Gayla's Magazine

Between the Cross and the Crowd

The focus of my day is spent working on the final details of the Drama which includes several important things.  Finalization of all costumes with the Director, completion of the master CD for the actual performance with the sound tech, various details of the Crown, the Cross, the Chair, the Robe and the teleprompter timing all the 300+pictures/videos that have been prepared for it.  And lots of other things all around '2010'

See.....  most people never think of all the many details it takes to put together a production. But without the silent work behind the scenes, the public actions will never unfold.  By the time Easter Sunday arrives I feel I have viewed the Drama a thousand times.  It reminds me of the actual World Battle that occurred thousands of  years ago.... when God planned the redemption of man.

The Drama of that actual day when Jesus was killed was carefully orchestrated by the devil.  He thought he was winning the fight for mankind.  But in reality God was in complete control of this most demonic day in the history of man.  And God created victory out of our worst nightmare, and the cross became the bridge for humanity to find salvation. 

The Crowd never realized they were completely out of the real battle happening over them.  The supernatural fight was in another realm, yet as vulnerable pawns the devil used them to 'think' he was defeating the Son of God. 

Never forget God.  Never forget His Price He paid for you.  Never forget the power of God to redeem you out of horror, no matter what happens. The battle may be raging in your life, yet God is in full control.  Release yourself from the crowd mentality of this present darkness we live in, and place yourself fully into God's Hands. 

And at the fullness of time all actions become used of God to bring you out... the drama unfolds and the rest of the story gets revealed.  Your Drama will happen and end, bringing you to a fresh start in life and a new season of blessing.  Hold on.... it's not over till it's over!

2010 Easter Drama

Sometimes I travel between yesterday and tomorrow in our ministry!!  And learning to switch the mind between worlds of poverty and plenty, requires focus and understanding of the abilities of those standing in front of me. 

Today I am back in the USA focused upon the Easter events of New Life and what is about to happen that has been in the works for weeks now.  Pre-planning our Easter Drama is now become a reality as what the Lord gave me for a message takes shape.  I am thankful for a awesome team that can take my ideas and create for the glory of the Lord.  So many people have been working on this, I am thankful for each one of them!! 

 

This Easter drama is about men and for men. It's called '2010'. 

This week it's crunch week as we finalize all the many details to be prepared for dress rehearsal.

If you are in Houston Tx, you should come!!  It promises to  be a life changing event!!

April 4th,   Easter Sunday morning at 10am

New Life Christian Fellowship

2104 Underwood

LaPorte Tx.

Sunday Morning in Haiti

 

The Bishop preached in Pastor Benette's church while we were in Haiti.  The singing was fabulous... such beautiful harmonies... such beautiful spirit... although they have suffered much in this congregation still they find their peace in God. 

 

 

Intense prayer goes up as each man and woman humbly ask God for supernatural help in this, the worst hour of their lives.  It makes me weep with them in their pain.

Visiting a Church in Haiti

We visited another pastor who had food ready to eat when we arrived. After a long and dusty ride this looked great.  It's rice with a dried meat powder substance on top.  A group of volunteer doctors from Brazil has been staying here and working in the earthquake every day.  So they made this special Brazilian meal for everyone.

 

The Senior Pastor and his son spent time telling us about their church, and the people they lost in the earthquake.

 

 

This is his church building..... please pray for them, so much to do.... so much to talk about.  The Bishop is needed for his impute. 

 

How to Tear Down Torn Up Buildings!

This is how they are getting up to the rooftop along with the wheelbarrow up and down from the crushed roof.  It's a long board that is leaned up against the standing part of the building.  Ladders are in short supply here in Haiti.... they are truly doing things without any real help. But it works....just be extra careful! I must admit  it makes me shudder to think of the injuries that could happen by falling off this board into this mixed rubble.  Every time a little boy went up this board I held my breath and prayed....

This brings back memories of building churches in Africa! 

The Reality of Recovery

When we arrived at this school in Haiti, it was shocking to see the condition of it. To see the floors collapsed on top of each other, with little benches crushed between them makes this reality all too real!  Thankfully there were no children or teachers inside when the earthquake hit.  Here is the way it used to look....

 

While we were there one of the dads climbed down onto the top roof with a hammer and began to pound the concrete.  My heart ached for his hard labor, as I watched him slam the hammer down as hard as he could, then have to stop and rest a minute.  This is a terribly hard way to tear this building down. By the time we were ready to leave this site, he had torn out a section of the roof.  It was very unstable and unsafe, I prayed he would not fall, or any accidents would happen to these precious men working on this destroyed building.

 

Do you really have anything to complain about today?  Please pray for the people who are working so hard to overcome this devastation this very day.  While you are reading this..... hammers are jolting hands and arms and shoulders as they struggle to break slabs of concrete down.

