Sometimes the overall generosity of the Haitians amazes me! After living in the United States for so long; I can see that the Haitians have very little comparatively. Yet sometimes they are willing to give you anything that they might have. Sometimes because they have so little; they are eagerly waiting to see if you will give them something. It is a cultural thing, Americans to them have much more money than they do.
I work alongside the Haitians at CLS. I help with the English, and share Gods love to the children. All the Haitian teachers have welcomed me into their classrooms and have helped me adjust to teaching in a very different culture. One of my favorite teachers; speaks barely any English. I can use my little bit of Creole and hand motions to talk with her. But it brings us both great joy to overcome the language barrier and work alongside each other.
I was in class one day, the children were eating breakfast together, and my fellow teacher took two bananas out of her bag and offered me one. In the US it would be a kind gesture; in Haiti it is so much more than that. Most Haitians live on around five US dollars a day. There is usually one person in the family that works and provides for the whole family. Yet she gave me a banana! I had come into a completely different culture, I had left my family not knowing who God would put by my side, and He led her to give me a banana. In that moment I knew that God was still watching out for me, that even in the simplest way He was showing me He loved me.
It reminded me of the story in the Bible of the widow and her giving a few mites. She gave out of the little that she had. Such love. I could see how much she loved Jesus by what she did. And I pray that the Lord blesses her, and I'm thankful that He has blessed me with a friend.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
It's never been about the candy in Haiti....
In the States people celebrate Halloween. It's what most people do, they dress up and get free candy. It's a fun holiday for most kids. In Haiti, the day after Halloween is a big holiday here. It's a voodoo holiday. Most Christians here take the day off to spend time in prayer for everything that happens on this day. We had no school at CLS, and it seemed like a normal day, until it became dark. Then these group called "Ra-ras" started walking around the neighborhood, it was like a parade of people with saying loud things and making a lot of noise. They used drums and shouted.
Although I couldn't understand, I felt like it was not a good thing. The kids got silent and listened as they went by the street. I was so thankful at that moment that these kids were protected from anything that goes on outside of these walls. They are able to go to a Christian school, that teaches Jesus in a culture where voodoo is practiced.
When I was young, things like voodoo seemed like they might have happened a long time ago, but its not true. Voodoo happens here everyday, and the Lord chooses people to go into the dark areas and be the light of Christ. I was out walking the very next day with a Haitian friend. We walked by this pile of what looked like trash to me, and he said "watch out, the people who practice voodoo put that there. They say if you touch it, you die". We walked a little further and he asked if I saw a black gate farther down the street, he said that's a voodoo temple.
Pray for Haiti. I PRAY that all of those people would come to know Jesus as their Savior. There is so much hope for the people of Haiti, and it all begins with Jesus! Only thru the Lord can the people of Haiti change.
The Haitians say December is big month for voodoo in Haiti. They say bad things happen and people get taken. Please pray for next month. Please pray that anything that the enemy might try to do would fall thru, and that December would be a safe month for all of the people in Haiti. Please pray that we would see every opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ to these people. Pray for Haiti, pray for the people of Haiti.
Although I couldn't understand, I felt like it was not a good thing. The kids got silent and listened as they went by the street. I was so thankful at that moment that these kids were protected from anything that goes on outside of these walls. They are able to go to a Christian school, that teaches Jesus in a culture where voodoo is practiced.
When I was young, things like voodoo seemed like they might have happened a long time ago, but its not true. Voodoo happens here everyday, and the Lord chooses people to go into the dark areas and be the light of Christ. I was out walking the very next day with a Haitian friend. We walked by this pile of what looked like trash to me, and he said "watch out, the people who practice voodoo put that there. They say if you touch it, you die". We walked a little further and he asked if I saw a black gate farther down the street, he said that's a voodoo temple.
Pray for Haiti. I PRAY that all of those people would come to know Jesus as their Savior. There is so much hope for the people of Haiti, and it all begins with Jesus! Only thru the Lord can the people of Haiti change.
The Haitians say December is big month for voodoo in Haiti. They say bad things happen and people get taken. Please pray for next month. Please pray that anything that the enemy might try to do would fall thru, and that December would be a safe month for all of the people in Haiti. Please pray that we would see every opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ to these people. Pray for Haiti, pray for the people of Haiti.
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