So today I went on our errand run with Miguelson my translator and Fennel my security guard. We had to get some floor fans because last week the power was being weird and we burned out every single fan in this house!
Let me tell you about this ridiculous place- you walk in and they have floor samples of lots of electronics and stuff. There are three desks all next to each other with three women sitting at them. They were all watching a Spanish sopa opera dubbed in French, and they were TOTALLY into it.
Here's how it works- you decide what you want, and then tell the lady at Desk #2. She types up a long receipt. Then you take the receipt LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT TO HER to Desk #1 and pay and she gives a new receipt. Then you take the old and new receipts 5 STEPS AWAY to Desk #3, where she checks your ID just in case you switched identities between Desks 1 and 3 and then they bring the stuff out of the back rooms.
IT WAS A RIDICULOUS EXPERIENCE.
And another reason why Haiti is never a boring place.
P.S. I saw a SECOND Dentist/Gynecologist today. Yes, that's right. A SECOND. That means I have seen another one. It must be a thing around here. One stop shopping! :)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sweet
So yesterday was church, and I forgot my camera. At first, I was TOTALLY BUMMED, but as the service progressed I was so glad that I didn't have it, because I would have been distracted and would have been a distraction. And it would have taken away from the sweetest worship service I have ever attended. So I will try to paint you a word picture. :)
I went to church with Dennis Wilbanks, who is the current Incident Commander here in the Disaster Relief office. He works with Partnership Missions, and has been coming to Haiti for 12 years. Plus he is super great. He was asked to preach at a church he visited this week, and I jumped along. The church was in Croix de Bouquets (Cross of Flowers) and was about a 40 minute drive from the CMBH house.
The building was small- smaller than the room we use for the nursery at Coquina. The floor was cement, they had a tin roof, and there were thatched reed walls that didn't quite reach the roof. The seats were small rickety wooden benches, and everything was painted either coral or sea foam green. All of the Haitian churches I have attended have fake flowers hanging down from the ceiling, and this church also had a couple of paintings of flowers nailed to a board in the front.
When we arrived, there were only 7 people there, and the pastor was using a megaphone to sing. It was almost like Coquina- nobody arrives on time. :) Slowly people drifted in, and after a few songs, it was time for Sunday School.
The congregation split into three groups- adults, youth, and children. Everyone stayed in the same room for their classes. It was incredibly distracting for me, not to mention the fact that I could only understand about every 6 words, but they were totally focused on their teacher. The adult group was talking about Hebrews 11. Because most of the people do not have Bibles, and probably can't read, they focus on memorizing scripture. The adults today memorized Hebrews 11:1- "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." After Sunday School was over, the classes stood and recited what they had learned for the entire church.
Then worship started. And went on. And on. And on. :) But it was great! They sing old-fashioned hymns in French here, and some of them I even recognized and could join in. Two of the songs I recognized were "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" and "To God Be the Glory". At one point, a little mouse ran across the stage under Dennis' chair and outside through a hole in the wall. It was literally a church mouse! For instruments, they had two drums and a thing that looked kind of like a giant cheese grater that a guy ran a stick up and down. I was surprised at the rhythm they gave to those hymns. It was fun!
The worship was broken up by times of prayer and sharing. One passage shared touched my heart especially- Psalm 95: 1-7:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Then they had a time of special music. One group of 5 young men- they called themselves "Imitators"- got up and sang a song about how in heaven we will have new names and there will be no difference between us. Then a little girl about 9 years old got up and sang a hymn. She sang so loud and clear. It was BEAUTIFUL. Then one of the guys from Imitators sang another song. It was obvious that all of the girls were in love with him. :)
When they did the offering, the pastor said in the prayer that "Even though we don't have a lot, you put enough in our hands so that we can share." Every person in there gave money, even if it was only a few coins.
Dennis preached from Luke 19:1-10- the story of Zacchaeus. His points were that 1) Jesus sees you, 2)Jesus knows you, and 3)Jesus needs you. This message was perfect for the people there today. He was very animated while he spoke, and everyone was absolutely captivated. This line got me- "Jesus says, 'I have come today looking for Zacchaeus. Those with a broken heart. Those with no purpose. I have come to give hope and to give life everlasting." When he called for a time of prayer at the altar, almost everyone went forward. And when Haitians pray, THEY PRAY. On their knees, shouting to the Lord.
