Rosemonde's Complete Story

Family and friends,

A lot of people have spoken with us about our blog posts concerning Rosemonde and the topic of demon possession.  It seems this issue is on the minds of many people these days.  For example, this past weekend "The Last Exorcism" was the #2 box office draw in the theatres.  I haven't seen this and don't suggest going, necessarily, but the point is that the supernatural realm is fascinating to people, and as the story below demonstrates, it is very real.   

Below you can read Pam's notes about Rosemonde, including exactly what happened during the last days and hours of her life.  Pam Plasier and her husband Mike are the directors of Mission Haiti, the organization we work for.  Please allow this story to expand your faith and your prayer life for the people of Haiti. 

(Parents...this post may not be suitable for young children to read)

Pam writes...

Looking back, I would have done many things different but I have learned so
much from this experience. I know when I get to heaven, with everything in
me, I want the chance to talk with Rosemonde again and tell her how special
she was to me.

I met Rosemonde almost 2 years ago when her dad brought her to a mobile
medical clinic we were having. He said the evil spirits were trying to kill
her. I said we would be happy to pray for her. After looking at her and
talking to her briefly, I remember thinking she seemed distant but
³whatever.² A few of us said a quick prayer, blah,blah,blah and sent her on
her way. It hurts me now that I did not take the dad or her situation
serious.

This summer the dad came back to ask us to pray for her again
saying she is much worse. After not seeing her for such a long time, I
could see the dad was right when he said she was much worse. She had grown
taller but immediately when I looked at her, God showed me a little girl in
prison. God did something supernatural at that moment and I fell absolutely
in love with this girl.

I talked to the parents, who claimed to be Christians. I tried to talk to Rosemonde
about Jesus. At times, she would answer me, other times she would turn her head
away and ignore my questions.  Looking back, I now understand she was not
always in control of her behavior. Because she was unwilling to accept Jesus as
her Lord and Savior, I did not attempt to cast out any demons in fear that the one
I cast out would go and get some of his friends and return and she would find herself
in a worse situation. Knowing what I know now, I would have bound the evil
spirit that was trying to control her and worked harder to help her
understand her need for Jesus and get her set free. It appears the head
demon was very upset and feared she would come to know Jeus so after we left
her that day, he invited a dumb spirit to enter her so she could never talk
again. He also made plans to kill her by inviting in a spirit of starvation. The dad
came down the morning after we prayed for her and said a demon came to him
telling him to make a sacrifice to satan. The dad talked as if the evil spirit comes
in the form of a man he can see but not sure exactly what he sees. The dad would
not do the sacrifice so the evil spirit caused Rosemonde to thrash around until she
had cut herself up. On the day I talked to her, she would explain that the evil
spirits that were inside of her would pick her up and throw her down. They
would take a stick and beat her and they would bite her stomach and insides.
It was very painful and it made her very scared.

A week later, I had another team in Haiti so they went and prayed with her.
When they arrived, she was already so weak that she could not sit up or walk
any longer. They tried to put food and water in her mouth but it just sat there so
they removed it so she would not choke. Cory left giving her a day or 2 to live.
My next team came 12 days later. I could hardly wait to see her. I don¹t think
an hour went by since I left her that she was not on my heart and in my prayers.
I know it was a miracle that God kept her alive for so many days. She had not eaten
since I left her. We immediately started praying for her and casting out
demons. You could see them rolling in her stomach and they would exit out
her mouth. You didn¹t actually see the demons but you would see her stomach
rolling and it appeared she was violently vomiting. We did this for some
time but it was clear she was possessed with a legion of demons. We could be
doing this for days. We talked to the parents and found out they were not
yet Christians. They thought since they started going to church, they were
Christians. We explained to them about having a relationship with Jesus and
the mom, dad and older sister accepted Jesus. SO COOL! After that we had
them repent of any part their family had in making the contract with satan.
(The entire Bouloute family came together and made a ceremony to make a
contract with satan that if he would make sure they did not lose any of the
land that was in the family, one person from the family would always serve
satan.) When the parents repented of the contract, many demons left
Rosemonde (she started acting out vomiting again)