 

Here is the view from the pastor's house overlooking the school.  My mind goes back to the heartbreaking event of the terrible hour our own  church project collapsed so many years ago.  I remember the feelings of despair after working for so many years to build it - and have it nearly complete, only to see it destroyed in moments.  I weep for them... I know what they are feeling. 
 

Walking in Haiti

This is the way the ground looks everywhere.  It's all concrete chunks, with metal rebar sticking up - so dangerous to walk on.  One has to watch where they walk as to not step on something that pierces the shoe and cuts the foot.  It's all rocky rubble and broken pieces of concrete blocks. 

 

This makes life even harder.  These little girls have to carry a heavy bucket of water across this 'mine field' of rubble.

 

I carried it for them...

Please go visit www.momsagainsthunger.org for the reports & videos on so many more details on our trip to Haiti.

Just Some Cool Water Please....

After a long day of TapTap riding in the dusty back of this 'covered pick up' truck, we were all so very thirsty and sweaty.  Longing for just some water - the interpreter with us tells us to stop and he will get us some water.  We stop in a busy area of bustling bodies rushing here and there, and he gets out.  Now we are a target for all the eyes staring at the obvious Americans setting in a taptap in their midst.  And quickly a crowd starts forming around the truck as hands start appearing open palmed and voices start pleading "please help us''. Little girls with big curious eyes look at me and they are so beautiful I wish I could get out and hug them and help them so bad.  But I dare not leave the vehicle.

 

And after about 10 minutes our interpeter arrived back and climbs in and we take off.  When he give us this water to drink, these little bags of drinking water were so precious.  I don't know how or where he had to go to get them, but we were grateful.  I prayed over these bags of water as I am positive there may be germs and bacteria covering them.  The only way to drink the water is to tear a hole in the corner with your teeth and pour the water in your mouth. 

Oh well here goes......

 

And as we drive down the road we see a crowd in the road, and our driver does not slow down but rather presses the gas pedal it seemed to me trying to see out the wooden slates .  And we hurry away from this busy area - and what I captured as we rushed past was a fight was happening between men.  And many others were beginning to join in also.  No place for us to be.

The Next Miracle

After the Crusade service we walked back down along the mountain trail and climbed  back in the truck and drove back toward the river.  I am thinking 'ok we have to get across the river again and somehow get back up that steep incline - Lord help us'.

(if you don't know what I am talking about, read down a couple of posts and see how we got across the river in the first place.) 

Now it's about 10:30 at night, a black black night.... not a soul to hear or help us if something went wrong.   But an amazing thing happened!  Right when we got to the rivers edge... and stopped the truck for a moment.  Someone appeared out of the dark and tapped on the drivers window.  The Pastor rolls it down... and something was said to the effect "let me drive you across".  I could tell the Pastor did not know this man, nor was he comfortable turning over his vehicle - which is extremely important to survival in Haiti.  Plus he had Americans with him... was this a trap to capture them?  We could see the wheels of concern turning in his mind as he tried to make a decision.  He looks from us in questionable decision.... to the stranger.... to the river that lay just ahead.  Finally he simply trusts the  unknown and opens his door and lets the man get in.  And he  jumped in the back of the pick up. 

The man umps in, slammed the door shut, put the truck in gear and rammed his foot on the gas to the floorboard!  We took off like a shot!  We hit the water so hard it splashed over the truck... and we are in the river... and he is driving like he is in the Indy 500!  He turned the wheels to the left... to the right... we are gunning it and water is going everywhere!  It was as if he knew the river bed curves, rocks and dips.  And just ahead was the steep bank upwards.  We all were setting in complete  shocked silence, but everyone was silently shouting our prayers for this unknown driver. Suddenly he does not turn toward the bank, but he turned in the opposite direction up on the bank and down the other side as fast as he could go, flying across the rugged terrain.  We were bumping and jerking and hitting the sides of the windows with our heads.  And there in front of us is ANOTHER RIVER!   He hits the water full blast - again we are covered in muddy water.  And he is flying.... scraping the bottom of the truck sometimes... sharp turns left and right and then just as hard as we hit water, we hit land.  And he pulled the vehicle straight up out of the river onto the dirt road just like that! As soon as he stopped the car, i think everyone of us let out our breath... whooooo.   (I guess we were also holding our breath while praying)  And spontaniously we started cheering!  He says nothing to us, but simply gets out of the truck.. tapped the top a couple of times and disappeared into the pitch dark.

The pastor gets back in the drivers seat, a little in shock.  Slowly he sets there a minute and we all commented on what just happened. Then he puts his hands on the steering wheel gently, pulls us out of park and into drive and we drove slowly down that dark mountain road, so grateful to God for his incredible aid for all of us. 

Haiti Video