Back to Janou!

This update was written by Bill in Haiti “to all the faithful brothers and sisters with hearts and hope to touch another life for Jesus”,

The “Jesus Story Bible Clubs” continue in Kaykok and Raket. It gives employment to 8 people who each week prepare lessons, clean, cook food, teach memory lessons, and read Bible stories to 80-120 children.  The children sing, quote scripture, pray, and listen to the stories of Jesus!  It is wonderful to see!

Young women fixing food for a Bible Club on the island.

The church in Janou, up in the mountains on the mainland, has been on my heart since Hurricane Melissa passed in October. All the rain washed out the gardens but now, it is nearly planting time again so it was time to go for a visit. Seven friends from the island went with me. We spent three nights and four days there.

We went to the market and bought $1000 worth of black beans and corn seed to distribute to dozens of families to plant gardens. (Since they weren’t able to harvest in the fall, the people were unable to save seed for this year. We are so grateful to Hope Seeds for providing funds to purchase the bean and corn seed and for providing a bucket with packets of many other kinds of seeds to pass out! – Janet). We also bought approximately 100 pounds of clothes to take up and give away as it is pretty chilly up there with the north wind howling across the mountains along with misting rain. 

To cook while we were there for maybe 150 people with two meals each totaling 300 meals, we bought two 55 pound sacks of rice, two cases of frozen chicken, 30 pounds of brown beans, beets for salad and all that goes with it, butter, oil, tomato paste, garlic, and bouillon. After loading it all up, we drove two hours to the trailhead, unloaded, bought water to drink and additional food items.  People from Janou met us at the trail head to help carry things and it was time to head up the mountain.

Food for Janou

It is difficult to explain that hike up, all the beauty, all the effort, all the tears, sweat, and laughter as well.  As we climbed above mist and clouds with rainbows at our feet and neared the village of Janou and our fellowship at the church building, we could hear people singing that Sunday morning.

What we climbed!

Though winded with the last push up, yet I felt compelled to enter and say a few words to the congregation. I spoke on 1 John 4:19-21 telling them we love because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother. It was good to speak to them about how this dispels jealousy and fear and makes a community a place of contentment and peace.  

All the people were so glad to see us coming, to know they are not forgotten. That evening we made hot chocolate and had bread for a light supper.  The next day we made chicken, rice, and beans for all.

Fixing food at the church building.

The two widows we specifically support, Yann and Rosemen, were so glad to welcome us. They have no one else to help them. Over the years Yann has always come down to help us carry things up the mountain. She is a sweet old lady who works hard in her garden. She always has a smile wreathed on her old toothless face and is never without kisses and hugs for us all. 

Several years ago we took up 1,000 coffee plants to help reestablish coffee as most of their coffee had died out over the years. Yann brought me coffee beans from those plants that they have begun harvesting. They have so little but Yann always manages to send us something down. It was so pleasant to be with her for a few days.

We cleaned the hulls from the coffee beans, then rinsed them in a solution of fresh ground cinnamon and local vanilla. Grilled them over an open fire and added a little sugar at the end. After the beans cooled, they were ground in a mortar and pestle to espresso. (I’m having a cup of coffee this morning as I write this message. It doesn’t get any better!)

Yann is the lady in the front of the picutre in the pink shirt

I first met Rosemen while she was taking care of her old father in her small hut-house. He is gone now and she is by herself. She loves me like a brother or her father. She is often sad, living by herself. She doesn’t have any land to “make garden”. I gave her beans and corn to plant. She will sharecrop with someone else and that will help her a lot. 

We sat in her house and talked late into the evening about the problems she faces each day. She gave me water (so hard to come by) so I could bathe with a cup and a bucket. The water was cold and the north wind was blowing!

Friends, family, struggles and blessings, meals together, and a village blessed. May the only One who can open the eyes of their hearts do so. 

Thank you all for your prayers and support that make times like this possible for JUST MERCY.