What a blessing it has been to serve here in Haiti! We arrived in the city of Gonaives not knowing anything about what we would be doing or where we would be staying, but the Lord has given us so much. We are staying at the YWAM base here, run by Pastor Maula. We have been blessed with full meals from his wife Elda, running water, and beds to sleep in. We were all ready to settle for much less, but the Lord gave us so much! We are limited in where we can go, and we have no access to money to buy things, but this is not a problem for us.
Pastor Maula is an awesome Christian with a vision! He has been working in this town for 10 years, reaching out to the community. He started here with literally nothing except the Word of God. He has recently purchased several acres of land outside of the city and is planning on converting it into a Christian training center with places for recreation and housing, when the money comes. Please pray that he is able to carry out this vision soon!
The town of Gonaives is located in north-western Haiti, and is right on the water. Voodoo is the major religion in this nation, and the darkness is apparent here. Many of the Catholic and Protestant churches are just covers for voodoo activity in the city. The good news is that there are also good Christians living in this city that are leading the battle to restore this land.
The day after we arrived, we were taken to a small mountain village called Gros Morne, where we stayed for 3 days. Our first day was a much needed day of spiritual rest and relaxation – a chance to recharge our batteries. The following days were spent teaching the 100 youth and performing dramas that gave glory to God in front of the 1000 church members there! It was a great experience, and it was an honor to serve them there. We were again blessed with great hospitality and lots of great food! A majority of the roads are unpaved, so we enjoyed a bumpy ride in the back of a pick up truck back to Gonaives. It’s what the World Race is all about!
When we got back, we learned about the devistation that had happened in Gonaives. Rapid deforestation in the mountains has left the area vulnerable to floods and in September of 2008 the worst happened. The entire town was covered in several feet of dirty, muddy water. Anyone that had a second floor was forced to remain there while the flood waters were high. Those in single story houses were left without an option – many found shelter where they could, and others lost their lives. The waters eventually receeded, but left the town caked in several feet of mud. The villagers have done impressive restoration work in the last 5 months, clearing out the streets and businesses, but many houses (especially those who are less fortunate) have not been able to clear away the mud.
That’s where we come in. God has used this opportunity to bring us here and allow us to work physically and spiritually in these people’s lives. In the mornings we’v
e been going to a particular widow’s house and have been working to remove the mud from her property. As we dig, we find all the things that she was not able to save before the flood hit – chairs, clothes, and other things she had in the yard. This woman is not a Christian, and we are using this opportunity to show the community the love of Christ. Many people have stopped by to see what we are doing and I have been able to use my limited French to tell them that we’re here in the name of Jesus Christ!
In the evenings we’ve been able to participate in Evangelism crusades. These events start off with a period of Creole Christian worship and then a sermon. After that we’re called to the stage to do a drama and give testimonies on how God has worked in our lives. This all wraps up with a late night alter call. On Feb 10, we performed Ashley Musick’s drama set to the Casting Crowns song “Set Me Free”. After the drama was complete, between 25 and 30 people came to the stage to accept Christ! It was all the Lord’s doing, but I hope we were able to help out in some way!
For the last week we’ve been helping build a roof for the YWAM base that we’re staying in. Our team has been carrying cement blocks, buckets of sand, and even bags of concrete up two flights of stairs. It has been a great opportunity to work and grow closer together as we determined the most efficient way to get things to the roof. I think we impressed the Haitian builders with our hard work!
God has really been working in my life and in my relationship since we’ve left home. He has been working on my patience and dealing with frustrations I sometimes have, as well as teaching me to use compassion when dealing with others. I love seeing God work in my wife and seeing how she is growing closer to Him. I can only love her more because of this and it’s great watching our relationship continue to grow together as we grow towards God. I pray it continues to happen this way!
Please pray that my team is able to make some more breakthroughs here in the remaining time we have. Pray that my team continues to become unified, and that we are all in good health. I will continue to pray for all of you at home, and I wish you all God’s blessings!
Love,
Noah