Then we sang a few more songs, and the service was over. Like I said before, was probably the sweetest service I have ever attended. I can’t even think of another word to describe it. It was so clear that the congregation was there because they love love love Jesus. I am so grateful to have been there.
I went to church with Dennis Wilbanks, who is the current Incident Commander here in the Disaster Relief office. He works with Partnership Missions, and has been coming to Haiti for 12 years. Plus he is super great. He was asked to preach at a church he visited this week, and I jumped along. The church was in Croix de Bouquets (Cross of Flowers) and was about a 40 minute drive from the CMBH house.
The building was small- smaller than the room we use for the nursery at Coquina. The floor was cement, they had a tin roof, and there were thatched reed walls that didn't quite reach the roof. The seats were small rickety wooden benches, and everything was painted either coral or sea foam green. All of the Haitian churches I have attended have fake flowers hanging down from the ceiling, and this church also had a couple of paintings of flowers nailed to a board in the front.
When we arrived, there were only 7 people there, and the pastor was using a megaphone to sing. It was almost like Coquina- nobody arrives on time. :) Slowly people drifted in, and after a few songs, it was time for Sunday School.
The congregation split into three groups- adults, youth, and children. Everyone stayed in the same room for their classes. It was incredibly distracting for me, not to mention the fact that I could only understand about every 6 words, but they were totally focused on their teacher. The adult group was talking about Hebrews 11. Because most of the people do not have Bibles, and probably can't read, they focus on memorizing scripture. The adults today memorized Hebrews 11:1- "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." After Sunday School was over, the classes stood and recited what they had learned for the entire church.
Then worship started. And went on. And on. And on. :) But it was great! They sing old-fashioned hymns in French here, and some of them I even recognized and could join in. Two of the songs I recognized were "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" and "To God Be the Glory". At one point, a little mouse ran across the stage under Dennis' chair and outside through a hole in the wall. It was literally a church mouse! For instruments, they had two drums and a thing that looked kind of like a giant cheese grater that a guy ran a stick up and down. I was surprised at the rhythm they gave to those hymns. It was fun!
The worship was broken up by times of prayer and sharing. One passage shared touched my heart especially- Psalm 95: 1-7:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Then they had a time of special music. One group of 5 young men- they called themselves "Imitators"- got up and sang a song about how in heaven we will have new names and there will be no difference between us. Then a little girl about 9 years old got up and sang a hymn. She sang so loud and clear. It was BEAUTIFUL. Then one of the guys from Imitators sang another song. It was obvious that all of the girls were in love with him. :)
When they did the offering, the pastor said in the prayer that "Even though we don't have a lot, you put enough in our hands so that we can share." Every person in there gave money, even if it was only a few coins.
Dennis preached from Luke 19:1-10- the story of Zacchaeus. His points were that 1) Jesus sees you, 2)Jesus knows you, and 3)Jesus needs you. This message was perfect for the people there today. He was very animated while he spoke, and everyone was absolutely captivated. This line got me- "Jesus says, 'I have come today looking for Zacchaeus. Those with a broken heart. Those with no purpose. I have come to give hope and to give life everlasting." When he called for a time of prayer at the altar, almost everyone went forward. And when Haitians pray, THEY PRAY. On their knees, shouting to the Lord.
Then we sang a few more songs, and the service was over. Like I said before, was probably the sweetest service I have ever attended. I can’t even think of another word to describe it. It was so clear that the congregation was there because they love love love Jesus. I am so grateful to have been there.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wow.
What a day.
So yesterday I went along with one of our ministry teams to participate in a VBS that Pastor Joe holds at his church twice a year (I was mistaken earlier) for street children in the area. Tuesday and Wednesday the attendees topped out at about 350, but I guess the word had spread, because we estimate that we had 450 little sweaty bodies packed in the church! It was not quite so organized chaos, but it was beautiful.
