JUST MERCY
Ripe for Harvest
13th Haiti Trip – Vol. I
Bill and I arrived back in Haiti on March 22nd. It was time to pay the teachers for our three mountain schools which over 450 children attend and find out how the Christian Character classes were going. We sat down with two of the people in charge of the schools to talk about it and we learned some things.
We knew that the people who started the Faith in God School of Pays-Pourri whose support we took over two year ago did so because they had gone on a mission to the mountains and learned that the local preacher was illiterate and could not even read the Bible. They wanted the children to be able to read the Bible and so they started the school. When we found the school, it was getting ready to close as they could no longer fund it so we took on its support. It has about 180 students.
The children had been taught some scriptures and Christian songs along with academics but we recently started the Christian Character classes hoping to really see a change in hearts and behavior. Although the local preacher is illiterate, we thought the children who did go to church were still being taught something Biblical as we assumed the preacher had been taught something at some point.
Not so, said our friends from the mountains who are Christians and have received an education. We asked them what the preacher talked about on Sundays and were told things like the garden, chickens, etc. In other words, the ignorance in the mountains is worse than we thought and “church” is just a social event.
We also learned the real “pastor” of these churches lives in Jacmel, a city on the coast, and only comes to these mountain churches once a year to conduct weddings and collect what little money the people can give. He returns to Jacmel and the people receive no teaching or help from him.
The local “preachers” do not want our friends coming to teach. When our friends were in high school, they would go back home to try to teach the people and the “pastors” weren’t happy about it. It sounds like they get the people to help them with their gardens and other things to their advantage and tell the people it is “for God” and are afraid if the people are taught, they might lose their “position” and the advantages of it.
We were saddened by the situation and also energized at how important it is for us to continue supporting the schools in the mountains and try harder to find avenues to teach the people. While they talked, I kept thinking of John 4:35 – “….. I tell you, Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” What a mission field!
Last trip, we brought a small, quiet generator with us so next time we come to Haiti, we can bring a good projector we can use in the mountains with the generator and make some trips to the villages to show the Jesus film in Creole. We also need to get the rest of the Proclaimers we have, audio Creole Bibles, out to the people and get them being used. It is hard to find Haitians responsible enough to care for the Proclaimers properly who will also share the scriptures with their neighbors.
We understand that the Christian character classes are going well and not only are the children being taught, but so are the teachers!! Next month, in light of what we have learned, instead of a new Christian characteristic being taught, we are going to ask them just to teach the life of Jesus. There is so much for them all to learn.
Brett and Hannah hiked up to Pelerin to the school one day to finish repairing the water catchment system for the cistern there. The pipes had all cracked and broken. The sun is very hard on PVC. Brett had worked on it before and this day was the completion of the project so the school would have water. We are so grateful for their help.
School and catchment system in Pelerin
Although they repaired the water system, I was dismayed to see the pictures they took of the school. It was built five years ago and when I was there 18 months ago, it still looked pretty good. But the pictures Hannah brought back showed much deterioration in the school building which was built with sticks (See the picture). We are going to have to do something before too long to improve/rebuild the building.
A new helper for Yvrose flew in a couple of days before we did. Katheryn is from Kentucky. She stayed at our home a few days but has now moved up to Yvrose’s and is working with the children and Yvrose’s family. I think she especially enjoyed the worship they have each evening and on Sundays. We are glad God sent her to help and ask you to pray for her and her time here.
Also, please keep Yvrose and her health in your prayers. She has blood pressure issues but also some other things have been troubling her. Everyone who meets her continues to be blessed by her heart for God. She is the glue God uses to hold that family together. Though she has many helpers, she is the heart, God’s heart of them all, calling them to Him. We are so blessed to know her.
We are making plans to build a base on land up at Yvrose’ we helped her buy last year. We cannot continue leasing this expensive house though it is great to have when teams come. But Bill and I have paid for it out of pocket the last two years and cannot continue. A friend has donated some funds to start the base so we hope to make some progress on that while we are here.
I’m trying to keep this short so will close for now. Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and encouragement. We are blessed. May the Lord bless your lives with joy as you seek to follow hard after Him.