A Song for Haiti

The video above is a song writen by Charlene Lewis. She is a great songwriter and a CH staff member in Blind River Ontario. She sent me this video and I wanted to share it. Plese continue to pray for Haiti. They need our support. I don't have any further info on the CHglobal projects that are underway in Haiti. I will update when I do.

Mark Wallace

Haiti Reflection # 4

In the midst of extreme difficulty, hope is resilient. I met this young woman and her child in Citie Soliel. The little girl saw I had a camera and wanted her picture taken. I couldn’t resist. I am moved as I sit here and look at the picture I took. It could be a picture of any mother and daughter. Without the context - it would be. However, it is what you don’t see that changes everything. You don’t see the poverty. You don’t smell the burning acrid garbage. You don’t hear the cries of the small girl that sat a few feet away – alone, hungry and covered in sores. You don’t feel the oppression of hopelessness that imprisons this whole community. Instead, all you see is a beautiful young mother and her little girl – smiling. Throughout Haiti I met amazing, smart and beautiful young men, women and children who in spite of living and life conditions that would crush you and I – stand tall, laugh and find small sanctuaries of joy and love. Most are not looking for a hand out, but a hand up. They want, they pray, to provide for themselves, for their children, their community. In so many ways, by our standards, the “hand-up” needed is a small amount. They are looking for help to send their little girl to school, or to start a small family business that would move them closer to self-reliance. These are hard working, industrious people with little to do but do what is necessary to survive today. It is so ‘foreign’ to my experience. I cannot even imagine who or what I would be if the shoe were to be on the other foot. How is it that just because of where and when I was born that I live with relative comfort and ease? How does God see this? Do I have a responsibility and obligation that goes beyond simple benevolence? I see so many of the parables of Jesus in a new light: Haiti is the wounded man in the story of the Samaritan when reference is made to “who is your neighbour”. They are the lost lamb in the story of the 99 and 1; they are the lost penny coin that widow cannot stop searching for until it is at last found; they are ones that need to hear and see (Luke 4:18-21) through us. They are the ones that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 25 when the question is asked, “Lord when did we see you, feed you give you drink”.
I do not want to be the rich man in the story of Lazarus, only getting it when it is too late (Luke 16:19-31). God is seeking that we not be moved by guilt but by compulsion; not by manipulation but by motivation; not by pity, but by compassion. But move we must! It must infect our whole being, not just one aspect of it. It affects how we do our work at Christian Horizons. How we live with our families and community lives. How we function and participate in our church bodies. How we look at the resources that God has placed within our hands and discover – they are not ours, they are His – 8.’ Freely you received, freely give’. (Matt 10:8b). We are to respond in and with freedom that God has given us. It is not something that we can do once and be done with it. We must find away to make this part of our words and actions -- our life in and for Christ.
Prayer: O God, please help us see the whole picture. Help us to respond freely and openly by Your grace.

Anyway, I was just thinking.

