Haiti update

Hello everyone!

It has been a long time since I sat down and gave you all an update!!! First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone that supports me, may it be in prayer or some other way! The most encouraging thing to me, is to know that there are people all around the world praying for the work here, of which I am a part. To think of an army of God marching forward without turning to the left or the right, but keeping one goal, one focus, JESUS CHRIST, and the Glory of his name. But this army is not an army as you may think. This army is not fighting for a victory. This army is marching for the Glory of their commander, the one who won the victory over the enemy by giving his life as the ultimate price for our redemtion. Then, defeating death, he rose and asks us to surrender our lives, accept his victory, march in his victory march, and carry it to the nations. This is the duty of every believer! If you are a believer, you have a call to duty. Either get in the bucket, and go down into the well, or hold the rope for the ones that go down!!! Thank you!!! To my rope holders!!!

God has a way of using trials in life to make us into the people he wants us to be. Thinking of this being the first time I write to you all in 2013, causes me to reflect over the past while. The last few months have been very difficult for me. Many a day I wanted to find a hole and crawl in it and hide till things change for the better. I was like Jona, wanting to sit back and relax and enjoy the favor of God. Not wanting to do the work of a servant, but very willing to pronounce judgement and condemnation. Willing to carry the message of the gospel, but living it is a nother story!!! God has been teaching me a lot about himself and the life he is offering me!

For those of you who follow the mission blog www.internationalfaithmissions.blogspot.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/InternationalFaithMissions you may have seen things about the work in the mountains. We are working on some new projects in some other areas. Pastor training seminars is one thing we have done. They were a great blessing to the pastors involved. A reforestation project is in the making also in this area. It is an area that has been badly deforested to make charcoal to servive. Being in an area without a road has its challenges. It is a two to three hour hike from the road at an elevation of four to five thousand feet. A beautiful area and friendly people. Shea is behind a lot of these projects. He has a heart for the people and passion to see them move forward in life.

We just got finished with a remodel project on the clinic. We remodeled the old part of the clinic. Done a bit of reinforsement work on the structure, and repainted everything. The girls have happily moved back into the new pharmacy!!! It is amazing what a little rearranging can do to give more space!

We are looking at what the possibilities are for us as we see the lake continue to rise, giving us less than a year to stay where we are. The shop is now a lake front shop with no way to get vehicles into it. What is not water in front of it is mud! In just a short time, the water will be lapping at its doorstep.

With all of these things in mind, and all the people involved, we ask that you, as part of the Army of God, would call out to the Father, that his Kingdom could be advanced, and that the whole world could see the Glory of the Lord!!!

For more information about IFM Go to www.ifmhaiti.org

-- To God be the Glory!!!

Austin Martin