A Hell of a History (10/09/12)
In the Dominican Republic, our team prayed about Haiti. We collectively felt the Lord telling us that it was going to be a difficult month. He wasn’t lying. This month we are living in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom house with 19 girls. It’s a little hectic but we are slowly settling into a routine. This month we are working with Pastor Wilnord and his church. So far we have spent a week walking around to different houses promoting a free school for children whose parents might not be able to afford school tuition.
To be honest being here has been a little frustrating and it’s been hard for me to just be here. For instance the people: there are individuals whose faces are so hard. Yes there are some whose faces will illuminate when we greet them with a simple “bonjour,” but there are also people who are not so thrilled with our arrival. There have been several who come up to us demanding our things or asking for money. It’s hard because when we tell them we can’t give them anything and explain to them that we are missionaries there is a sudden disconnect.
In the market and around town we have had people openly curse us. Most commonly, at night, girls in the house will be woken up by voodoo chants in the background. It’s crazy to think such a thing is still practiced here. When people say that there is darkness in Haiti, they’re not lying.
The other day our translator explained Haiti’s history, which put things in perspective for me. When Haiti gained its independence from France they dedicated this land to evil spirits and in essence Satan himself. From then on this land has been oppressed with a dark heaviness. The Dominican people along with some Christian Haitians often mention and believe that earthquake happened because of their dark beliefs. They also thought that a disaster needed to happen so that people would turn to the Lord.
It blows my mind that people actually prayed for such a thing to happen but at the same time it makes complete sense. Our translator said that since then there has been a rise in Christian believers and that Haiti has since been dedicated to God. I feel that the Lord has started a work in this country but there is still so much more He is going to do. Please pray for us that we can be the light in such a dark place.