I wrote on Wednesday that my goal was to just give love. And that is exactly what I tried to do. The team pretty much had all of their details worked out, so I wasn't needed to help all that much. So I just sat myself down near the front and then this happened:
And what you can't really see in that picture is the little boy who was sleeping on my leg. And drooling, by the way. :) The girls pretty soon started touching my hair, so I took it down and immediately I had 20 hands smoothing it down on my head.
I thought about something one of the college girls said here a few weeks ago in debrief. Yesterday I truly experienced seeing people through Jesus' eyes. If I was seeing them with my own, I would have been miserable. I was hot, sweaty, thirsty, with tons of smelly kids touching me with dirty hands. But I loved it. I loved it! And there is no doubt in my mind that it was Christ in me that felt that way. Because Christ sees those children as precious, so much so that He died for them.
Last night we had really hard rains, and I lay in bed crying for those kids. Many have no one to care for them. There were several kids who came in carrying infants and toddlers. It was amazing to watch them take care of each other. I don't know where they sleep at night, but I prayed that they were safe and dry.
I don't really have any more words to describe the day. I truly felt emptied out afterwards. One of the American team rode back with me, and I was a wee bit annoyed that she was wanting to talk, and about trivial things. I just wanted to be still and pray. So, I humbly offer up these pictures and video to you and ask that you pray with me for the beautiful, amazing, precious children in them.
They were praying like this. Isn't it cute? :)
She came up and sang "My Redeemer Lives" in French. It was probably one of the most worshipful times I have ever experienced.
WAY more kids ended up coming. It was standing room only!
Watching a dramatic reenactment of David and Goliath. Look at the joy on their faces!
And video- this was taken early in the morning:
This one is specifically for Kim! You will hear why... :)
So yesterday I went along with one of our ministry teams to participate in a VBS that Pastor Joe holds at his church twice a year (I was mistaken earlier) for street children in the area. Tuesday and Wednesday the attendees topped out at about 350, but I guess the word had spread, because we estimate that we had 450 little sweaty bodies packed in the church! It was not quite so organized chaos, but it was beautiful.
I wrote on Wednesday that my goal was to just give love. And that is exactly what I tried to do. The team pretty much had all of their details worked out, so I wasn't needed to help all that much. So I just sat myself down near the front and then this happened:
And what you can't really see in that picture is the little boy who was sleeping on my leg. And drooling, by the way. :) The girls pretty soon started touching my hair, so I took it down and immediately I had 20 hands smoothing it down on my head.
I thought about something one of the college girls said here a few weeks ago in debrief. Yesterday I truly experienced seeing people through Jesus' eyes. If I was seeing them with my own, I would have been miserable. I was hot, sweaty, thirsty, with tons of smelly kids touching me with dirty hands. But I loved it. I loved it! And there is no doubt in my mind that it was Christ in me that felt that way. Because Christ sees those children as precious, so much so that He died for them.
Last night we had really hard rains, and I lay in bed crying for those kids. Many have no one to care for them. There were several kids who came in carrying infants and toddlers. It was amazing to watch them take care of each other. I don't know where they sleep at night, but I prayed that they were safe and dry.
I don't really have any more words to describe the day. I truly felt emptied out afterwards. One of the American team rode back with me, and I was a wee bit annoyed that she was wanting to talk, and about trivial things. I just wanted to be still and pray. So, I humbly offer up these pictures and video to you and ask that you pray with me for the beautiful, amazing, precious children in them.
They were praying like this. Isn't it cute? :)
She came up and sang "My Redeemer Lives" in French. It was probably one of the most worshipful times I have ever experienced.
WAY more kids ended up coming. It was standing room only!
Watching a dramatic reenactment of David and Goliath. Look at the joy on their faces!
And video- this was taken early in the morning:
This one is specifically for Kim! You will hear why... :)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Quiet
I had a quiet day today. There was little activity in the house, and my soul was still. It was good. I needed it.
There is a lot of scary stuff waiting for me when I get home. Some of it followed me here- blast paying bills online! I have no idea what is going to happen in the next two months. But whatever it is, it is going to be big and life-changing. And scary.
