Category: Ministry

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (April 14: final clinic day)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Another long bumpy ride took us back to Thomonde for our last clinic day. I talked about Jesus and the woman at the well to start things off today.

I was honored to do another baptism today for a man nearly at the end of his life. The tap on my shoulder late in the morning took me to a gentleman failing quickly due to old age. A celebration broke out as he confessed his faith and I spilled three handfuls of water from a small bag over Jean’s head. God just keeps adding to the number of those being saved! What a privilege to be the first to pray with a new brother in Christ!

  
The local church will send people to his home to provide care in his last days. 

I had two encounters with a woman who came through my little prayer station. Pregnant, with a history of miscarriage and a tumor on her neck, she neede extra encouragement today. We surrounded her in prayer for some of God’s joy and peace in her life.

A number of people asked for prayers of “deliverance” today. They offered no other details, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they had at some point connected with voodoo. Voodoo is still a part of the fabric of life here. In any event, I offered a number of prayers for the freedom Christ brings.

We saw people for about three hours today before packing up to return home before the evening rains. I don’t know that we saw many really sick in the mountains this week. Beyond a few aches and pains, most were fairly strong and healthy. 

Posted in Ministry

Haiti (April 13: clinic day in Thomonde)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The road to the middle-of-nowhere is a bumpy one. At least the roughest off-reading I’ve ever done. It took four hours to get to Thomonde, mostly off road and across a river. The last two cars got lost and had to backtrack, but we made it. 

  
This trip took us up into the central plateau, a much different looking region of Haiti. It’s green, lush and alive with the first agriculture I’ve seen in Haiti.

We got our clinic up and going by 11. After I met the local pastor, Paul, I talked to a large group of people in the waiting room (under a tree). I spoke to them about Jesus calming the storm. 

We got to work and saw lots and lots of people. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a special, faithful group of families and children. I had a chance to speak with Lophane’s in-laws who came to the clinic today. I also had a chance to talk with My translator Jemmy about faith, culture and people. That was the best part of my day.

    
    
 

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (April 12: second clinic day in Bien Amie)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Learning an important lesson from yesterday, we left much earlier and got to the church in Bien Amie by 9 am. As we set up I taught the story of Zacchaeus to the waiting crowd of moms and babies. Then we settled into seeing patients. 

Some of the team taught a birthing class, a newborn class, along with the tooth brushing class. Nothing extraordinary today — except for a baptism! 

   
 Sometime in the morning we stopped everything and I got to baptize a beautiful 18 month old little girl, Essmina. With a tent full of witnesses and more watching from the outside we celebrated her new birth into the family of God. What a privilege and what a great moment. God’s mercy, life and salvation poured out onto that mountainside piece of holy ground! I guess I probably taken my shoes off. Oh well; next time…

As I prayed with all who came through the main registration, I did the wordless book with two more who trusted Jesus as Savior. I ask every one either, “Are you a Christian?” Or “Do you trust that Jesus is your Savior?” Most say yes, and I believe most are sincere. And then suddenly, some one says, “No,” and I get to tell them more about Christ. My translator, Jemmy, is great and keeps right up with me. 

Tomorrow a new site, another remote location at the edge of somewhere.

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (April 11: first clinic day in Bien Amie)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We were up and out by 7:45 am on our way to the small mountain community of Bien Amie. We ran right into horrendous Port-Au-Prince rush hour traffic. It took our four 4x4s two hours just to get out of the city. Mostly stand still. With no traffic direction and no traffic lights, it’s a free -for-all. You don’t flinch, you just keep driving. It’s truly a game of inches.

 We finally got to the church about 11:30 and started to set up. Now by church, I mean a flat 25×25 foot area on a hillside shaded by torn tarps suspended by rough hewn poles. Our ears popped, so I’m guessing we were up about 3,000 feet. There were about 300 people waiting, many moms and kids.