Neil

Haiti Reflections #3

We were informed that we were going to a Thursday night church service after a long day of clinics, teaching and children’s programs. We climbed back into our very hot van and drove through some of the poorest areas I had seen yet. As we drove through some of the area, a few disparaging remarks were yelled at us, but many others were simply curious and children would point, smile and wave. It was apparently a strange site to see a van of Canadians bouncing through the ruts and rough terrain. After an hour or so of bouncing we turned onto this “road”, it reminded me more of tractor paths on the farm when I was a kid. On our return trip candlelight dotted the road side as small vendors, selling pretty much anything you can imagine that would fit in large weaved basket. We finally arrived and piled out of the vehicle and were greeted by the church leaders who were waiting for us. If your French is passable, you can communicate okay. My French is not anywhere close to passable. I’ve got a few phrases that I remember from the high school french classes I didn’t skip; Ca va? Bien – my other phrase is “La chien manage la poulet” – surprisingly, I did find a situation where the phrase was appropriate.
When entered the church it was still light, but when 6 pm comes, the light disappears very fast. It wasn't long till all was dark because the small generator had not yet arrived. There was a small gathering of mostly children – and they singing began. No instruments only voices – no books, completely by memory they sang hymn after hymn. The Pastor would quote a psalm, which the congregation joined in with, most by memory. As the evening wore on, the generator finally arrived and was fired up. It lit two light bulbs that dangled precariously from the stick rafters. They were having trouble keeping the generator running so the light came and went – along with the roar of the little engine.
The lights would go out, and then in a few minutes would come back on. Each time they cycled more people filled the room. Soon the little cement block church was filled to capacity with people standing outside the door. The few plastic chairs and rickety benches were packed. Their voices in beautiful Creole harmonies – I recognized most of the tunes so I knew what was being sung. Hands upraised, face toward heaven, children, women and men singing with all their being. The young worship leader leading as if he had a full orchestra.
Our Haitian leader had told us that this community was one of the poorest. Very few here had any kind of a job. Electricity didn’t reach here, and the people lived largely in makeshift living quarters – life was hard – and death a regular visitor and no respecter of age. Just a day earlier, a young boy had fallen and cracked his head open. They had no money for medical care. There was great concern about what was going to happen to this boy. And yet the people sang, and praised and called out to God.
I had to sit down and just let it all wash over me. I was truly ‘in church’. Simple, unpretentious, primitive – church. I waded in the conviction I felt. Our North American churches, my church – we want “need” good seating, professional sound, attractive surroundings – all the programs for our kids, teens – ourselves – we want to be ‘comfortable’ in church physically, emotionally and spiritually. As a Pastor in a church I struggle because people at times come into our church and will leave for another because we do not have ‘what they are looking for’. It is hard not to fall into the temptation of providing all the bells and whistles that people are looking for, so we can keep them. It’s easy to say “just let them go”, but it’s just not that simple – I don’t think.
But as I stood in the midst of this (and many others) basic, struggling congregation – I knew I was in the church. The church of God’s heart. I don’t mean to romanticize this church. It has really dark issues. The people here struggle with the pull and syncretism of Voodoo. It has a strangle hold on many and even many Christians are highly superstitious and find it hard to break free of its effects. But the church was a light – it was one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever entered. God was here – I could feel His presence.
I believe that my thoughts and ideas of church need to undergo a revolution – and they are. Honestly, I don’t know where this will lead me. In some respects I’m afraid – afraid of what it will demand of me. I will be honest. I’m struggling with an internal dissatisfaction, both of myself and of Western Christianity. Here we are one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and even in our economic downturn – we have – abundance. We must be careful that this fear for our economy does not force us not to be generous and faithful in giving. I wonder if I should find a little cement block building here in K/W area, with only a light bulb dangling from the ceiling (and a furnace – we do need that!) – and be the church – I wonder if anyone would come. However, I know this – God would.

Anyway I was just thinking

Neil

Post Script: the Canadian team collected an offering for the young boy. Our information is that he was able to access medical treatment as a result. We are unsure of the outcome at this point.

Haiti Reflections #2

As you travel through the country, you see children everywhere. But it is not how you’d expect to see children living: carefree and playing. These children are picking through garbage, begging for food, constantly surrounded by death and danger. Only 50% of the children attend school. There are a number of reasons for this. There is no money to pay the fee of 3- 4 dollars US needed to go to school for the month. There is the pervasive hopelessness that it will make no difference anyway; there is 80% unemployment in the country. Additionally there is the reality that you have to make a few dollars, gather whatever scraps of wood, rubber, garbage or food you can find in order to provide fuel for the small cooking fire or help provide a bit of food for the family. Quite possibility it’s your job to fetch the water from a nearby pump, but most likely you will fill your bucket in the open ditch that runs along the road. It is the same ditch that your neighours bathe in, wash clothes in, and wash the chicken or pig meat in, or anything else you can imagine. Or it could be for the simple reason you have no mom and dad and you are completely on your own.

Everywhere you go in the country there are children. They are putting their hands inside the vehicle windows as you pass, running, trying to keep up, begging for ‘a dollar mister, please a dollar’. At first you try to put that dollar in these little desperate outstretched hands – however, after the first day, quite frankly, you run out of dollars. You would need thousands and thousands of dollars in your pocket. It is heart wrenching to come to the point when you sadly say, “I’m sorry, no dollar”, and the pleading continues. You are overwhelmed with the sense of helplessness, and the wave of guilt that washes over you like a heavy blanket. As the nationals watch me they tell me that after awhile you become immune – you have to because you are constantly surrounded by it; you have to in order to function and actually bring help. I nod, but inside I scream, “I do not want to become immune!, this is not the way that it should be”. But it is the way that it is. I prayed, God you need to come now. How do you allow this? Again, I hear the same voice I heard in Citie Soleil, “I have not forgotten, it is you (the world) that has forgotten, I have not allowed this, you have. The words of Nehemiah assault my heart:

3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (Neh 1:3-7)

I want to take some license, and I believe that it is appropriate. Replace Jersualem with Haiti, and the exiles for the Haitian people. Exchange the people of Israel for the people of Canada. Try reading it this way:

3 They said to me, "Those who are survived in Haiti and are living in the country are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Haiti is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Canada. I confess the sins we Canadians, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Jesus.