We knew we had to get food down her so we had brought some protein shakes
along. We would bind the sprit of starvation from manifesting and we would
tell Rosemonde to open her mouth and she would. We had to bind the spirit
of vomiting or it would all come up. We did this process everyday we
visited her. It was so exciting to see her gain weight so quickly. After
feeding her that day, we prayed again for her and a gust of air came from
her. I can¹t even describe how horrible it smelled but after that she was
able to close her eyes. (her parents said her eyes had been open for 2
weeks, even thru the night) She looked so peaceful. I was hopeful that she
would be okay when we returned the next morning.

When we returned, I said ³Rosemonde ³and she looked at me for a couple of
seconds but than the demons covered her eyes. I can¹t explain it but it is
very easy to see when she is looking at you and when the demons are looking
at you. All the team members noticed that right away. We prayed, we
anointed her, her family and the house with oil as a sign of the presence of
the Holy Spirit. More demons were cast out. While I was praying, I could
feel something pushing against the inside of my arm. In my head I heard God
say there is a strongman and the less powerful demons want to leave but the
strongman will not let them. Within seconds Ephtu (the Haitian I was
praying with) prayed to bind the strongman and cast him out but nothing
happened. It was clear this demon was both powerful and had a right to be
there that we could not cast him out like we did the others. God gave Ephtu
a vision of a man hitting his donkey so it would go into Rosemonde¹s yard
and break their house. Ephtu asked the dad to tell him a story about a
donkey. The dad said he was confused and didn¹t know a story about a donkey.
Ephtu asked again and the dad said one night he woke up because his pig that
was tied up in the yard was making a lot of noise. He got out of bed to
check on it and there was a donkey in the yard, kicking and destroying
everything. Ephtu explained to us that a family member sent that donkey into
their yard to deliver the spirit into their family and that is when it chose
Rosemonde to possess. She was only 6 years old.

Ephtu prayed that the owner of the donkey come and get his donkey now in
the name of Jesus. We open our eyes and there is a guy standing in the door.
I know this guy. He is a very mean guy. He beats his wives and children. He
considers his children his slaves and makes them work from morning to night.
We asked if he was related to this family and he said yes. He became angry with us for
feeding her the protein shakes. He accused us of it being a ceremony that we
were doing on her. We showed him the package and told him it was a form of
milk. He was very upset that we were praying for her. We asked the parents
if family members have been coming here to pray for her and they said many
have come and done different things to her but they all said it would help
her get better. We explained they were all doing voodoo on her because they
do not want the contract to be broken. We told them not to let any family
members in the yard and to ask the church if they would take her so people
could pray for her around the clock. They said they already asked the
churches but they said they wont¹ take somebody in this condition. We told
him to gather all the family at the site where the ceremony took place. We
would meet them there tomorrow at 2:00. When we arrived the next day to
Rosemonde¹s house the parents explained that none of the family agreed to
break the contract except for Rosemonde¹s parents. (we saw this coming but
was hoping for a miracle) The dad had spent all day trying to find the site
where the ceremony took place. (When they do a ceremony, they most often
cook food to offer to satan by placing it inside a special type of tree and
that is the heart of the contract) The dad said the older generation told
the younger generation not to cut down the trees because they marked the
ceremony sites but the younger generation did not listen. He was told there
was 1 person still living that knew where the ceremony took place but when
he arrived at her house, he found her blind so she could not show him where
it was.

We decided to pray with Rosemonde anyway but it seemed all hell broke loose
on us. Within minutes, Robert (the guy who showed up the day before) was
back. He didn¹t say anything but he kept coming in the house making
distractions, or sitting there staring at us, at one point the house filled
up with chickens, 2 grown adults show up and stand right outside the door
and play with a homemade Haitian kite (they make a very loud noise), a
teenager comes into the house and lays on the parents bed and is making
strange noises and grasping for things in the air that are not there.

