At 8:15am we climb into the caged back of a truck. We claim seats on the wooden benches and head out to start our day. Driving down the dusty road next to a barbed wire fence an armed guard lifts the first gate for us, and about 200 yards later another armed guard slides open a second gate. We leave the compound and head towards a remote mountain village for a day of evangelism. Two hours later we reach our destination. It’s quiet, humid, lush with palm and mango trees, and rich with beauty.
Almost immediately we are met by small crowds of Haitian children. Some giggle and whisper, some run up and grab our hands, some just stand and stare. This feels normal and some of us pick up a few of the younger kids. Covered in dust and smelling of urine, the youngest ones are naked from the waist down and we accept the risk of being peed on. We begin walking down a path and through a stream headed towards the heart of the village.
Our first visit is to an elderly woman’s home. She is 70 years old and has a beautiful french name that I dare not try and spell. Sitting on the front stoop of her small single room house, she is kind and happy to see us. We ask about her life and she shares about her family. We ask about her religious beliefs and she shares more of her story. She used to be a christian, until she became sick and could no longer care for herself. Her right arm hangs limp at her side and we suspect that a stroke may have caused her ailment. She explains that when she became disabled her nephew Daniel assumed the role as her provider. She points to his house across the way and we recognize the voodoo flag and symbolic paintings on the walls. The woman’s face becomes sad as she tells us that she can’t be a christian now because she needs Daniel. Daniel is a voodoo priest and will not provide for any who refuse to follow him. Moments later, Daniel comes staggering down the path.
We call out to Daniel, eager to meet him. Drunk and smirking with women at his sides, he is intrigued by the presence of our group of 8 white folk. He invites us to his home and we follow, excitedly anticipating the conversation to come. We weave through a crowd of women and children and gather together under a tarp next to his home. We quickly learn, via our Haitian translator, that the women are just a handful of his 16 wives, and the children just a few of his 40+ offspring. More conversation reveals that Daniel is the main provider for a large number of people in the village, and voodoo is his means of income.
As we explain who we are and begin discussing beliefs with him he shamelessly boasts of his ties to darkness. At times he uses providing for his family as his reason for practicing voodoo, yet at times he firmly declares his allegiance to Satan and proudly tells us of his affiliation with demons. He seems to understand some degree of good and evil, yet no amount of debating can convince him that serving evil is to his own detriment. For over and hour we try to convince him that serving God is more beneficial than serving Satan, yet our efforts appear to be in vain. Eventually Daniel begins getting impatient. He tells us that he has a client coming and it is time for him to get back to work. Turning to the crowd we ask if anyone else would like an opportunity to carry on the conversation with us. Silence and a widespread array of facial expressions serve as a reply. Our translator explains that safety is a concern for the people as Daniel may kill them in the night and eat their flesh if they turn to any beliefs that oppose his own. This explains the human bones we have seen in various voodoo temples. It’s time to go.
We leave Daniel’s house, frustrated, tired, and a bit shell shocked to be honest. I mean, even after 10 months of evangelizing in the remote and dark corners of the world, murder and cannibalism still shake a person up. This confusing dynamic aside, the pressing question remains… how can such a large family in such a state of evil dictatorship be set free? On our way out we lay hands on the walls of the temple and pray against the spiritual forces that dwell within its walls. We return to the elderly woman’s house to encourage her and pray with her and wish her well. We then head back down the trail and across the stream to the truck which we had left parked at the church.
At the church we sit together, eat a packed lunch of peanut butter sandwiches, and discuss our visit with Daniel. One of the American men with us that day had purchased a set of young goats meant to be gifted to a family in need. We discuss giving them to Daniel’s family but decide against it. The goats are meant to be a gift of God, given from one Christian to another, with the intent of the offspring then being gifted to another Christian. The only problem is, we haven’t met any christians. The two young goats happily play with each other as we discuss their fate. It is then that I notice a young man standing at the edge of the property.
I recognize the young man. He was initially guarding the temple door when we had arrived at Daniel’s. He had attentively stood by and followed our long conversation about good and evil. Afterwards I had noticed that he followed us back to the old woman’s house and eavesdropped on our conversation with her. Now he had followed us away from everyone else and back to the church. I ask our translator to come speak to him with me.
I approach the young man and ask his name, age and relationship to Daniel. His name is Gino, 16 years old, one of Daniel’s nephews.
“Well, you have been listening to us and following us all day. What do you think about all the conversations you have heard?”, I ask.
His reply brings me a moment that I will not soon forget. He looks at me and says, “I know that what you have come here and spoken about is truth, and I want to follow your God.”
“The rest of your family is afraid of Daniel because they think he may kill them!” I reply. “Do you not fear your uncle?”
“He may try to kill me, but the power of God is greater than the power that he has, and I know that God will keep me safe.” Gino replies.
Yes. Yes Gino, God does have more power than your uncle. More power than darkness. More power than Satan and his demons. More power than all of the forces of evil combined.
We discuss with Gino more about what it means to follow Christ and what it is to be a born again Christian. He understands all that we say and he is confident that a life with Christ is the life that he wants. So we pray with him. He prays. We pray for him. We encourage him and celebrate with him, and at the end of it all we send him home with a set of young goats that will help provide for him and his family in the days and years to come.
This day is what it’s all about. This is the mission that I am on and have been on. The same truth that brought Gino freedom is the same message that I aim to spread and bring with me wherever I go. God is good. God is faithful. God is love and truth and freedom. And when we step out and head into the darkness holding our light, we just never know who may see that light and follow it to freedom. What may appear to be Satan’s clubhouse just might be God’s recruiting grounds.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for supporting me on this journey. I will be home in 9 short days and I can’t wait to see you all, hug you all, and catch up with you all about the year that just flew by!
SO much love!
Xo. Emily
