This blog contains information about one of the coolest kids I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Introducing Ellison Jose
Plis bon nouvél lavi pafé means “more gospel, perfect life.” The more someone decides to live their life sharing the Gospel, the closer they will get to achieving a Christ-centered life. That is as close to perfection as we can get. I cannot take credit for this saying – I wish I was wise enough to come up with it myself! However, I do know who did and I would like to introduce you to him and his life story thus far.
Ellison Jose a.k.a EJ was born in Haiti on November 24th, 1997. He was not given an easy or simple life, but the hand he has been dealt is similar to many children who have grown up in other third world countries. Ellison has two sisters and four brothers, being the 6th of 7 children in his family. It was quite a shock to me that he was placed in an orphanage at such a young age, because his mother ended up keeping the youngest child. In 2002, he lived away from his parents and siblings for two years in an orphanage in Titanyen. In 2004, Mr. Marc and Brad Johnson came to Titanyen and took children who were either orphans or whose parents couldn’t afford to keep them, and brought them to Mission of Hope (MOH), a local orphanage and church which they started.
When Ellison moved into MOH, he was 6 years old. He accepted Jesus when he was 10 years old. After accepting the Lord, he started to write both Christian and secular rap songs. It wasn’t until he was 12 that he decided to solely write music for the Lord, and that’s what he has been doing every day since. At 14, Ellison decided to start a rap group called “Young Hope.” Ellison desired to share the Lord’s Gospel through a genre that most people weren’t using: Christian Rap. He felt it was the best form of expression for his generation. His motto during this time was, “Nothing else matters but your heart and giving yourself to the Lord.” Ellison hoped to produce an album with “Young Hope,” but it did not come to fruition.
Ellison later recorded one song, and would love the opportunity to record more. He was told by a friend that the Lord showed them that he would one day have an album. In Haiti, you don’t see many people under the age of adulthood who are successful artists. Ellison’s mentor/friend Jean Marc told him that he can’t put his faith in what the world says, but that he must put his faith in the Lord and His word. Ellison, however, is not one of little faith. The Lord showed him that he would one day have an iPhone, so he bought an iPhone case trusting the Lord would provide. What an act of faith! How many times do we find that the Lord tells us that He would provide for us, but we never trust it? Ellison walks around with the phone case and sometimes even pretends to be using a phone. I see that as a profound act of faith. “Following the Lord isn’t an easy thing,” says young Ellison. “If you are following Jesus, sometimes people will call you crazy, and that’s ok. Its better to be in the will of God, than out of His will.”
I asked Ellison what the hardest thing was that he ever had to do. His reply? Breaking up with his girlfriend. I was intrigued by the answer and desired to know more. He shared that while his ex-girlfriend says she is a Christian, he didn’t feel sure in his heart that she had a significant relationship with Him. He believes that the Lord told him that he needed to break up with her. His ex-girlfriend would sometimes make fun of him for his morals and standards. As you could tell, Ellison no longer dates the young lady and is instead focusing on building a deeper relationship with the Lord. He spends a lot of time with his two buddies Jean Marc and Jeff. They read the Bible and study together. It’s an encouragement to see young men of God striving for the Lord.
Ellison aspires to be a surgeon when he grows up so that he will be able to help people in his country. He also aspires to be a famous Christian rap artist. Why, do you ask? For two reasons: 1. he would like to share the Gospel the best way he knows how, and 2. so that he could one day buy his mother and younger brother a home.
Ellison’s favorite verse:
2 Korent 5:17 “Si yon moun ap viv nan Kris la, li vin yon l’ot moun. Bagay lontan yo disparét se lôt bagay néf ki pran plas yo kounyeya.” (Kreyôl)
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here!”
It is possible that this blog post won’t impress you, and that you might even feel as though reading it was a waste of your time. If that’s not the case, thank you for reading! Either way, I can say one thing: this young man has changed not only my way of thinking, but also my life. He will forever be in my heart and prayers. If you have any words of encouragement for him, please comment. He will be looking at this post and seeing what people write. The Lord is truly writing his story. He is a new creation, the old has gone, and the new is here!