As I sat tonight on the porch reading Les Miserables and listening to the chanting and drums of the Voodoo house behind me, I was overcome with this seemingly random direction my life has taken. When 2010 began, I had a job and health insurance and security. Not anymore. There are a few opportunities on the horizon, but nothing I can do about them at the moment.
But God is faithful. I have to trust and believe and hope in this. Tomorrow I will be spending the day at a VBS for street kids here in Port-au-Prince. I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to live their lives. I know that even when I feel lost, I am rooted in a family (both by name and by church) that will provide. I know that I will never be homeless, I will never be hungry, and I will never go without. These kids are all three. And they are living in a land where darkness is around every corner, ready to devour them.
As I am praying about my future, please join me in prayer for theirs. Pray that this time of VBS, which Pastor Joe does quarterly, will be a time where they can let down their guard and just be kids. Pray for their physical health, that they will have food to eat, cool water to drink, and that sickness and injury will not come. Pray that they will somehow get an education, the key to releasing themselves from poverty. Pray that they will take comfort in serving the Lord, not simply appeasing the Voodoo spirits. Pray that they will be loved and cherished. That's my goal for tomorrow. To completely empty myself of all of the love that has ever been given to me. Love that all of you have been a part of!
I don't mean to get all preachy. This is sounding almost like a prayer walk story. :) It's just that this quiet day has given me an opportunity to ponder and pray.
Look for pictures tomorrow!
There is a lot of scary stuff waiting for me when I get home. Some of it followed me here- blast paying bills online! I have no idea what is going to happen in the next two months. But whatever it is, it is going to be big and life-changing. And scary.
As I sat tonight on the porch reading Les Miserables and listening to the chanting and drums of the Voodoo house behind me, I was overcome with this seemingly random direction my life has taken. When 2010 began, I had a job and health insurance and security. Not anymore. There are a few opportunities on the horizon, but nothing I can do about them at the moment.
But God is faithful. I have to trust and believe and hope in this. Tomorrow I will be spending the day at a VBS for street kids here in Port-au-Prince. I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like to live their lives. I know that even when I feel lost, I am rooted in a family (both by name and by church) that will provide. I know that I will never be homeless, I will never be hungry, and I will never go without. These kids are all three. And they are living in a land where darkness is around every corner, ready to devour them.
As I am praying about my future, please join me in prayer for theirs. Pray that this time of VBS, which Pastor Joe does quarterly, will be a time where they can let down their guard and just be kids. Pray for their physical health, that they will have food to eat, cool water to drink, and that sickness and injury will not come. Pray that they will somehow get an education, the key to releasing themselves from poverty. Pray that they will take comfort in serving the Lord, not simply appeasing the Voodoo spirits. Pray that they will be loved and cherished. That's my goal for tomorrow. To completely empty myself of all of the love that has ever been given to me. Love that all of you have been a part of!
I don't mean to get all preachy. This is sounding almost like a prayer walk story. :) It's just that this quiet day has given me an opportunity to ponder and pray.
Look for pictures tomorrow!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Yay for Today!
Today was a GREAT day. Here is why:
- I got to take a nap.
- I went out for pizza and ice cream with the IC guys and Miguelson and Dasy.
- I Skyped with Brittany and got to see a smiling Ezra and a pantsless Gabe. Quote of the conversation comes from Gabe- "I wanna see Haiti!" :)
- This picture happened:
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Feeling Better, Some Pictures, and THE HAT
Yay! I am feeling better! I took a day and just slept and slept and slept, and that did the trick. I slept in today as well, and when I finally emerged and came into the office, Mike (Disaster Relief guy from Colorado who is in charge of our temporary shelter operations) said that the Haitian kitchen staff was all in a tizzy and worried about me. They finally got together and had one of the translators come ask about me. Now isn't that precious. :) And I only slept in until 11:30! Little do they know...
Now for some pictures:
Need some shoes?
My dates for burgers! :)
Haitian Walmart
This is Epidor! A food court style restaurant in Port-au-Prince. They have burgers, nuggets, pizza, ice cream, and sandwiches. And it is all safe for caucasian stomachs! Even if I don't get to come here much, it is good to know that it exists. :)
A view of the SCARY Buckets of Hope container paperwork I had to do. There is a lot of stress inside those folders....
