Coming to life the speakers crackle and pop as a booming voice announces the beginning of this year’s Carnival. It is Friday, February 13 and if I wasn’t so short I would be staring into the setting sun, as it stands though I am eye level with several party hats and Haitian armpits. It is humid and I am drenched in sweat, but this isn’t really about my discomfort and desire to buy deoderant for half of Les Cayes.
Gathering around the town square, hundreds of people declare the praises of God. Some hold signs and many wear hats that read, “Jezi Se Sel Espwa Ayiti” (Jesus is the hope of Haiti). This is no ordinary Carnival beginning.
Carnival is a pagan festival, looked forward to by many as a time to get drunk, have sex, and live it up. After all tomorrow we may all die, right? Each year about 15,000 girls and women get pregnant during the week of Carnival.
Last year during Carnival a truck flipped over in front of the local church killing several. The people fearful that this was God’s hand made an effort to appease Him by dedicating the first day of this year’s festival to God.
So here we are, gathering with the Christians of Haiti to shout aloud the greatness of God, praying the people’s hearts will turn to Him and that true worship will be restored here.
The celebration moves from the city square into a giant street party. Team Manna and Phanuel (our brother/friend/bodyguard) break away briefly for cold refreshments, run through some jungle-like back yards and join back up with the party. Phanuel positions us directly behind a bright yellow truck covered in speakers that are blaring Christian music in Creole.
Imagine a giant, moving, dancing, singing, shouting mosh pit traveling through the streets and you have probably got a pretty accurate picture of what it looked like. The Christians here sure know how to throw a party when given the opportunity!
We couldn’t quite hang in there for as long as everyone else and after pushing our way out of the massive crowd, we sat down to enjoy a meal where much to my surprise the place sold Pringles and would accept US cash. I paid $2.50 for a can of Pringles and was happier than a kid at Christmas.
Of the approximate 800,000 people in this city, there were almost 60,000 at the Carnival on Friday night. (Imagine all those deoderant-less arm pits). In the big scheme of things it is a major breakthrough that leaves many of us still amazed that a purely pagan festival would dedicate the first day to God.
