Day 6: October 6, 2010
It is hard to believe we are on our sixth day in Haiti. The sun has been hot, but so has the Holy Spirit. He has blessed us with humble hearts that allow us to truly grasp the desolate life of the Haitian people. God’s plan is so amazing. Just when you reach a place where you feel there is no hope, He takes you where His presence is apparent, almost robust.
Today was spent with Pastor Maxo. He has built a church in an area outside of Port au Prince called Bernard. Although it is only a 25 mile drive to our destination, the drive time was 2 ½ hours. The drive began the same as all of the others…down a bumpy terrain…into the city where the streets are kind of paved, but very crowded. We continued past the airport, to the edge of town, driving until the noise of the city began to dissipate. Although the scenery was improving, there was still not a place on the street that wasn’t covered with trash.
As we drove through the countryside, the scenery began to change. The air grew clearer, the sky went from grey to blue, the honking horns and scores of vehicles turned into an actual act of moving forward. The streets were lined with trees, and the housing revolutionized from tent cities to cement domes with actual walls and roofs. It was refreshing. We did puddle through some of the biggest water holes I have seen in a road. There was a heavy rain last night, and many of the roads had been washed out. Although we had to slow down, we did not have to stop.
We were on the main thoroughfare for most of the ride, and then we turned onto a rock road. The rocks were big and white, and the surrounding terrain was plush green shrubbery. The mountain range was growing bigger as drove deeper into the village of Bernard. The sound of Third Day filled our ears sealing in the certainty of our change in surroundings.
We drove on the rock road for about 25 minutes. We passed small houses way back in the woods, old men walking down the road with their work-mule reined in close behind. There older kids zipping around us on motorbikes, goats, chickens, horses, and pigs all calling this place their home. We arrived at the church, and our immediate reaction was “WOW”!!! The building was beautiful. The first thing we notices was the beautiful cross looking over the church. There were three oval steps at the front of the church that led to a small foyer. The inside was floored and there were windows on all sides. The pulpit was elevated and behind it was a large wall covered in fresh cement. The one room church was filled corner to corner with smiling faces…children of all ages. There brand new babies, toddlers, kids from age three to 12 or 13. There were mommies and grandmothers and even a couple of daddys. The teacher was neatly dressed and the kids had an obvious respect and adoration for him. They were sitting in pews—probably 15 kids in each row. There were 200 people in school today. We were greeted with song and clapping and we were asked to walk to the front of the sanctuary. The music ringing from their voices was an old familiar tune and one quite appropriate for our location and circumstances: “Jesus loves the little Children”. And, oh yes—He does.
When the singing stopped, Pastor Maxo invited each of us to join him, 1 at a time, in front of the kids. We gave a quick introduction and then we jumped right into our activities. We sang songs, played Simon says, and handed out our “JEZI” bracelets. Barbara told a story and Thierry translated, and the kids seemed to love it. It may seem that our day was comparable to our days in City Soleil, but today was actually quite different….the children were different. There seemed to be a sense of self efficiency in these kids. They were very well behaved, and quite respectful of their guests. They appreciated the attention, but did not seem to be starving for the hugs we were wanting to give. We got them buttered up pretty quickly, but I did find it interesting how self-satisfied they were. In the city, we worked very closely as a team…always making sure we were together. But here, we had to divide and conquer. Shelley played medic as she doctored up some cuts and bruises out by the truck. Adam entertained 25 kids all at once with his barking and arm wrestling tricks. Scott and Tom were helping to make cement. And Barbara…well she was being Barbara and a group of 10-12 girls by her side everywhere she went.
After a morning of goodness, we helped the church with lunch. This too seemed to be a little more controlled. Every single one of these munchkins sat back in their seat….all neatly side by side, and waited, quite patiently for us to bring them their eats! Today was mana…delicious rice. As three ladies spooned the rice onto plates, we were there to take the plates to the teacher, who would then serve the children….little ones first. There was a lot of food. So much in fact that we ran out of plates and spoons. As the kids were finishing their lunch, one of the cooks would take the used plates and spoons to the well behind the church. She would wash them and bring them back for reuse. It was a process, but it worked. Everyone had plenty to eat.
