This story is from Lemuel Ministries, a Crossworld partner ministry in Haiti.

Northwest Haiti is no stranger to drought. Trees drooping, crops drying up, animals dying. Such was the case again. And COVID-19 wasn’t helping matters. The government had closed as much as possible to stop the spread of the virus, so very few people were working. And in this society, famine is a looming threat.

Manis, the director of Lemuel Ministries, went off to a quiet place to pray and think. Confident God called him to this ministry in this place, He asked God what he should do. 

As he sat quietly before the Lord, images of past hardships came to mind. Whenever times got dark, it was then that God did something big.

Times were definitely dark right now. What was God going to do? he wondered.

Armed with confidence in his powerful God, Manis called seven of his employees and told them to help him plant pitimi (sorgum) in one of the fields.

They looked at him, then at each other, then back at Manis. With a shrug, they started for the field.

While the planters started their work, men driving by on motorcycles stopped to look at the “crazy boss.” Who plants pititmi in a drought? It needs water … and lots of it!

Manis and his workers finished planting late in the evening, and Manis offered them dinner. As they ate, he told them stories from the early days of the ministry at Lemuel.

“There’s one thing I learned,” he said. “When things get really dark, God is about to speak.”

They pulled out God’s Word and studied together, then prayed and went home.

Around noon the next day, something strange happened. A small cloud formed in the sky.

Is this how You are going to show your glory? Manis asked God. Will You indeed water Your garden?

Around 1 p.m., the rain came! It came to the plateau and it came to the mountains. It came to the withering plants and the thirsty animals.

Manis took one of his workers with him and drove to the pititmi field. Water rushed down the mountain and into the canals, flooding the newly planted garden with life-giving water.

Everyone was excited when the rain came, but no one as much as those who planted the seed in the drought.

We could say that we in America are facing dark times, too.

Have we asked God what He wants us to do during this time? Do we believe that our God is an awesome God, and that when things get dark, He is about to speak? Do we believe He will send rain to water the seeds we plant in faith?

Let’s “plant” in faith so that when the rain comes, we can shout with joy. Let’s replace fear with faith, discouragement with determination, and excuses with exuberance.

As God says, “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).

Happy “planting”!

Crossworld worker Gigi grew up in Haiti and then served there for 20 years. She continues to partner with Lemuel Ministries, where her daughter and family now work.