Paperwork in French!
And this is my buddy Miguelson. He is our top translator here at CMBH, and he is incredible. If you were not a part of the epic Facebook conversation, let me fill you in on THE HAT.
One morning after breakfast I stepped outside to make sure that everyone was getting to where they needed to go before I took a shower. As I scanned the crowd, something caught my eye. One of the volunteers from California, a middle-aged white woman, was wearing an odd looking contraption atop her head. Upon further inspection, I discovered that what she had on was a solar-powered fan hat.
A SOLAR POWERED FAN HAT. Totally unironically, I may add.
Judith and I decided that this was no ordinary HAT. Harkening back to an Old Testament tradition, this HAT must only be referred to in capital letters. THE HAT is a reminder sent by God to me that He is Good, He is Gracious, and He loves me.
Unfortunately I was not usually around when she left for the day wearing THE HAT. But on the afternoon that she left, I made sure to snap a photo of Miguelson wearing THE HAT. He understands the power of THE HAT, and that mere men are not worthy to have direct contact with it. Thus, he had a Levite ballcap stand in the gap.
Now for some pictures:
Need some shoes?
My dates for burgers! :)
Haitian Walmart
This is Epidor! A food court style restaurant in Port-au-Prince. They have burgers, nuggets, pizza, ice cream, and sandwiches. And it is all safe for caucasian stomachs! Even if I don't get to come here much, it is good to know that it exists. :)
A view of the SCARY Buckets of Hope container paperwork I had to do. There is a lot of stress inside those folders....
Paperwork in French!
And this is my buddy Miguelson. He is our top translator here at CMBH, and he is incredible. If you were not a part of the epic Facebook conversation, let me fill you in on THE HAT.
One morning after breakfast I stepped outside to make sure that everyone was getting to where they needed to go before I took a shower. As I scanned the crowd, something caught my eye. One of the volunteers from California, a middle-aged white woman, was wearing an odd looking contraption atop her head. Upon further inspection, I discovered that what she had on was a solar-powered fan hat.
A SOLAR POWERED FAN HAT. Totally unironically, I may add.
Judith and I decided that this was no ordinary HAT. Harkening back to an Old Testament tradition, this HAT must only be referred to in capital letters. THE HAT is a reminder sent by God to me that He is Good, He is Gracious, and He loves me.
Unfortunately I was not usually around when she left for the day wearing THE HAT. But on the afternoon that she left, I made sure to snap a photo of Miguelson wearing THE HAT. He understands the power of THE HAT, and that mere men are not worthy to have direct contact with it. Thus, he had a Levite ballcap stand in the gap.
Friday, August 20, 2010
:(
So I started getting a sore throat last night, and woke up today and it is ON FIRE. This, I don't need to tell you, is NO GOOD. I am going to lay low today, once the teams are out I am going to go right back to bed.
Please pray that I get well quickly! There is absolutely no chance for a Dr here, so this needs to be a passing thing.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Great article!
Just wanted to link this morning to an excellent article I found on the New York Times website. The tents in the median are ones that I have passed by lots of times and always marveled at. Kim and I saw many a naked Haitian baby taking a bath in a bucket right on the side of the road. Anyway, this article is great. It gives a really good picture of what is happening here on the ground. Take a few minutes and check it out.
In Haiti, the Displaced Are Left Clinging to the Edge
I get to get out of the house today! Yahoo! I am taking a package to the International Mission Board compound here in Port-au-Prince. I did not even know that such a thing existed. We'll see how it goes...
In Haiti, the Displaced Are Left Clinging to the Edge
I get to get out of the house today! Yahoo! I am taking a package to the International Mission Board compound here in Port-au-Prince. I did not even know that such a thing existed. We'll see how it goes...
Worship!
Two posts in one day- crazy, I know! But I don't want to get too far behind.
Yesterday I went to an orphanage about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince for church. It was beautiful! Out in the country, nice breeze, green grass! But no trees. Haiti is 98% deforested, which causes lots and lots of problems.