Until this is our heart, how can we expect to hear from God? We cannot become immune; we must allow ourselves to be broken and overwhelmed to the point where we can do no other thing than --- repent and act.
Anyway, I was just thinking

Neil

Reflections from Haiti #1

I just returned from a research/mission trip to Haiti. I spent 12 days traveling the country and visiting the poorest most desperate place in the Northern Hemisphere.

(picture Citie Soleil)

“Haiti is a 2-hour flight from Miami. The United Nations calls Haiti a “silent emergency”, noting its vital statistics rival those of sub-Saharan Africa. Haiti has the third-highest rate of hunger in the world, behind only Somalia and Afghanistan. Its people have less access to clean water and sanitation than residents of Ethiopia or Sierra Leone. Its malnutrition rate is higher than Angola’s, and life expectancy is lower in Haiti than in Sudan. A greater percentage of Haitians live in poverty than citizens of the war-ravaged Congo. By every measure, Haiti’s 8 million inhabitants are living in a state of prolonged and profound horror”. -- Asger Leth, Video journalist

The level of poverty here is indescribable and overwhelming. Everywhere you look, you see orphan children hawking or begging in the streets. Everywhere you look, you see people attempting to squeeze out an existence in order to gain a few Haitian dollars to purchase a bit of food. Because of the 80% unemployment rate and deeply embedded corruption of government, police and businesses, the people are held hostage to an unrelenting cycle of hunger, diseased water sources, and lack of supports and resources. Yet so many of the Haitian people I met were gracious and friendly. Although a few made disparaging remarks and gestures as we traveled e.g. “Blanc go home” (expletive removed)most embraced us thanking us for coming and asking us please to return again and be a part of bringing hope to Haiti.

The worst of the places was Citie Soleil. The entire area resembles a war zone. Buildings are crumbling and burnt. Most buildings are scarred with bullet holes. Our driver was reluctant to take us into the centre of the city and as darkness began to fall was begging us to leave. This was the city that just a few months earlier was filled with rioting and violence because of the rice crisis. We attended a church service here. As you pull in front of the ‘building’ you must first step across an open sewer canal to gain access to the church. The building itself is composed solely of four cement brick walls. For two years, the church was abandoned because it was too dangerous for the congregants to gather here. They have just recently returned. You are struck by the imprints of machine gun spray at the front of the building as you enter the doorway. There is no roof. They have constructed a tarp of sorts, composed of various bits of plastic attached together haphazardly and held tentatively aloft by a centre pole. The building was filled with about 150 children, women and men dressed in their finest, who had been waiting for some time for our arrival. This is a United Brethren in Christ church, the same denomination that I help pastor here in Ontario. We took our places and the music and worship began. It was some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard. I hope to post a short video of it shortly, on this website. It transformed that bullet ridden, shell of building with its rocky uneven floor into one of the most incredible cathedrals I’ve ever had the privilege to been in. The people prayed and preached their hearts out. They thanked God for His work in their lives, His provision and protection. They sang out in beautiful Creole voices calling God to be the hope and salvation of Haiti. The music went on and on into the evening. All while our driver is getting more and more insistent that we leave immediately. The service winds down and we are quickly ushered out to the waiting vehicle and the driver races out of town. His worry is that carnival has begun and the revelers have a habit of getting out of control and randomly attacking vehicles – especially those carrying white foreigners. We made it out of Citie Soleil without incident.

Driving through the city it is hard not to think that God has forgotten this place. The smells, sights and sounds assault and haunt your senses. The fear and hopelessness here are tangible realities. However, the thought struck me as our bus zipped rapidly through the rough and rutted hard packed streets, that God has not forgotten, in fact He is pleading for the world to remember. He is calling me to remember and be part of His hope and light. His people are here. They wrestle with life to survive. The problem is not that God has forgotten, it is that we have forgotten that these ones are our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ and we must remember we have a responsibility and a mandate to remember and act.

Anyway I was just thinking,

Neil