We set up places for 3 providers, a pharmacy, treatment, and to see most of the children. After I presented the gospel to all the moms gathered there, I had a translator and got to talk to everyone who needed to see a doctor after they registered. I asked if the were Christian, and how I could pray for them. These were great conversations. Prayer requests ranged from deliverance to children to a stronger faith. I had two conversations that actually led to first time faith. One was a man who had heard a lot about Jesus and wanted to take the next step. The other was a woman who had miscarried, she believed, because of her involvement with voodoo. I led her through the whole wordless book and prayed as she told God of her faith and asked for forgiveness. I then connected her with a local pastor for more conversation.

We wrapped up about 4 and got home by 6. Yes, we took a different way home!

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (Worship and prep day: April 10)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

  

Worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
 
After an interesting breakfast, we loaded up and went to worship at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Oh, you were wondering what I meant by interesting? A spicy bean soup, fresh mango and pineapple and croissants. I usually don’t have soup for breakfast, but I’m glad I tried it. Very tasty. Worship was spirited, a familiar liturgy (though in Haitian Creole) and very well attended. One of our translators sat next to me to tell me the scripture readings so I could follow along in my bible. It was fun to try.

After worship we headed out to an orphanage that housed 14 teen boys. It was in great disrepair, but our doc said the boys were fairly healthy. A sad place to be but one that could come alive with a few seeds to plant and some chickens in the yard. Mission:Haiti is exploring the best way to help. 

The orphanage
 From there we got to stop by Lophane’s new guest house, still under construction. It just needs some floors, electrical and plumbing. The roof and stairways were poured concrete. I’m not sure how they do that, but it looked great.

 

Lophane’s guest house
 
Back at Walls guest house, we are a quick lunch and started to prepare our supplies for the week. We counted out hundreds of bags of vitamins and medications, birthing kits, baby kits and hygiene kits. The kits would be used in the education we will present this week. I know you’re wondering: a birthing kit consists of a pad to sit on, gloves, gauze pads, a washcloth, some strings, a razor to cut the umbilical and some instructions. A little teaching goes a long way in helping the people care for themselves. 

 

Some of our supplies
 
Our team brought so much along, including diapers, washcloths, baby clothes, and medication. We’ll be in some remote areas where there ‘s no where to go to buy anything. I wonder how they live off the land there. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. The pastor of the church there is so excited that we’re coming. We will help him connect with many families for future ministry.

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (day 1: arrival)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

  After an uneventful (but very early) flight to Port-au-Prince, we got a ride to Walls Guest House, our home base for the week. After a quick unload of twenty -something fifty pound duffles full of supplies, we rode over to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church to attend the Saturday program, which members from our church support.

It was so good to see our friend Lophane, Pastor Josie and his wife Elise, and listen to the voices of over 160 children in attendance. We also helped serve lunch, then we headed out to a small pizza/burger place for lunch. 

Back at Walls, we were able to catch a nap and relax a little. After a supper of noodles and sauce, we met to go over our plan for the week.

Our team comes from all over the U. S. from teens to retired, some medical providers, some not. Some wide-eyed first timers in Haiti; others have been here eight times or more. 

When we stepped out of the airport today, Lisa and I both thought, “This feels like Haiti.” What’s that mean? It’s hard to say. The air is filled with a smoky, musty, diesel-exhaust smell, Bougenvillas in full bloom are tumbling over every wall and fence, and the ever present sound of car horns fills the air. It’s been five years since my last trip, but it feels familiar. 

The streets are lined with a strange mix of new construction, buildings in disrepair and make shift home in every nook and cranny. We were told that  ecause of inflation, things are actually worse here. Last year’s twenty-dollar bag of rice for the Saturday program now costs $35. 

Church tomorrow, then we sort and organize all our supplies for Monday’s clinic.

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (prequel)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We are headed out to Haiti tomorrow morning with a Mission:Haiti team to a small community not too far from Port-au-Prince called Bien Amie. Google Maps and Earth doesn’t show much out there. Helen, our trip leader, reports that no mission teams have yet been to this area. This will be their first exposure to the medical care and education we can bring to them. Bien Amie 1

It’s been five years since my last trip to Haiti. Where did that time go? The last time we took a group from our church and did a lot of work with Lutheran Schools in the Port-au-Prince area. It will be interesting to see what has been repaired and rebuilt since my last time there and since the earthquake six year ago.

