Troy Manning

Thanks to all those who prayed for my trip.  The Lord graciously answered all of the requests that I gave.  The Lord kept me safe to Haiti and while in Haiti, and my luggage (and Hantz’s) arrived in one piece and on time.  I should have asked for prayer for the trip back, because that’s when I ran into delays.  But the delay in Miami gave me the opportunity to witness to a couple, which was an answer to another request.  The couple ended up sitting on both sides of me, so it provided a perfect opportunity to witness.  They were Roman Catholics who live in the Florida Keys.  It was in Florida where my mom was regenerated and left Catholicism completely, so I was able to share some of that.  Florida was also where I was both born and born again, so I got to give my testimony as well.  And I gave them a tract that I wrote about my salvation.  We had such a good time talking that they offered to buy me supper!  I was also able to witness to a man on the way down to Haiti while in an airport restaurant also in Miami.  And I had a very interesting conversation on the way to Greenville with a retired science professor from Clemson. 

My sleep in Haiti was adequate, though I wonder how I was able to get the solid rest I needed with all the noises (barking dogs, crowing roosters, etc.).  I never slept all the way through a single night, but I always had sufficient strength for each day.  It was a blessing that I didn’t sweat as much this year during the night, since my hosts had installed a ceiling fan in the room.  The little blessings! 

The Lord greatly helped me with my French as well.  I didn’t have to speak it much, since the workshop was mostly in English and most other conversations were also in English.  But that had me somewhat concerned about how my preaching on that last Sunday would go.  In fact, even as I was reading along with the congregation for the Scripture reading, I was having a hard time keeping up.  But the Lord gave me great confidence that He would help me in the pulpit, and He did!  In fact, some said that my French was even better than last year.  That can only be because of answered prayer!  It was a great faith-strengthening time! 

The Lord also answered prayers by helping the translation workshop to go well.  We are very satisfied with the various decisions we had to make.  Sometimes it would take 30 minutes or more, but we almost always arrived at a solution.  We are disappointed that we weren’t able to get all the work done, but we’ll finish Gen 7-10 in June when Daniel comes up for the next workshop. 

I’m thankful that we were able to be an encouragement to him.  Though he has gone through much these past few months, he seemed quite content and joyful in the Lord.  Maybe that’s partly because he recently became “serious” with a girl.

We were also able to participate in some strategic PR meetings.  We spent a couple hours talking with the Translation Committee, helping to diagnose how we can make our ministry more effective and making plans for a local Bible society.  The Friday I was there, we took a three-hour trip to Jacmel to attend a meeting of around 16 fundamental pastors.  Most use only Creole in their church, so they are dependent upon the work that we do.  So it was good to strengthen that relationship.  I was greatly encouraged by the fact that around 20,000 of our NTs have already been distributed.  And the believers are desiring to have access to the OT in their own language.  Maybe we can get some trial editions of various books finished within the next year or so. 

Thus, my heart is overwhelmed at how well the trip went.  Because of this, the Lord has caused Haiti to make its way deeper into my heart.  Thanks so much for your prayers!  I look forward to getting down there (though I’m also glad to be back in the US). 

I’m currently in Grand Rapids, MI, meeting with other missionaries to establish a strategic plan for the 7 projects in that country, especially in light of the recent loss of a national consultant and the resignation of a missionary couple.  Today went quite well as we did an analysis of the current situation.  Tomorrow we will begin planning how we should proceed from here.  The Lord has been manifesting His presence as we work through complicated issues.  There is a great spiritual warfare there, but praise God that we are “on the side of” the ascended Christ!