  Went and did a word search of the Bible and it is amazing what all surrounded the counting of the people.  In the Bible, counting of the population has been a way of determination and measurment going back to the exodus from Egypt.   As I scanned the passages, I noticed in 1 Chron 21, where a census came into question.  When David decided to count his fighting men it appears to have been a way to determine his power for his purposes.   A lack of trust in God’s power and without Gods direction.   It is a real balance to have faith in the Lord to handle what is needed and not to rely on ourselves.  I have a tendency to control all I can and of course I tend to think my way is a good way.  While I believe there is some  judgement used in working toward a better outcome and purpose, it is probably a smart thing to keep in mind the real reasons for our actions and bring those before the Lord as we consider our ways.

News from Haiti

Below is an entry from Jody Castillo at NWHCM.  You can read it to see what they see and are living.  Pray for Jody and those who are ministing to the people of Haiti.

**I knew when we started this journey of helping this tent city that it wouldn’t be easy. If it were – everybody would be doing it. The little boy in the red shirt led me to a zone right in the heart of Port-au-Prince. Across from the palace – this is an area where there is a lot of violence. I have been teased that I wasn’t content with just picking a zone in PAP – but that I had to pick one of the poorest zones in the most dangerous area. I blame it on the little boy.

So getting past the point that I might not have picked the most logical area to start helping – I realized quickly this would be a battle. Go to any church in Haiti – between songs and even in the middle of the sermon – you will hear the preacher yell – Satan Pedi Batay – and they stomp their foot. Basically they are saying – Satan you lost the battle and I’m stomping all over you.

Day 1/Day 2

Day 1 was a complete wash. Plan A was to start feeding on Tuesday but the truck didn’t arrive until midnight. So Plan B (Day 2) – We’d just feed them the next day. Well we spent ALL of Wednesday trying to get the food (250 bags of rice and 2000 jars of peanut butter) into a warehouse. The warehouse we were going to use just lost a wall. We were supposed to deliver food at 4pm but we didn’t even secure a warehouse until 4pm. The warehouse ended up being a 40-foot container. There were people living in this container. So we gave the family some tents and some food and they let us keep the container as storage.

I had Maurice, Reginald, Antoine, Jacques, Exalus, Jose, and two mission drivers with me all day long yesterday. Ever so often – just as we would hit another wall – – they would stomp their feet and say  – Satan Pedi Batay.

So we went to the tent city Wednesday evening – just before sunset –  to tell them that Plan C is to bring the food there early in the morning before everyone wakes up. Right before we left -we actually witnessed a cross-fire as a few of the gangs were now coming out to “play”.  I’m not going to lie – my heart was racing. We realized in that moment – God had been protecting us. Had we come at 4pm with a truck load of supplies – we probably would have been attacked.  Reginald stomped his foot – Satan Pedi Batay.

– – – – –

Day 3

So we decided we were going to be smart about all of this. Plan D – Instead of bringing the food to the people we were going to bring the people to the food. We met with the team leader this morning at the hotel. We explained to him that we will go right off this list. We will call the names – load up 15 people at a time. Then we take the people to our warehouse – give them their gifts – take down all the important information we need and then send them back and pick up the next 15 people. We all agreed that this was a wonderful plan.

We knew that people would try to get on the truck even if they weren’t from that zone. So  – I typed up the list that he had given me. I sent him back with this paper and said if their name isn’t on the list then don’t let them on the truck. These are the 50 families in your zone – so those are the 50 families we are working with. He said no problem – but could we give him a few hours to organize everything and send a truck at 1pm. So we all prayed together and he left.

*****

In the meantime – we got a phone call from Go Ministries which is an organization that helps Haitians in the Dominican. We were SO BLESSED with a plane load of supplies. We got cooking oil, milk, soap, and shampoo. Again we felt like this was all apart of God’s plan. We were not supposed to give out the food yesterday because now we could give them supplies from the plane PLUS the rice and beans. We were SO excited!

*****

1pm

I’m little miss organizer. I have all the sacks of rice out, got the peanut butter and all the plane supplies lined up just perfectly. I brought my special little stamp  – so I can stamp all the cards. I have my notebook so I can write down all the names of everyone and find out the ages of all the kids in the household. I have my Bible and devotion ready to share with the groups of 15 when they arrive. I’m so on fire – just ready to make this happen.

I get a phone call at 1:30pm saying that I need to go down to the tent city right now. What? Why? Well apparently a riot has broken loose because supposedly the names on my list aren’t the names of the people who live in the zone. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

So we go downtown. Mind you – there is NOTHING on the truck. Yet I watch as 100 people are trying to load up on the truck – pushing and shoving and there is complete chaos. The people on the truck are lying about where they live and saying that the sheet of names I have aren’t really the correct families. I’m so frustrated I want to scream and quit- and yet out of the corner of my eye I see my beautiful little boy – STILL IN THE RED SHIRT – crying. The lady that was sitting on the bucket that day – who wouldn’t let me take her picture looked at me and said, “Please – don’t punish us for what others are doing.We are so hungry”. She pulled up the boy’s shirt and showed me a little rope tied around it. In Haiti when you’re hungry you take rope and tie it around your belly because the tightness makes you feel like you’re full. She said, “Please – do not give up on us. Do not forget us. Do not let satan win.”  I sat there and wept with the lady.

*******

I’m still crying right now as I type. These are HIS people. They are so hungry. I see the flies that hover over people as if they’re already dead. It’s blazing hot -there are still places reeking of rotten bodies – they have little to drink –  they don’t own a pot to cook in – –  and my precious little boy has a rope around his belly. Do their children not cry all night in hunger? Do the parents sit around and wonder  how their life ended up this way? Every tent zone we passed today you saw people just sitting there – staring out into space – nothing to do – no place to go – in complete despair.

We are here to help them – I do not understand what happened today? I felt completely defeated. We made everyone get off the truck – and we left. As we pulled into the hotel to call it a night- Antoine yelled out – Satan Pedi Batay…..and stomped his foot. All the men on the back of the truck yelled out again -Satan Pedi Batay – and stomped their feet. Then they told me – see you tomorrow with Plan G. While I felt like I had nothing left to give- they smiled and simply said – we try again tomorrow!! Wow!

These people here – they’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. You cannot hold them down. I know everyone on my team had hit their limit today and yet gladly they signed up for it again tomorrow!! These people have been hit with everything imaginable and yet – they will rise again. God kept laying this song on my heart today……