A “Christmas Dinner” for the Folks

As we celebrated Christmas last year here at home – celebrated with family and gifts and wonderful, festive things to eat – we held our Haitian friends and neighbors and brothers and sisters in the church there close to our hearts, and we longed to somehow share with them the joy and hope and abundance that we share with one another in celebration of the birth of Christ. So we began making plans to come bearing Christmas gifts upon our return to Haiti this year, and to prepare and celebrate a Christmas Dinner (albeit a little late) with our little local church and neighbors in Kaykok. Such a dinner is no small offering among a people with so many who often go hungry – the common passage of days wherein they have little or nothing to eat is their sad reality. And so, upon our return to Haiti in January, we planned a Christmas Dinner for a beautiful Sunday.

The following account of that day is from one of the young ladies who was there with the Adventure Mission team from KY, Hannah March.

Walking to Worship Services

“Around 20 kids showed up Sunday morning all dressed beautifully for church. Most were wearing the clothes we gave them yesterday. What was weird was they all smelled so good! I just wanted to keep sniffing them. We’re the only ones with a “shower,” a little semi-closed off room with a drain, a 5 gallon bucket, a bowl, and a spigot. They have nothing that we know of. Anyway, we headed off to the church, just a short walk along the beach.

Lindsey’s leading a song

I knew we arrived because there was such loud singing and music. We were greeted by a lot of adults and children. One lady led us to seats that she had to clear people out of. They sang so many songs in their own language. Even though I couldn’t understand what they were saying, it was so amazing to watch them worship our God differently than I do.

We worshiped for a long time. Mostly they led the singing but each group of blancs sang a song to them. (There was a visiting American medical team. – J) Then their preacher named Monclaire got up and spoke. I’m not exactly sure what all he said because the translator spoke so quietly. Something about how God loves us no matter our color or where we are from. It was really neat. Than a man from the other blanc group got up and spoke, then Alan did and it was just good fellowship.

(A the end of the service, I got up and spoke to the people about the gift God gave to all of us when He sent His son, Jesus. I told them that friends in the U.S. who loved God wanted to share with them by providing a “Christmas dinner” for them and that sharing with others is a way that we celebrate the greatest gift of all, Jesus, and then I issued the invitation to come to our place for dinner. – Janet)

Two of the 5 ladies who cooked the food

Yesterday, they had killed a pig and goat. The ladies in the kitchen cooked all of the food. Our intention was after church we would feed everyone who was at church, then the neighbors, then all of the extra people.  

Hannah bringing plates to the people

Unfortunately, the word “food” spreads very quickly through the island and hundreds of people showed up. We had to rope off the one side to keep the wrong people from getting on the porch and getting food but they came in the back. So many people ended up getting food that weren’t supposed to and the people who were supposed to didn’t. I was trying to go to and from the kitchen with plates of food but this one more adorable than should be legal baby girl would not let me go. Eventually her mom took her but by then we were having to turn people away. When I say “people”, I mean kids. It’s so heart breaking because it is normal for them to go 2 days without food. I kept praying for God to multiply the food so everyone could get some but it didn’t happen.

Children eating on the deck

I know and trust that there’s a reason I just can’t see yet or may never see. I’ve been able to think about all who did get food and be thankful for that. I know we blessed them.” – Hannah March

Some of the adults had a place to sit and eat

We can rejoice that many, many people were fed, especially the children. It was touching to see some of the children take their food and share it with others who didn’t get any.

We want to thank the First Christian Church of Oswego, KS who gave a gift to help purchase the food for the dinner. Meat is not cheap on Ile a Vache and their gift enabled us to buy the pig and the goat plus some of the rice for the dinner. God provides through His people for the things JUST MERCY does in His name and we are grateful!!

A plate of food for a little one!

One of our neighborhood children sharing her food with another.

Thank you for reading this account. It blesses us to know that friends are interested in what is going on in Haiti. Thank you for your prayers and the support you give as we continue to work in Haiti, seeking to share God’s love with “the least of these”.  (Please scroll on down to see a few more pictures.)

Kim helping an elderly neighbor with her meal