I rode along with a group of guys from Fruit Cove, Florida who have worked with this particular orphanage for several years. It is run by a Haitian woman named Sister Marie who now has 27 children in her home, a community center, and a church. She is a busy lady! A team from Palatka First Assembly of God had been there all week serving. They led the service, which included lots of music and lots of prayer. We stayed and had lunch and took a tour of the grounds. It was a nice morning, and I got to do what I wanted to- hug a Haitian child!
Pictures!
The orphanage's residents sit in the front
Receiving prayer for healing
This beautiful little girl has TB and was on the brink of death when she came to Sister Marie's.
He played with this box for at least 10 minutes.
Bathtime for babies! They have 4 infants right now. A set of twins whose mother couldn't provide for them, the boy in the pink bucket whose mother was killed by a car while walking on the sidewalk, and one little girl who appeared on their doorstep.
This little guy loved to splash!
Please remember to pray for the babies of Haiti!
Yesterday I went to an orphanage about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince for church. It was beautiful! Out in the country, nice breeze, green grass! But no trees. Haiti is 98% deforested, which causes lots and lots of problems.
I rode along with a group of guys from Fruit Cove, Florida who have worked with this particular orphanage for several years. It is run by a Haitian woman named Sister Marie who now has 27 children in her home, a community center, and a church. She is a busy lady! A team from Palatka First Assembly of God had been there all week serving. They led the service, which included lots of music and lots of prayer. We stayed and had lunch and took a tour of the grounds. It was a nice morning, and I got to do what I wanted to- hug a Haitian child!
Pictures!
The orphanage's residents sit in the front
Receiving prayer for healing
This beautiful little girl has TB and was on the brink of death when she came to Sister Marie's.
He played with this box for at least 10 minutes.
Bathtime for babies! They have 4 infants right now. A set of twins whose mother couldn't provide for them, the boy in the pink bucket whose mother was killed by a car while walking on the sidewalk, and one little girl who appeared on their doorstep.
This little guy loved to splash!
Please remember to pray for the babies of Haiti!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Ruins
So a few days ago, as I mentioned previously, I visited the ruins of the largest Catholic cathedral in Haiti. Since then, I turned the city tour of Port-au-Prince into a prayer walk, and we include the cathedral. I am going to copy and paste my section on it below and attach some pictures.
When we were there, I felt this overwhelming physical sadness. So much death and destruction.
You are looking at the ruins of the largest Catholic church in Haiti. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption was built between 1884 and 1914. At the time of the earthquake, a funeral was taking place inside. Over 120 priests, monks, and nuns were killed, including Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, the highest Haitian Catholic leader.
Haiti has lived in spiritual darkness for hundreds of years. 80% of the population practices Voodoo. Catholic missionaries have historically absorbed local cultural practices into their faith, giving an unclear picture of the Gospel. Many Haitians now believe that Jesus Christ is another on a long list of “gods” that they need to appease.
Since the earthquake, thousands have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and over 120 churches have been started. There is a great spirit of revival moving through Haiti, and you are now a part of it!
Please pray that more Haitians will accept God’s gift of salvation. Pray that they will completely turn their backs on Voodoo and will take refuge in God’s power. Pray that those who fear the Voodoo spirits will claim the promise found in Romans 8:31- “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
When we were there, I felt this overwhelming physical sadness. So much death and destruction.
You are looking at the ruins of the largest Catholic church in Haiti. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption was built between 1884 and 1914. At the time of the earthquake, a funeral was taking place inside. Over 120 priests, monks, and nuns were killed, including Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, the highest Haitian Catholic leader.
Haiti has lived in spiritual darkness for hundreds of years. 80% of the population practices Voodoo. Catholic missionaries have historically absorbed local cultural practices into their faith, giving an unclear picture of the Gospel. Many Haitians now believe that Jesus Christ is another on a long list of “gods” that they need to appease.
Since the earthquake, thousands have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and over 120 churches have been started. There is a great spirit of revival moving through Haiti, and you are now a part of it!
Please pray that more Haitians will accept God’s gift of salvation. Pray that they will completely turn their backs on Voodoo and will take refuge in God’s power. Pray that those who fear the Voodoo spirits will claim the promise found in Romans 8:31- “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Before the EQ
And after...
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A few pictures...
