Journal - Day 3

Day 3:  October 3, 2010

Awake at 6—breakfast at 6:30--& off to Pastor D’s church for a morning of worship.  The drive up the mountain was bumpy, but calming at the same time.  We were so excited to see God at work—feel his presence and see the smiles He delivers with his love & grace.

The church, in its physical sense, was broken.  The three-story cement building was in a crumbling pile—with only the bottom level solid enough for people to gather.  There were probably 50-60 people present—including Pastor D and the choir.  Our team quietly gathered in the back of the church—hoping to add no distraction to our fellow Christians.  We received many glances—all holding smiles—the atmosphere was obviously God.

The sermon was from Esther:  chapter 4 verses 15-17.  It was delivered by an 89 year old elder who has been a Christian since his early twenties.  Although it was delivered in French, we were able to read our own Bibles and be engaged in the message.  It was truly amazing.

Now—when you take such a powerful sermon and couple it with a wall-trembling choir—the end result is an emotional connection thru Christ with 50-60 new brothers and sisters.  It was pretty awesome.  The choir was composed of both men & women—but there was only one holy spirit—and He rocked it out!  The congregation was completely engaged—all singing as loudly as they could.  There was an echo--& with Lord’s help—I am certain it was heard down the mountain and throughout the city.  I just can’t say enough about how impactful, how moving the worship was.  Simple, heart-felt and sincere.

In my opinion-although their buildings have crumbled, the spirit in the Haitian people has not.

After the sermon had ended—the congregation stood up and began to filter out.  We received many handshakes, kisses on the cheek, and winks and giggles from the adorable little kids.  The crowd was dressed to the nines—many of the men in a full suit.  Many of the little girls wore lacy girly frocks—and they all had on shoes with socks covered in ruffles and lace.  Too cute!  The boys in the churchwere very well manicured wearing pressed khakis and clean popo shirts.  Everyone was in bright colors and happy to look their best in God’s house.

A little over half of the people made their exit and went on their way.  The remaining crew sat down for another small sermon—and then communion.  We stood up one row at a time and made a line to the front of the church.  We each took our body and blood (some of us took more than others, Scott) and returned to our seats.

As we waited to take communion, Barbara noticed the female ushers and was able to identify their true role in the church…and that would be to bust people (jk).  These ladies would nudge the sleepy heads back to consciousness.  They would tell the little girls to be quiet, quit playing and to pay attention.  They even took away a ringing cell phone that went off during the service.  HEEHEE.  Kind of funny! 

Pastor Diesel spoke again in French, but we all understood the message:  we were at the Lord’s table giving thanks, asking for forgiveness, and celebrating the love of Christ.  It was moving and a truly unique experience for all of us.

After church in Haiti (I love saying that—church in Haiti)—we began making our way towards the Baptist mission.  We drove thru the center of town—which was a hustling market place.  There were so many people in the streets-our truck was more like a passerby than a mode of transportation.  The goods for sale varied from one vendor to the next.  There was jewelry, engine oil, sticks, mops, bread, raw chicken, live chickens, fried fish, clothing, furniture and more.  It was very busy.  It was very impressive.

We stopped for lunch at a Domino’s Pizza.  How crazy is it that in the middle of a dirty, deficient, needy society, there would be a Domino’s Pizza…and it was G-O-O-D!  We ate, climbed back into our vehicle and headed up the mountain.  We drove around the curvy hillside, passing vehicles…speeding up and slowing down.  As the elevation grew, the temperature grew cooler, and the poverty grew to be less and less.  About ½ way up the mountain, it started to rain, and rain, and rain.  This wouldn’t have been too big of a deal had the boys not been in the back of the truck.  They were getting pelted with rain, which can be quite painful when you are traveling 45 miles per hour. 

When we arrived, there was no complaint from the guys, and excitement from all of us.  The ride, the rain, the trip was worth it.  The view was amazing.  You could see all of Port au Prince.  You could see the ocean.  You could point out the different parts of town…see the tent villages from a topical view.  It was almost like the devastation was gone, and this beautiful place was just there…wrapped in a beautiful mountain range.  Breathtaking.

After 20 minutes of oohing and ahhing…we bartered for braclets and got back in the car.  Back to the luxury of our home for the week, the Habitation Hatt.

Our evening was spent back at Pastor Diesel’s house.  Once again, Magda prepared an amazing meal:  lasagna, BBQ chicken, regular chicken, mashed potatoes, grilled bananas, slaw…and believe it or not….sweetened iced tea.  They have truly been so welcoming and made us feel so loved when we are so far away from home.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, a wonderful evening, and another testimony to God’s good work.

-Fran