"Do you think HWI has a trike for me to take to Haiti next week?" asked Dave. Jean relayed her husband's question to me that same morning. By the afternoon, after praying and seeking counsel everything was set into motion.
Dave and his friend Chuck joined a group from Naperville Presbyterian Church for an 8-day mission trip. The team worked in conjunction with El Shaddai ministry in Haiti. This mission is part of the Presbyterian Church of America.
"I have a bike for you," a Haitian Pastor told Maxene, a 25-year-old man paralyzed from his waist down. Prior to receiving the trike Maxene had believed his paralysis was the result of a voodoo spell. "Why are you making fun of me by saying you have a bike? You know I cant ride." Maxene stated.
When he saw the trike his face lit up. The team told him it was a gift from God. "God's power is greater than any other power. Even over the roughest road he can smooth it out," Chuck prayed. Maxene did not have any trouble negotiating the rocky, rut filled, impossible looking hilly roads on crutches, and he didn't have any trouble with the trike either. As he rode away, the team could tell he was experiencing a new kind of freedom. Maxene was practically in tears but with a smile beaming on his face. "For the rest of my life I can never repay you for what you have done." Maxene stated.
For the first time ever he was able to get down to the river by himself. This is where locals bathe, and it is also a place of inspiration. Our prayer is that a relationship with the pastor who gave the trike to Maxene will lead Maxene on a journey to finding hope and freedom in Jesus Christ.
Chuck said, "This was a blessing and highlight of my trip to haiti. So often when opportunities are presented, obstacles start rising. We wonder how it will all work out. Yet God just wants us to turn it over to Him and He makes the wheels turn." For Maxene, he has now witnessed the power of a loving god to help dispel the darkness of Voodoo worship, which paralyzed his spiritual life.
Alice, I am so excited to be able to continue reading about the work you are doing! Keep pressing on, you and your team are making a huge difference in this world....one person, one bike at a time!
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