TRIP REPORT FROM OCT 31- NOV 4, 2008
This
trip went real smooth and felt productive. One part about going to
Haiti that I never look forward to is the long lines in the airport
as you try to get in or out of the country. It is usually harder to
get out than it is to get in for some reason. Sometimes I have
waited in line for four hours just to see if I can get on the plane.
The airport always seems congested and confusing to me. This time,
just before I left home I got an e-mail saying they would be waiting
for me in the “diplomat area”. I was not sure what this meant, but
when I arrived there was a man holding a sign with my name on it. He
took me away from the regular line, up and into a nice
air-conditioned wing of the airport where they did not even look at
my passport. Next thing I knew, I was meeting my driver and racing
across Port to go to a meeting. That was really cool. My driver took
me to my first meeting, where a group of pastors and leaders were
gathered. The “Boys from Baltimore”, Matt
Stutzman, Jeremy Yoder, and
Larry Yoder came in a few hours later, all being treated as
diplomats. We spent the first night together then the next day we
all went in different directions, our paths only crossing briefly
from time to time. They had a great trip and won the hearts of
Haitians wherever they went. It was a great first-time experience
for them in Haiti.
This
trip also came at a time when the group that had invited me, called
VIHAMO, which stands for “Vision for Haiti and the World”, was in
the middle of another major outreach. Each time I have gone down
there in the past couple of years they are doing some major thrust
against Voodoo, which has held the island in bondage since 1804.
This time they were using the park opposite the National Palace,
which has an amphitheater surrounded by a semi-circular stadium.
For several days there would be gatherings on the days
leading up to the most important days on the Voodoo calendar. They
had day and night worship to the Lord and boldly proclaimed freedom
for Haiti. Most of the group of leaders that I was teaching even
spent the night in prayer at the church for this event.
We were
given front row seats on the last night of this special time, which
was historical in many ways. No other meeting has happened like this
before, not in scale at least, nor in bringing together so many
churches to stand together to worship the Lord and against Voodoo.
Usually between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm everyone heads home before it
gets dark. The Voodoo priests say they own the night. I have noticed
that people are always afraid to be away from their homes or
neighborhoods after dark. This time, they stood in the darkness,
boldly making a stand against the fear that has gripped the nation.
This change is largely due to the leadership of a brother named Maxo
Joseph and his team who head up VIHAMO.
I don’t
know if you have ever heard Paul Simon’s song “Going to Graceland”
which is strongly flavored by an amazing group of singers and
musicians from South Africa. If you have seen it on video or heard
it, you would know it as a real show-stopper. Well, the worship at
this event was like that, only times ten. Like that only from
Heaven! We soared together on some songs until the place was just
hopping! On the last song, people poured from their seats towards
the stage, dancing with all their might. It was an awesome sight to
witness. The whole night was amazing to me. My face hurt from
grinning all night long.
My
first full day of teaching went well, with hungry students coming in
from all over. Some were a bit sleepy from being up all night in
prayer, but they did not want to miss the class either. I marveled
at their stamina.
I
was invited to preach in two services of one of the largest churches
in Haiti, with more than 10,000 in attendance. The pastor, Elysee
Joseph, oversees the Church of God in Christ denomination in Haiti.
I stayed in his home and he often invites me to share in his church.
Getting to the pulpit is always interesting. The place is completely
packed, including the parking area, the side rooms, the aisles, and
doorways. Once you step out of the car you not only hear them
praying, but you feel it. It is like walking into a velvet sleeve.
This Sunday morning service happened to fall on the week that it was
their turn to be on the radio, so the message was broadcast
through-out the island and into nearby Cuba. Later that afternoon, I
attended a communion service that had so many people in attendance
that it took about forty minutes just to distribute the elements.
One of my
favorite teaching moments, however, occurred in a small setting with
about thirty doctors, nurses, lab technicians and crises counselors
in attendance. They gather each week for a time of training in the
Word of God so they can affect their part of the social system in
Haiti. I was invited in at the last moment to speak to them and
taught briefly about “The Life is in the Blood” which seemed to have
a powerful impact on them.
God
is really doing something against the corruption that has held back
any progress in Haiti. One day we were driven around by a divisional
commander of the police department who told us that there were
regular Bible studies going on weekly and that they were working to
stamp out corruption in the police force. I had seen police drinking
beer at their posts at roadside check-points, but he told us that
more and more policemen are becoming Christians. We saw evidence of
this at the big meeting in the park:
high level policemen gathered together to worship and acted
as sponsors of the meetings.
This is
Haiti’s hour, and the Christians know it. There is something new in
the air and there is no going back. The people are hungry for a move
of God and believe that change is on the way. At the same time,
Haiti is going through an economic downturn like never before, yet
you can still feel hope among the Christians we met. They are
insistent that things must change and are setting their face toward
it with great boldness. This is a sharp contrast to what I have seen
in past years, where they felt that things would always be the same
and their condition was to be expected or accepted. Something is
different now.
My desire
is to go back in January because I have been invited to minister in
the annual congress of the Church of God in Christ, speaking to
their pastors and leadership. Matt Stutzman would like to go back to
lead a team which will do a range of ministry from working with kids
to going up into the mountains to visit remote churches.
Once
again, we tasted amazing hospitality and generosity at every turn,
for which I thank the Lord. I am grateful that He has given us
another opportunity to bless Haiti and to have a part in seeing this
people set free by the grace of God.