We finally called it a day and said goodbye to Rosemonde knowing that only God
could help her at this point. It was a very hard walk back down to the
orphanage. We left for America at 2am. Rosemonde¹s dad came down and told
Fern she died that morning. I was both relieved and grieved with the news.
The demons were torturing her beyond what I ever thought would be possible.
Now according to the contract, the strongman that was living in her will
choose another family member. We think because we commanded the man who sent
the spirit to this family to come and get it that it will have to return to
his family. I praise God that Rosemonde¹s parents and sister are safe from
it entering them. When we return, we will continue to mentor this family.
They have been thru a lot but like me, their eyes have also been opened to
see how the enemy works and how God is our Protector.

A sneak peek into ministry in Haiti

Family and Friends,

We want to give you a sneak peek into some of the planning that goes into the short-term mission trips with Mission Haiti and ask you to pray with us.  For example...

Cory will be travelling to Haiti and leading two separate teams on Sept. 12 & Oct. 3.  Each of these teams will offer medical clinics and VBS programs during the day, but at night each week he will share an original 6-part Bible series with the Youth Group, and we request your prayers for God to move powerfully.  There is a sense that both of these weeks will be very important and formational for the young people, and we want to share the specific themes that will be addressed with you and ask you to pray for Cory to be used by God during the messages...and even more importantly, for those who will hear these messages to be impacted deeply.   


WEEK #1-  How to Live a Great Life


A 6-part Series for the Youth Group by Cory Grimm
Sept. 12-19 Mission Trip to Ti-Rivier
FOCUS and FUNCTION:  Pam, Cory, and others have shared much from God's Word with the young people of Ti-Rivier over the years, but this message will bring it all together in a very practical way.  We will show them exactly what is required to live a Christ-centered life and impact this world for God's kingdom.

Part #1-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Follow Jesus
It all begins when we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, repent of our sins, and receive the Holy Spirit. We can never live a great life until this happens.
Example: Saul's conversion

PART #2-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Find Godly Friends
We can't do this alone...we need others to encourage us and show us the way
Example: Ananias, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, and other friends of Paul

PART #3-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Word and Prayer
These two simple elements are the keys to a vibrant faith journey with the Lord
Example: Saul's years in Antioch before being sent out as a missionary

PART #4-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Look Outward
If we experience the blessings of personal growth described above and God allows us to intimately know Him, we will see people through His eyes and long to serve and save the world as He does.
Example: Paul's missionary journeys

PART #5-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Find Your Unique Call
God has something for each of us to do that no one else can do quite the same...find out what it is & fulfill your calling!
Example: Testimonies given this year by various people, other Bible examples, etc...

PART #6-  HOW TO LIVE A GREAT LIFE:   Nothing Can Stop Us!
God is for us, so who can be against us? Satan can't stop us (a huge issue in Haiti)...other people can't stop us (a huge issue for all teens everywhere)...so start today!
Example: MOVIE NIGHT- “Spirit”, other Bible examples


WEEK #2-  The Book of Daniel
Cory had a chance to study this book in-depth in Seminary, and he feels led to share a series with the youth this October.  Then God confirmed this when Pam decided separately that the VBS lessons that week would be based on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace (this story is in the book of Daniel).  Please pray that this series will impact the youth deeply as well.


Thanks and God Bless!
Cory, Lynn, and kids

Moving to Haiti...we hope!

Greetings friends and family!  This is a simple update of the progress we are making as we prepare to relocate to Haiti. 

As a side note, we started homeschooling today in order to ease the transition to the mission field.  We thought it would have been much harder to pull the kids out of school, probably mid-semester, move down to Haiti, and start homeschooling from scratch.  Day 1 went very well!  Kester already had a math problem to which Daddy didn't know the answer.  We'll keep you updated on how this goes.

We had a great discussion the other day with an old friend about what we should do with our house, which we are trying to sell.  We had briefly considered the option of renting it out, but after going through a process of assessing our financial situation and our goals, we arrived at the conclusion that the wisest option for us right now is to sell the house and not try to be landlords from 2,000 miles away.  So we are drastically reducing the price, ramping up our advertising, and praying REALLY hard.