I know I promised pictures a few days ago, and have not delivered. Well, here you go. I can only do a few at a time since the internet here can be a bit spotty and slow. I will take more of the CMBH house and my lovely office that I am trapped inside all day in the next couple days. :)
Here's my room. I have it to myself, which is nice. This way I don't have to live out of a suitcase for 6 weeks, I can spread all my junk out. The other thing that is nice (and Kim you will especially appreciate this), is because my room is a dark cave near the back of the compound, it holds in the cool air when the AC switches off. I just took a nap to try and hold off a headache, and I didn't even sweat at all!
Here's my bathroom. Small, but does the job.
This is my shower. Even though it doesn't look all that great, it is actually amazing. Here at CMBH our water is gravity fed from a cistern on the roof. I am on the bottom floor, which means I always have water pressure. Also, because it is just a faucet and not a showerhead, lots of water comes pouring out. Yay!
Yesterday we had a team from a Boston-area Puerto Rican church arrive, and I joined them on their city tour. We went to the Catholic cathedral that collapsed, and actually got to go inside. It was very very eerie and sad. I will post those pictures a bit later.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Prayer Walk 17!
Most of you know that I was in Haiti for three weeks at the end of June/beginning of July with Kimberly Yonge working on a prayer walk project for the North American Mission Board. We put together several virtual prayer walks that are linked to Google Earth. That way YOU at home can walk where we walked and pray for who we prayed for! Our first walk, #16, was posted a few weeks ago. Well, now #17 is up!
This walk is focused on the Buckets of Hope campaign by the Southern Baptists. Churches all over the country filled 5 gallon buckets with non-perishable food items that will feed a Haitian family of 4 for a week. There has been a lot of trouble getting these Buckets through Haitian customs. There have been about 15,000 distributed in Haiti; 60,000 stuck in customs in Port-au-Prince; and about 50,000 still in the States waiting to be shipped.
Please pray for this ministry. Now that it is the rainy season, many families find their food ruined by water. The gift of this food and the bucket itself would be a huge blessing. We believe that God answers prayer!!
While you are at it, take a look at the other prayer walks on the list. These maps would be a great tool for your personal prayer time or in your small group! When you select a walk, click on the link to view it in a larger map.
Here's the link! www.namb.net/pray4haiti
This walk is focused on the Buckets of Hope campaign by the Southern Baptists. Churches all over the country filled 5 gallon buckets with non-perishable food items that will feed a Haitian family of 4 for a week. There has been a lot of trouble getting these Buckets through Haitian customs. There have been about 15,000 distributed in Haiti; 60,000 stuck in customs in Port-au-Prince; and about 50,000 still in the States waiting to be shipped.
Please pray for this ministry. Now that it is the rainy season, many families find their food ruined by water. The gift of this food and the bucket itself would be a huge blessing. We believe that God answers prayer!!
While you are at it, take a look at the other prayer walks on the list. These maps would be a great tool for your personal prayer time or in your small group! When you select a walk, click on the link to view it in a larger map.
Here's the link! www.namb.net/pray4haiti
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Words to live up to
So if you know me very well at all, you will know that my all-time favorite book is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I adore everything about it. I try to read it every couple of years, and the one thing on my "Bucket List" is to read it in French. (Not doing so well on that goal, by the way...)
I brought it with me to Haiti, and now that things will be slowing down around CMBH, I will bury myself in it. I started a couple of nights ago, and was touched once again by the description in the beginning of Monseigneur Bienvenu, a bishop that the locals call "Father Welcome." I would love it if someday I was described by these words:
I brought it with me to Haiti, and now that things will be slowing down around CMBH, I will bury myself in it. I started a couple of nights ago, and was touched once again by the description in the beginning of Monseigneur Bienvenu, a bishop that the locals call "Father Welcome." I would love it if someday I was described by these words:
- "As there is always more misery at the lower end than humanity at the top, everything was given away before it was received, like water on parched soil. No matter how much money came to him, he never had enough. And then he robbed himself."
- "On his visits he was indulgent and gentle, and he preached less than he talked. He made virtue accessible. He never used far-fetched examples or reasoning."
