AN UPDATE FROM OCTAVIUS & MARIE DELFILS
Dear church,
We are pleased to continue to support pastor Octavius Delfils in Haiti as he leads the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Haiti. Please find below an update about his condition, dated Feb 28, 2024. Please also note that we will take up a special offering for Pastor Octavius and RPCH this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Dear Brothers and sisters,
Thank you for your email and particularly for requesting an update about us and the ministry. We always appreciate the prayers of New City Church. This month we experienced a lot of street violence in Port-au-Prince and there is a possibility for more violence to come in the coming days and weeks. Several political groups are trying to overthrow the government with no success. The government is doing nothing to improve the situation, but is using a lot of violence to subdue the movement and stay in power. In the meantime, Port-au-Prince is more and more surrounded by gangs, and they are more and more dangerous.
However, our area is still relatively calm, though during the nights we hear gun shots sometimes very close to our house. One night, they were even in front of our gate. We make sure that our gate is locked before dark, as a simple precaution, but we know that our safety is only in the hands of the Lord.
We praise the Lord, that during daylight it is still calm in our area, and we can get to the church and to the school. We are able to meet for worship regularly and more visitors come. Please praise the Lord with us, because He protects our home and the Church members every day. Some of our church members have left their home and taken refuge in friends’ houses. Pray for their safety.
We were waiting for the Kenyan police forces to come and help, but we learned at the end of January that the Kenyan justice decided that they should not come. They are trying to reverse that decision, but we are not sure they are coming nor if they would be effective if they come.
In the midst of this chaos, we praise the Lord who blessed us with worship services and other activities that encourage the youth and other church members.
Several church members left the country for North America and other countries, but the Lord sent us a lot of young people who come regularly and we hope they will stay. Though it is still dangerous in the streets, people continue to come to church. The Lord encourages us through those visitors. We are able to record sermons and share them through WhatsApp groups with people who were absent. I am preaching through the Gospel of John and teaching basing doctrines of the catechism to our visitors and church people in Sunday school.
The time is difficult, but also fruitful in several works completed in translation and writings, in spite of the insecurity situation. The Lord is good!
Pastor Ben Hopp has accepted a call as a Regional Missionary to Uganda and Haiti and he is leaving in March. He was able to come to Haiti last week and worshipped with us, before traveling to Africa next week. That is the situation for now, but the Lord is still in control.
Thank you, dear brothers and sisters, for your prayers, your concerns and your encouragement in a time such as this. It is very difficult, but our Lord is bigger than these difficulties. He shows us his love and mercy every day. We can say with David:
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.”
Our Lord is this good Shepherd, He is a mighty fortress, a very present help in trouble. Let us continue to count together on His faithfulness and His mighty power. Thank you for your prayers.
Blessings in Christ,
Octavius & Marie Delfils