After lunch, many of the children said their goodbyes and went home. Pastor Maxo was very gracious and brought a hot bowl of mana for us. Our lunch included creole sauce and hotdogs and was accompanied by yummy Coca Cola. He even gave us cups of ice.
After we finished eating, the Pastor shared his story. He told us how he awoke one night with an echo from God. God told him he needed to work and bring His message to an area called Bernard. He had no idea where this area was. One day he was hiking and came across a man with a mule. The man offered to give him a ride. On their journey, Pastor Maxo shared his story with the man, and the man told him that he was in the area of Bernard. Truly amazing.
Now…three years later, there is a community of Christ. There is a church, with a steeple, and 78 members. There is a handful of houses that now worship the only God instead of hundreds of voodoo idols. There are people actually working together to make their village one of prosperity and opportunity.
Pastor Maxo also shared his vision with us. He would like to move to the area to be closer to his church. He would like to offer an opportunity with his school on three levels: 1 for primary education (grades k-6), 1 for secondary education (high school), and 1 for vocational education. This would help bring industry to this area, creating jobs and generating money for family support. He also said he would love to have a medical clinic in the area too, making healthcare an option for people who-right now-have no choice.
After our meeting, we walked behind the school down a path to a neighboring family’s home. The walk was about ¼ mile long, and the path was guided by the same large white stones we saw on our way into the village. We passed what appeared to be ears of corn growing. It turned out to be cornmeal. There was an aged woman in one of the fields hoeing the crops. Pastor Maxo told us it was a community garden. Along the way, Pastor Maxo shared the story of the family we were going to visit. He told us it was a family of 17 people. When they met-they all practiced voodoo. He witnessed to the family, and all but 1-a beautiful girl who appeared to be about my age-came to Christ. She said she was not ready to accept our Jesus. She said she had a husband who was very ill, and that she was praying to her voodoo gods to heal him. He died soon after. She is now very close to loving God because her false idols were that indeed—false. When we arrived, we met the entire family. The grandparents, the parents, the children, and the grandchildren. They were all there…and guess what-they were wearing clothes given by folks in Greensboro. That is a moment that won’t soon be forgotten.
After we returned to the school, we decided to take a walk in the opposite direction and visit a missus named Mary. Pastor Maxo found Mary when he first began to establish this community. She was middle-aged and had a family of seven. They were all naked, and living under a large metal sheet that leaned up against a tree. When he tried to tell her of Jesus, she said she had no hope, and did not need his Jesus. Pastor Maxo okay for now, but told Mary he still wanted to help her. She and her family now live in two bedroom house with a metal roof. They all have clothing and shoes and have food on their table. She and five of her children are believers.
Pastor Maxo is truly making a difference in Bernard. His passion is real and his efforts are evident. I felt privileged to have experienced this.
The ride home was long. We arrived back at Habitation Hatt around 6pm, and we were all famished. The boys had a hard ride back, as they were on the tatt tatt and had carbon monoxide and gas fumes for their appetizer. Mmmmm. We ate dinner together as a family does and enjoyed the luxury of hot food and clean clothes. It rained again tonight, so the temperature settled on a cooler note.
With full bellies and tired minds, we gathered together for our evening debrief and devotional. It was the best one yet. We talked about why God would bring havoc to this society. We talked about our role in this crazy place and wondered what kind of difference we were making. Two points were made: 1: Our goal is not bring God to Haiti. God is already in Haiti—we just have to be here to do what He wants us to do. 2: We are making a difference. Sean gave a great example—he said it all came down to a dress. If the women do not have a dress, they will not come to church. And if they don’t come to church, the will not hear the word, and Christ would be lost. We brought 7 suitcases full of needed items on this trip alone. Now that will make a difference for a lot of people.
We read from Isiah 58: True Fasting. It was the perfect message to end our day.
We are so thankful to rest with a peaceful heart.
Goodnight.
- Fran
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