- "He was equally at home in a cottage and on the mountains. He could say the loftiest things in the simplest language; and as he could speak all dialects, his words penetrated every soul."
- "He behaved the same with the rich as with the poor."
- "He was indulgent toward women and the poor, upon whom the weight of society falls most heavily."
- "[He] could be called at all hours to the bedside of the sick and the dying."
- "Widowed or orphaned families did not need to send for him; he came on his own."
- "Clearly, he had his own strange way of judging things. I suspect he acquired it from the Gospels."
Monday, August 9, 2010
Let the children come to Me...
I certainly covet all of your prayers. But I think these two are my favorite:
Arden Baugher: "thank you God for Miss Sarah who is now back in Haiti and be with her there."
Arden Baugher: "thank you God for Miss Sarah who is now back in Haiti and be with her there."
Gabe Sivyer: "our father. sarah. in haiti. ride the airplane. safe. amen."
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Rain rain go away!
It is pouring outside. Crazy, tropical, blowing, rain. And crashing thunder. In fact, I had to go move a girl out of her room because the rain was coming through the roof. (Kim, it was our room!)
It is estimated that are are 1.5 million people living in tents in Port au Prince and the surrounding areas. Most of these tents have been up since the earthquake, so they are almost 7 months old. Can you imagine being in a tent tonight, in the rain? With a dirt floor? I can't.
Isaiah 25:1-5
O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.
It is estimated that are are 1.5 million people living in tents in Port au Prince and the surrounding areas. Most of these tents have been up since the earthquake, so they are almost 7 months old. Can you imagine being in a tent tonight, in the rain? With a dirt floor? I can't.
Isaiah 25:1-5
O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners' palace is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
as heat by the shade of a cloud,
so the song of the ruthless is put down.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
It is official!
Well, I am officially the office administrator. Linda, my predecessor, just left. I told one of my co-workers, Eddie, "I just assumed a lot of responsibility." He agreed. Yikes!
The first couple of days have been pretty mind-numbing. I had a lot to learn, and I am sure that there will be a lot of random things that will come up over the next few weeks. But I think I have somewhat of a handle on it. Teaching has made me pretty quick on my feet. :)
I have gotten to get out of the house a couple of times already. On Thursday I went to Croix de Bouqet to a temporary shelter worksite to deliver some forgotten tools. I was able to see one of my translators from last time, and he was very surprised to see me. Yesterday Eddie and I took Linda to Epidor, a local American style fast food place, for some pizza and ice cream. So that was nice. It feels good to know that even in Haiti, there is a place that I can go for some familiar tastes. :)
Sundays are a day of rest around the CMBH (Confraternite Missionaire Baptise D'Haiti) house, so I am planning to SLEEP IN (Praise the Lord!) and take some pictures around the house. That way you guys can see where I will be spending my time.
Back to work!
The first couple of days have been pretty mind-numbing. I had a lot to learn, and I am sure that there will be a lot of random things that will come up over the next few weeks. But I think I have somewhat of a handle on it. Teaching has made me pretty quick on my feet. :)
I have gotten to get out of the house a couple of times already. On Thursday I went to Croix de Bouqet to a temporary shelter worksite to deliver some forgotten tools. I was able to see one of my translators from last time, and he was very surprised to see me. Yesterday Eddie and I took Linda to Epidor, a local American style fast food place, for some pizza and ice cream. So that was nice. It feels good to know that even in Haiti, there is a place that I can go for some familiar tastes. :)
Sundays are a day of rest around the CMBH (Confraternite Missionaire Baptise D'Haiti) house, so I am planning to SLEEP IN (Praise the Lord!) and take some pictures around the house. That way you guys can see where I will be spending my time.
Back to work!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
hot and sweaty in haiti
i am here! and after a mixup with my suitcase, am exhausted and ready for bed. i am going to have a lot to learn from the lady i am replacing, and i only have two days! i need to be on full brain power... bon nuit!
p.s. hey new publix community group! how was your haitian dinner? mine was pretty good, and totally beige. i will miss vegetables!
p.s. hey new publix community group! how was your haitian dinner? mine was pretty good, and totally beige. i will miss vegetables!
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