Another important decision came out of that conversation.  Our friend helped us take a hard look at our goals for moving to Haiti.  People often ask us, "How long do you think you will live down there?"  But we never know quite what to say.  We hope we will be able to live and work down there for a very long time, but people with much more perseverance, faith, and resolve than us have left the mission field after only a year or two, so we can't say for sure what will happen in the future.  So our friend helped us to think of it in a different way, and this is what we came up with:

We will live in Haiti for the rest of this school year (minus the time it takes to sell our house and move down there), come back to visit and raise financial support next summer, and then return to Haiti for the 2011-2012 school year.  This will be a 18-month or so trial period where we will assess for sure whether God is calling us to live down there for a very long time or not.  Towards the end of that trial period we will be better equipped to make that decision, and if at that time it becomes clear that we are not cut out to live in Haiti, it won't be a complete failure.  We will have worked as hard as we could for the 18-month trial period, and then we would figure out how to move forward from there.  On the other hand, if we know at the end of the trial period that we are called there for many years, we will also feel confident about taking on larger projects such as building a Bible School and College, etc...

One other thing we had promised earlier and we would like to include on this blog entry...the list of costs associated with making the move to Haiti.  We are putting this list out to everyone we know and asking people pray about helping us financially with these extra expenses.  If God puts it on your heart to help us out, just contact us about more information.  All donations are tax-deductible as always, and it will be fun to see how each item on the list gradually gets checked off as we prepare to go!  Here it is:

Additional Expenses for Moving to Haiti


Homeschooling Curriculum- $962
Passports / Immunizations- $450
Plane tickets / in-country travel (one way)- $2500
Table & chairs- $300
Beds (around $200 each)- $800
Other furniture (shelving, etc...)- $500
Generator- $1500
Stove- $250
Freezer- $350
House accessibility updates- (not sure yet)
Phone set-up- $100
Internet set-up- (not sure yet)

Are Short-term Mission Trips Effective? This one was...

Last night we had a chance to host the follow-up meeting to the July mission team that went down to Haiti.  After each trip that goes down we try to do a meeting after a few weeks to reflect on what God has done and is doing in each of our lives through the experience.  So the members of that team, mostly made up of young adults from The Crossing, came to our home for the meeting.

The July team was a special team, and it has given me a chance to reflect on what makes a good short-term mission trip.  Below are a few things this team did well:

1.  Prayer-  This team was a praying team from start to finish.  They did a great job of praying before the trip started, recruiting people to pray for us while we were gone, and praying throughout each day while we were there.  Not only that, but the times of prayer were focused and meaningful and vulnerable. 

2.  Personal investment-  People really embraced the opportunity to give of themselves and be pushed beyond their normal comfort zone.  For example, I had asked each person to prepare a "talk" for the youth, and this was a stretch for some of them.  Even those who were comfortable talking to groups got a sense that God was calling them to speak on something challenging, so all of us had to give of ourselves in a sacrificial way.  Then add to that the level of physical exertion we maintained as we hiked through the mountains, and people went to their limits and beyond as the Holy Spirit empowered them...and yet no one ever complained.

3.  Group unity-  From the start this group took on a sense of deep care and concern for one another.  I'll never forget how we spontaneously began to share our testimonies with each other in the airport on the way there.  Most teams spend that time soaking in as much comfort as they can before they give it all up for the week, but this team used the time to grow closer to one another.  Another great memory is when we confessed our sins to each other before praying for Rosemonde to be set free from demon possession.  I think it was this unity that allowed us to make a positive impact in the youth group meetings, the medical clinics, and all of the interactions we had with the people of Haiti that week. 

There are other aspects of this team that made it effective and enjoyable, but those are just a few that stick out for me this morning.  There is a lot of debate about the effectiveness or lack thereof of short-term mission trips, but I think in this case God did some powerful things in the lives of everyone involved.  So if you are reading this and wondering what is next for your personal faith journey, consider going on a mission trip!  And if you are friends with us, the Grimm family, know that at some point in the years to come we will probably recruit you to use your talents, passion, and faith to impact the people of Haiti!

