Ancy's Run-In with Bandits

Well, Ancy was held at gun point this week and shook down for money, which he wisely never carries. When they discovered he had nothing, they beat him up and walked away, which very rarely happens. The bandits kill people daily who have nothing to appease their greed. Ancy said,

“It was Jesus. It was Jesus who made them walk away.”

Oh, and guess what Ancy did the following day? He arranged for a water truck to bring the monthly supply of water to the prison, then he together with his family, cooked and fed over a hundred kids.

Fear is real, but Ancy refuses to let it rule him. The nights are the hardest. He has no electricity so it’s darker than dark and every time the wild dogs start barking it signals that the bandits are nearby. For this reason, Ancy spends most of the night awake, alert, praying and on patrol, then grabs some shut eye, during the day when he’s not dropping off Plumpy Sup – a nutritional supplement that has the consistency of peanut butter that both the adults and the kids absolutely love, or maintaining the property, or visiting the prison or meeting with the police to talk about protection for a medical clinic he wants to set up.

Yes, he has met with two doctors and a group of nurses who are willing to come to the village and set up a mobile medical clinic – but they can’t do it without armed guards – and the police told Ancy this week that as of right now, they don’t have enough ammunition to protect the team and the five hundred plus villagers who the clinic would service from the gangs. They told him that our area – Nan Rasin – is the most dangerous and most volatile so although they want to help – they just don’t have what they need to do so.

Ancy, is now asking Jesus if there is another place, close enough to Nan Rasin that He’d like the clinic to be set up in. The need is dire and mammoth and the people are just too terrified to venture to the hospital, and even if they do, there is no guarantee that it will be open because of how the gangs have taken over.

The market we shopped in has been burned to the ground, so all our families have to travel into Cap Haitian to find food and to do that, is quite literally putting your life in danger.

But here’s what’s also true.

In the midst of the turmoil, chaos, and terror – our GOD is in control, not the gangs. JESUS is there and is strengthening His remnant.

Ancy regularly meets with fellow believers to pray and like the early church they are emboldened to press on because it’s all for JESUS!

So, when the Holy Spirit puts Ancy on your heart – please pray.

When you see that line scrolling on the bottom of your screen telling you that Haiti is in crisis – please pray.

We can’t express what an honor it is to be Ancy’s, ‘Aaron and Hur’. It is such a privilege to do what we can here, so that he can do what Jesus tells him to do there. Like parents we are incredibly blessed by his heart – while at the same time constantly asking Jesus to protect, guide and encourage him like only He can!

We are looking forward to making thousands of pies – and to hosting eleven FEASTS this winter – including one for our Spanish sisters! We can’t wait to have another MASSIVE YARD SALE in the spring and the planning for ALWAYS SISTERS 2025 began even before this year’s started!

We love doing what we do because it’s all for our JESUS!

And what we do for JESUS is never in vain.

Not ever.

When Maurice was taking his boys from shack to shack delivering food and visiting the ones that even the Haitians wouldn’t go near, he had no idea that one of those boys would grow up and fearlessly take the baton and become the face of Jesus to so very many.

And what you are doing for JESUS is not in vain either.

Your faithful sword wielding for your family, the love and grace you shower on your annoying neighbor, the financial investments you make into the Kingdom, the choice to be merciful and forgiving to those who have hurt you or to grit your teeth and persevere in the midst of an unspeakable loss or trial – it’s not in vain.

There is coming a day when it will be worth it all.

Esther Kerr Rusthoi was a fellow sheep, who was not a stranger to suffering. She served in a large church in Los Angels, but poor health kept her bedridden most of the time – yet she refused to let pain and frustration define her. The easy thing would have been to just roll over and let self pity take control, but Esther knew even in her weakened condition, she was created to make Jesus known, so she wrote songs, that long after she died, were sung all over the globe.

Our prayer for you is that as you read the truth contained in this timeless song, that you too will be persuaded that it truly will be worth it all, when you see JESUS…

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,

We’re tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;

But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,

All tears forever over in God’s eternal day.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,

We’re tossed and driven on, no human help in sight;

But there is one in heaven who knows our deepest care,

So give Jesus all your problems – just go to Him in prayer.

Life’s day will soon be o’er, all storms forever past,

We’ll cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last;

We’ll share the joys of heaven – a harp, a home, a crown,

The tempter will be banished, we’ll lay our burden down.

Ah we can’t wait – but - until then, we’re going to keep doing whatever He tells us to do until we see His face!

Yes and AMEN!

Maurice and Sue