Bonus Material - Chillin' after Church

We had a sweet time of fellowship with the locals after the church service.  The kids were excited to meet us but the adults were still a bit standoffish.  No matter what the person's attitude, we were there to show them Christ's love, and ours.  This meeting helped pave the way for our visit to their village later that afternoon.  

Photos by Matt Parks

All Smiles!

Friends by the Armload!

Hit me on the Down Low!

Eagles Fans Bleed Green...and Pink!

Com' on man!  Giddy up!

Everyone Needs A Hand to Hold

Happiness is a Cute Baby!

Hokie Pokie! 

New Pals!

Matt on the Flip Side!

Sunshine!

Braid that Beard!

Deep Eyes

Tearing Down Walls

Prayer Beeds

Big Hugs!

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A Meeting Among the Thorns

(Continued from "Dead Mice and Mud Fights")


Photos by Matt Parks

Sunday morning arrived, and with it a breakfast of sticky oatmeal, peanut butter, bread, and powdered milk.  It lacked the salty deliciousness of the previous days bacon and eggs, but it was fuel.  There was an excited nervousness in the dining hall, as we were about to attend the Haitian church service.  It would be our first encounter with the people of Chambrun, the people we specifically came to serve. 

The walk to the church was maybe 200 yards, but it felt like miles.  Our pace was that of a saunter, slow and restrained.  It was like we wanted to get there, but no one wanted to be first.  Who could blame us?  What if we sat in the wrong seat?  What if we didn’t know how to act?  What if the pastor called on us to recite Leviticus 14 while blindfolded and standing on one leg?  None of us know what to expect, but ready or not, we were going to be there.

People stood around the entrance and chatted, as is common on Sunday mornings.  Kids ran and played as adults caught up on the news of the week.  Inside there wasn’t much light, only that which was allowed through windows.  Ceiling fans mixed the thick, humid air as if it were cookie dough.  I looked at the people, wanting to see their faces, but trying not to stare.  They did the same.  Attempting to mask my feelings of awkwardness, I straightened my back, held my chin high, and walked in as I if I had been there 100 times before.  I wasn’t fooling anyone.  I may have appeared confident, but I felt like I just walked in with a flamingo on my head.  

Sweat poured from my brow as I struggled to find comfort on a bench that was sized for a child.  A couple of our students were on my left, and some Haitian children on my right.  The children next to me were all boys and behaved as boys often do in church.  They wrestled and hit each other and carried on like they were out on the playground.  I put up with this for a minute or two before shooting them a disapproving smile, to which they paused and sheepishly smiled back.  Ten seconds later, they were at it again.  Their behavior was a bit annoying, but I couldn't blame them.  I acted the same way when I was their age.  

The music was loud and charismatic.  The tunes were familiar, but the lyrics were sung in Creole.  I did my best to pronounce them, as they were displayed on the screen.  Even though I didn’t understand, I still wanted to engage and be a part of the service.  I raised my hands when others raised theirs and danced when they danced.  After the music, Pastor Pierre stood before us and delivered a message with the passion and intensity of Vince Lombardi.  I listened intently, wanting to understand, wanting to believe.  

A few times he translated his words to English, which made me feel welcomed.  He said something to the effect of, “You could be anywhere in the world right now.  You could be surrounded by large buildings and highways.  Instead, you are here with us in Haiti, surrounded by thorn bushes.  God has intended for you to be here on this day.  He has given you purpose.  He has given all of us a purpose.”  

I appreciated his words.  My feelings of awkwardness turned to comfort, and I began to feel like I belonged in that place.  I never imagined I would be listening to a Haitian pastor speak into my life in a small village in Haiti.  Comfort turned to excitement as Pastor finished his message and invited our team to bring a piece of our culture to the service.  

Our student drama team had prepared skits for the trip, and for this occasion they performed the “Everything Drama.”  It’s more of a ballet then a skit, and is performed to the song “Everything” by Lifehouse.  The story begins with a young girl interacting with a character dressed in light colors, who represents Jesus.  He is showing the girl all the beautiful things in the world like flowers, birds, trees, and love.  She is smiling and joyful and totally at peace.  

As they performed, I watched the faces of the audience more then the drama itself.  I wanted to see their reactions and if they understood what was going on.  At first they seemed a little confused by it all.  A few people pointed and giggled as if saying, “What are these crazy kids up to?”