The SOUTH South Beach Diet

After the last two heavy posts about demon possession in Haiti, I thought it would be nice to share something lighter...no pun intended

There are definitely some fringe benefits to serving the Lord as missionaries.  One of those is the great food in Haiti that also somehow causes you to lose weight.  I call it the SOUTH south beach diet.  To date I (Cory) have lost about 40 lbs. this year, or a little over 5 lbs. per trip to Haiti.

There is definitely a God-element to all of this as well.  Earlier this year I became frustrated with my lack of motivation to get healthier...to excercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.  So I finally came to God in prayer and admitted I couldn't do it under my own power.  Nothing miraculous happened at that exact moment, but over the course of the year my relationship to food has changed dramatically.

Part of it is seeing the lack of food in Haiti, and even when people do eat they don't seem ravenous or crazy about it, like when we Americans go to our favorite restaurant, for example.  Another part of it is having that deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment both from my relationship with Jesus and from my appreciation for the work He has called me to do.  I don't find myself turning to food for emotional fulfillment much anymore.

Jesus said, "Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom, and all of these things will be given to you as well."   (Luke 12:29-31)

It is things like this that make me realize how everything in our spiritual journey is so related...the physical, spiritual, emotional, etc...

People in Haiti get that, I think.  I need to learn more from them!

More of Rosemonde's Story Concerning Demon Possession

Following is an update on Rosemonde, the young girl referred to in our previous post.  I promised to let you know the end of the story, and here it is in the words of Pam Plasier, Director of Mission Haiti:

Good evening,


I returned from Haiti this morning. I am so thankful for God allowing me to
spend this week with Rosemonde Bouloute and her family. THANK YOU to
everybody who sent prayers up for her. Rosemonde's story is long and very
complicated. I could fill pages with all the details. I have read books
and studied scriptures on demon possession but until you deal with it face
to face you don't realize how real it is and how serious our words and
actions are. Rosemonde's extended family owned a lot of land and they wanted
to be sure it always belonged to them so all the families came together and
made a contract with satan. In exchange somebody in their family would
always serve satan. Rosemonde had no part in the ceremony and never asked
for it but it chose her. It was very difficult to see how the demons could
torture an innocent child. In July when she could still talk to me, she
explained how it scared her and how she could feel it beating and biting
her. It left her with many scratches, cuts and open sores. After this
conversation with her, the demon made her unable to talk again. Because the
situation is complicated, it is hard to explain but the story unfolded this
week with Rosemonde's dad, mom and older sister accepting Jesus and
repenting of the part their family played in the contract. Because Rosemonde
was unable to speak, her parents together prayed dedicating their daughter
to the Lord. Yesterday morning she passed away. I know God can do anything
and with a simple word, those demons would have to go but God also set up
rules that have consequences. We tried to gather the extended family to
break the contract but only Rosemonde's family agreed to do it so the demon
will now choose another family member and we will continue to pray that one
day the family will agree to come together and break the contract. For now,
I rejoice in Rosemonde's freedom from pain and her parents and sister's new
relationship with the Lord. Cory will head back to Haiti September 12th to
continue to minister to this family.

Thanks again for all your prayers.

pam

What does it take to cast out a demon?

Today Pam Plasier, Mission Haiti ministry director, and a short-term mission team were planning to hike up the mountain to try to cast a demon out of Rosemonde, a young teenage girl in Haiti.  Pam tried once before several weeks ago, and then I (Cory) tried with another team late in July, but at this point as far as I know we are still waiting for God to work a miracle.  I'm not sure what happened during today's encounter, but I am anxious to find out.

So what does it take to cast out a demon?

I'm no authority on this, that is for sure, but I am open to learning more about these things, especially since it is such a huge part of living in Haiti.  First of all, I think we have to get past our logic-soaked western thinking which might ask, "Do demons even exist?"  As Screwtape wrote to Wormwood, the greatest trick Satan ever pulled was to convince most of us he was only a myth long forgotten.  On the other hand, I don't think every illness is the result of demon possession as some are prone to believe in Haiti and similar places.

