Joy, Disappointment, & Sorrow on the Mountain

Headed into the mountains

JUST MERCY made another trip to the mountains March 14 – 16.   Rita S. and Brian had flown in on the 12^th  to go with us.  They and some others have been helping to support the Chapelle teachers for the last year or so. Also on the journey were long time Haiti supporters Len & Suzette C., Manolo and Juani, and Haitian friends and helpers.  We were going to attend the graduation of 51 students who had completed THE GREATEST JOURNEY course from Samaritan’s Purse.

This is the school whose building was destroyed last summer by Hurricane Isaac.  They had been meeting in some stick and tarp shelters.  We were surprised to find that for the graduation, some people in the community had taken down two of the poorest shelters and erected a larger, better built one to hold the graduation in.

After an evening of singing at the school with the people, we headed to our night accommodations, ending up sleeping in 2-3 different small houses in “beds” and on mats on floors.  Bill and I climbed up on a bed that was about four feet off the ground.  Though it was much quieter than Fonds-Parisien, it ended up being a very wakeful night since I had to throw a cat off the bed four times!!

The next morning, the program started at the school.  Everyone was dressed up in their best.  There was singing, a few speeches, a skit, and the presentation of framed statements to JUST MERCY, Brian, and Rita, thanking us for the support and help with the school in Chapelle.  Bill and I, Brian and Rita, took turns handing out the certificates and Bibles to the children.

We had brought up groceries to make a meal for everyone.  Sherlie and some helpers had worked all morning to cook it.  Rita had brought plastic bowls for the 200 children at the school along with Ramen noodles and tuna, which we added to the “sauce” for the rice and beans.

Serving lunch

As it was being served, I was handed a bowl of food to eat while standing at the front of the structure.  Four ragged little boys who didn’t attend the school were peeking in through a split in the front wall tarp.  I turned around and started spoon feeding them through the split.  They were so shy that after a few bites, they ran away.  So I went outside and around the tent to find them.  Three of them came back and ate the rest of the food.  Even though we often feed hundreds of people like the school’s 200 children plus more adults that day, there are always hungry people around you in Haiti.

After the close of the program, Len and Bill spoke to the graduates and some parents who were there.  They taught the gospel story, even illustrating it on a blackboard. We then loaded up the mules and hiked back to Pelerin to spend the night.   Mommy, along with Sherlie’s help, cooked a supper for us of chicken, rice, and beans.

We slept once again in their small rock house. We had recently hired Daniel to go up and pour a smooth cap on that rough, rough porch and put in some steps. It was so much easier to get into now.   Mommy had been clambering up onto that porch for years.

On our trip up to the Pelerin school in February to do some specific teaching as a follow up to the Greatest Journey course they had completed, several of the students had indicated to us that they would like to follow the Lord in baptism. Sonel had asked the parents of these students to come to the school later so he could talk with them about it but as it turns out they had not come.

Dellinois’ baptism

Arrangements had been made for a small tank and the water to be hauled up the mountain to Pelerin in order to baptize the children who wanted to be.  Saturday morning we walked over to the school where the tank had been set up for the service. Only one student came to be baptized that morning, but we were glad to see that along with him came his elderly grandmother who also wished to be baptized. Jackson Cine, the seminary graduate who oversees the Chapelle school, baptized them both into Christ.

At the same time this was going on, across the valley, wails were heard and we saw people running.  Sadly, as often happens in the mountains due to lack of good medical care, a young mother had given birth that morning and both mother and baby died, reminding us all that man knows not his time.   What great need there is both physically and spiritually in the mountains.

We have been in Haiti for three years now and are constantly learning more about the people and culture.  We are seeing the need for changes in what is being taught in Christian schools here and how it is being taught, including ours.  We are asking ourselves questions like how can we do a better job teaching the children to love God and their neighbor as themselves as much of what we see here shows that young people coming out of these Christian schools are not showing evidence that their hearts and lives have been changed.

Jackson is making plans to spend three days a week on the mountain at the schools teaching Bible and also having classes in the afternoon or evening for parents.  Though “churches” are scattered across the mountains, many pastors cannot even read the Bible and the level of ignorance is great.

Please keep us in your prayers as this school year winds down in June and decisions are made about the future of JUST MERCY.  Thank you for your prayers and support.  May God bless you.