Continue reading “Haiti (prequel)” →

Posted in Ministry

An enjoyable wedding experience. Yes, I’m serious.

Posted on by William Douthwaite

12715536_10100704524155148_7594547818748202885_nI traveled to Orlando with my wife this past weekend to perform a wedding. As the ceremony was about to begin, I realized something quite unusual for me. I was actually enjoying the experience. This is quite evolutionary for me. For many years, weddings were the part of pastoral ministry I enjoyed the least. Now, suddenly, it is a pleasant experience.

Granted, it was a beautiful evening at Paradise Cove, a very nice venue on Lake Bryan. We even got to spend the night at a the Diamond Grand Beach resort on the other side of the lake before heading home the next day. But it wasn’t just the setting. Something else was different.

Clueless couples, demanding mothers, horrid musical requests, frequent late starts and irreverent guests contributed to my aversion to weddings in the past. Graciously, I never had to officiate at more than three or four a year, but even that was a monumental strain on my patience. I almost always declined the last minute invitations to rehearsal dinners and receptions, because I rarely enjoyed sitting off in a corner with strangers. I did my best and concealed my displeasure because I didn’t want to ruin someone’s special day. But it was tough.

But lately, it’s been OK. Better than OK, it’s been enjoyable. What’s up? Have I mellowed in my old age? Are the couples I’ve been marrying more savvy, polite, reverent and prepared? Probably not. So what’s up?

Well, for one thing, I am older. And most of the weddings I do are for a younger generation, around the age of my adult children (20-somethings). I think I relate to them the way I relate to my own children, and am a little bit of a dad to them. I enjoy sitting and talking to them as much as I enjoy my own. Maybe they fill in the gap since I don’t get to spend as much time with my out-of-town son and daughter.

Also, we spend as much of our pre-marital counseling hours getting to know each other as talking about the realities of two becoming one. The relationship formed is at least as important as the information conveyed. By the time we’re done, we’re friends. Kind of like getting to know Jesus is as important as knowing  what he taught. I’m not just performing a service, but sharing an experience with them.

I think I’ve lowered my expectations, too. (Whoa, you say, don’t do that. If anything we should raise the bar of expectations for marriage! Whatever.) I’ve learned that much of what I say and do isn’t going to make or break that day or their lifetime together. That kind of thing is far beyond my pay grade. So I can relax, have some fun, say what’s on my mind, and make everyone laugh a little. After all, if I make a few of the pictures, I’ll be pastor “do you remember his name?” who got them through the ceremony in one piece so they could enjoy the reception afterwards. I’ve always said that you can’t take yourself too seriously to survive in this business.

I’ve known Brett and Corina for years before this past weekend, and we started meeting together over a year ago in preparation for their wedding day. I’ve been close with Corina’s family for a long time, too. I wasn’t just doing my job. I was giving them a gift.

In addition, Brett made a batch of excellent beer for the occasion. Nice touch. Brett and his groomsmen arrived in a speedboat which pulled up on shore when we were ready to begin. Too cool. Brett and Corina made everyone put their phones and cameras away before the ceremony began. Wise touch. And the cake was better than most I’ve eaten.

So there you go. An enjoyable wedding experience!

 

 

Posted in Ministry

A surreal phone call

Posted on by William Douthwaite

o-TALKING-ON-CELL-PHONE-facebookLord Grantham had just spewed blood all over his dinner guests on “Downton Abbey” last night when my phone rang.  I recognized the name on my phone, so I answered, since calls at that time of the night from church members are usually important.

Usually. The person on the other end wasn’t who I expected. It was a different member of that family who had been enjoying a few cocktails that evening. He asked, “Pastor, can I talk to you?”

Sounded serious. I said, “Sure.”

After a longer than expected period of silence, the caller asked me, “So what do you want to talk about?”

What? I said, “You called me. What’s up?”

“Oh, not much. What’s up with you?”

“You know, it’s kind of late,” I said, “Can I call you back later on this week?”

“Sure.” Click. And just like the call was over. And none too soon.