There must be a middle ground where our physical world actually interacts with the spiritual realm.

So that morning in late July when we went to see Rosemonde, we took the advice of Kiki, Mission Haiti's main contact in Haiti, and we spent some time in prayer.  The group began confessing sins to one another, which in and of itself is one of the most inspiring things you can do.  We were determined to walk up that mountain and be united no matter what happened.  I prayed that the group would follow my lead even if they didn't feel I was making the right decision at any point.  Kiki warned us that if the demon sensed division he would attack us.

The story on Rosemonde is that she is simply the latest victim of a long-standing family pact with Satan made long ago.  At some point her ancestors agreed to sacrifice one family member in each coming generation in exchange for some benefit, such as successful crops.  So Rosemonde is bearing the burden of that erroneous deal made decades ago.  Our task was to somehow break that cycle.

So we arrived at the home and found a dying young girl who was unable to sit up, eat, drink, or speak.  There was a heaviness in the air which could only be described as a dark, evil presence.  We began speaking with her, praying for her, trying to agitate the demon with worship and Scripture, and just whatever came to mind.  But in the end nothing dramatic happened during the couple of hours we were there.  But it definitely was a chance to do some soul searching.  Every possible thought probably raced through my head:

Is this really a case of demon possession?  (Yes, I assured myself...the family says she lashes out daily, speaks in a strange voice, and throws herself violently to the ground)

What am I doing here?  Do I even have the faith to do this?  (It's not about my faith...it's about God's power and love)

I'm supposed to be the leader here...so what if things get crazy and one of these team members gets hurt? (I don't know!)

What do we do if nothing happens?  (I really don't know!)

What if we cast a demon out?  How do we keep it from coming back with more demons as Jesus described in the book of Luke?  (I really, really don't know...except I believe if a person has the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ, a demon can no longer inhabit him/her.)

What would be the implications of a bunch of rich white people being successful in doing this when Haitians have tried and failed...would we be doing more harm than good? (tough question)

While we were there it crossed my mind several times that Rosemonde might die while we were trying to help her.  That is how bad her physical condition was.  We put rice in her mouth, but she couldn't chew it.  We did the same with water, but it just poured out.  One woman in our group picked her up, and she felt like a dead person. 

But she is still alive over two weeks later, and that is a miracle.  Maybe God did do something that day.  And I hope God did something even more amazing today when Pam and the team visited.  Please join us in praying for this precious young lady, and I'll let you know the end of the story sometime soon.

What is a Missionary?

Welcome to our new blog.  If you are familiar with Cory's original music, you might remember a song he wrote called "Our Adventures."  The title of this blog is taken from that song and applied to the current adventure God has given us to serve in the country of Haiti.  We hope you will check back often and include us in your daily times of prayer.  We are so excited and humbled to be allowed to embark on this adventure for God.  Please join us!

WHAT IS A MISSIONARY?

Our family members are called to be missionaries to Haiti.  But what is a missionary anyway?  Two things come to mind. 

First of all, a missionary is someone who sees life differently than most people in the world.  God has gotten ahold of the missionary's heart to the point that he/she no longer sees the Christian journey as the attempt to fit God into his/her life.  Instead, a missionary sees the Christian journey as a process of discovering what God is up to in the world and making his/her life conform no matter the sacrifice! 

Secondly, a missionary is obviously someone who has a calling to a certain people and to do a certain kind of work.  However, we believe a missionary is also someone who takes upon himself the burden to be culturally flexible.  Our goal is not to make Haitians more like us or more like American Christians.  We simply want to serve them and help them discover their own calling in the Lord. 

Please continue to pray with us to sell our home in Sioux Falls.  This is our biggest hurdle right now to overcome as we prepare to move to Haiti this fall.  Also, check back soon to see a list of supplies we are gathering for the big move.  Please feel free to email us at cory@mission-haiti.org to receive our monthly newsletter.