Welcome to Haitian church, where us white missionary girls are part of the choir and the edifice is a glowing white and vibrant coral that contrasts with the blue sky. We are welcomed with open arms and firm handshakes, lots of stares and some giggles. But that is not how it is for everyone. In the Haitian church culture, many people have been turned away, condemned, because they are not wearing clothes that are nice enough and because they have not yet been baptized. Compared to the, new age, especially, churches in America, this is so different and not what I believe that Jesus wants for the church, his people.
This is where Alex comes in. Alex is one of our translators, has the longest legs of anyone I have ever seen, and is the most devout servant of the Lord that I have ever met. In all seriousness, he inspires me with every word he speaks to live a life worthy of the calling of Christ.
We do house visits here where we go to a community, sometimes by bus and sometimes walking an hour up a mountain, and walk up to someone’s house and ask if we can talk to them after telling them why a flock of white girls in conservative clothes are following around a Haitian man throughout these random neighborhoods. So we have a translator, usually 3-5 of them, and split up into groups. Yesterday I was in Alex’s group with 2 of my teammates, my squad leader, and one of our ministry hosts. The first people we walked up to were 3 teenage boys sitting on a bench underneath a tree. Alex started talking to them, telling him why we were here and our names, and one of them looked down at his phone. Alex stops talking and grabs all of their phones and puts them in his pocket so that they will pay attention. The BOLDNESS!!!! He proceeds talking as the boys are paying closer attention and they all say they go to church and know who God is but on elf them starts talking about this relationship with Jesus and it was actually really sweet. But Alex asks him why he isn’t doing what we’re doing and going and spreading the Gospel throughout Haiti. He said it in not a demeaning nor condescending way, but was speaking to them as he was a mentor and they were his mentee, like he had known them for a long time.
We got done talking and praying with the adolescent, which had a group of little elementary aged girls around us by the end. Alex asked them if they wanted to be talked to and they giggled and said yes. Alex puled them aside, under the shade, crouched down to the level of these 7 or 8 little girls and spoke so tenderly and kindly to them. He told them how God is compassionate to children and admires them and for them to obey their parents and teachers. It was one of the sweetest things. Alex went from being this cool, powerful guy talking to these boys, ramming them with truth and the Gospel, to this gentle softie who literally lowered himself to talk to these little girls, holding their hands and praying for them.
During a house visit last week, Alex did something else courageous beyond my ability. I was not in this group (I was actually in a group talking to a lady who accepted Jesus for the first time!!!! Praise hands to the max, hallelujah and amen!!!), but folklore has it that the other half of our girls were at this house and this woman was saying she was being ridiculed by her neighbors for being catholic. After talking and praying for this woman, about the time we all needed to be heading back to the bus, Alex went over to the neighbors, who were sitting on their porch and spit-fired truth to them. He walked up and just started talking John 8 over them, about how the first person to throw the first tone at the adulteress must be without sin. I imagine him marching over, maybe saying his name and just reading this Bible story, calling them out and higher, closing this Bible and dropping the mic (obviously didn’t happen because there were, surprisingly, no microphones). Insanity.
Alex has a Bible club that we have been teaching at every Thursday and Friday for the past 3 weeks (Funny tidbit: last night at Bible club, a boy said he wanted to go home but Alex made him sit back down and told him that Jesus was more important). He has the biggest heart for the kids in the community and genuinely believes that he can change the church of Haiti by influencing and teaching the younger generation. He wants a spiritual reformation in the church of Haiti. He wants to be the Martin Luther of Haiti, and he has more than enough potential to be. He sees how badly the people of Haiti need Jesus and he knows that someone has to do something about it, and he want God to use him. Alex sees what needs to be changed in the church and believes that the Lord can use him to bring a renaissance to this nation. Actually incredible.
There have been a couple times when Alex has sat down with the half-squad I am with in Haiti and we all are hanging onto every word that he has, breathing in every ounce of truth and knowledge and inspiration that he will give us. We are always wide-eyed focused on what he has to say, wishing that there were more people in this world like him. What a world that would be, if people were so completely unashamed of the Gospel and lived their life completely to glorify the Creator of it. He’s ready for something big to happen here and he is not afraid of anything standing in the way. He is waiting for the Lord to use him. Alex is also praying for God to send him to the most dangerous parts of the world, like Syria, to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Unbelievable.
I thank God for Alex regularly; thanking Him that our paths have been crossed, that the Lord has blessed Him so greatly, and for all he has taught me and inspired in me in just a few short 3 weeks. I pray that God transforms me to become more like Alex, and in turn more like Jesus. I crave that boldness and knowledge and truth that he has. I pray for protection and safety over Alex and that he will continue to walk in the Light all the rest of his days. I pray for the This is a true servant of the Lord, who wakes up everyday and invites the Holy Spirit in and seizes every opportunity he gets to share the Gospel. One of the coolest people I have ever met. Without a doubt.