The scene quickly grows dark as she is pulled away from the Jesus figure by a series of characters dressed in black.  These figures represent the bad influences in life.  It goes from a guy dancing with her and leaving, to someone throwing cash at her feet and pushing her down, to drinking and partying, to someone making her throw up because she isn’t skinny enough, to cutting, to her pointing a gun at her head.  

By now, the mood in the church had changed.  It went from “look at the silly kids,” to “wow this is serious.”  I could see their concern, their worry.  No one needed to understand the words to the song to know what was going on.  It was life portrayed at it’s worst.  Our students were connecting with the people in a very real way.  I could see the look of struggle on their faces, and on ours.  Despite color or nationality, her expressions of hurt, pain, hopelessness resonated with just about everyone in the room.  

In desperation, she tires to get back to the light character, but the dark characters continuously push her away.

Just when it appears that the dark forces will keep her down forever, the light character breaks in and holds back the evil.  They push against him, clawing at the girl, but he  doesn’t let them through.  With a mighty push, the Jesus character bowls back evil and knocks them to the ground.

At that, the crowd lifted up a thunderous cheer!  We all clapped and yelled as good had triumphed over evil, and the girl was rescued.  The drama ends by the two dancing and the walking out hand in hand.  

Electricity flowed from person to person and resonated throughout the building.  In that moment we were united as one people under the Cross.  It’s amazing how the story of redemption it written into all of our lives.  How did it get there?  How do we know to cheer for the good guys?  Maybe because we have all been beaten down and are all in need of rescue.  Maybe we all need someone to stand up and fight for us.  That is Christ's mission: To heal the broken hearted and proclaim freedom for the captives  (Isaiah 61:1).

Our students did such a good job.  Their performance was so moving that they literally brought Christ's message to life.  I believe God was truly among us in that place, and we knew it.  For that moment, all of us, there as witnesses, were unified under one spirit.  It was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.

Coming Soon...

"Ki jan ou rele?"

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Dead Mice and Mud Fights

(Continued from "Chasing Chickens")

My last post spoke of our first full day in Haiti and how we spent our time working as 3 separate teams.  In "Chasing Chickens" I wrote about Team Jungle and our wily shenanigans.  The other two teams experiences were packed with the same fun and adventure, but I am only able to tell these stories second hand.  I'll do my best from what I've heard and seen, but it would be wonderful if people would add their first hand accounts to the comment section below.  

Team Wear House Attack

NVM's wear house

was located inside the outer perimeter and adjacent to the Jungle.  This is where they store most of the aid received from organizations worldwide.  They actually constructed the building using the red shipping containers, which made for excellent storage and office space.  The wear house team worked to organize piles of aid boxes which would then be distributed to those in need.

This crew

went to work unloading a container full of coolers,

cleaned them, 

and arranged them in an orderly fashion.

After that they climbed, 

categorized,

and flat out worked!

Inspired by their efforts, the wear house kitty 

did it's part to help

by providing lunch!

Team Green Thumb

Our horticultural specialists put their trade to the test in the NVM garden.  The food grown here is used to make tasty dishes at the compound and at times given to people from the surrounding villages.

Plowing this earth was much like working in cement.  It took determination,

and teamwork.

They endured back breaking labor

and bugs!

Then a though occurred, "What if we used water to soften the dirt?"

Needless to say, it was all down hill from there!

Even Matt got pulled into this fiasco!

OK...time to get cleaned up!

That evening, Jim gave us a lesson in how to use prayer beads.  They would be a powerful tool for us as we shared our faith with Haitians who didn't know Christ.

It was a fun evening.  The students practiced sharing their faith using the beads as a guide.

We ate well

 rehydrated,

and rocked out with our pink sunglasses

We hung out with our buds

and pals.

Connected with old friends

and made some new.

John wrapped up the evening with a Bible study 

and with that, we were off to bed!

It was a good end to a great day.  Our students really proved that they were committed to this mission, and excited to share the gospel of Christ.  This was only the beginning.  The next day we would go to the village of Chambrun and meet, face-to-face, the hard reality of life in Haiti.  

Coming soon...


"A Meeting Among the Thorns"
(Photos by Matt Parks)