Tag: Haiti

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The walls came down

Posted on by William Douthwaite

People are screaming, “Why didn’t you write about Jericho?” Relax. Here’s a “through the bible” devotion from Jericho 6.

There are lots of walls in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As we drove from the airport to our guest house, every home that could be lived in was enclosed in an eight-foot tall wall topped by shards of broken glass. Heavy iron doors were the only way in and out, and you had to call ahead of time so someone on the inside would open them.

Safe? Secure? Not really. All it took was a moment, a 7.0 earthquake, and many of those walls, gates, and homes fell into piles of rubble.

Jericho looked secure from the inside and the outside (Joshua 6:1). Safe? Secure? Not really. Not after seven laps around the city, when the priests blew the trumpets, the armed men shouted, and “the wall fell down flat” (6:20). A well-timed earthquake? A sonic-wave of destructive proportions? Who knows? The earth shook at Mount Sinai and at Jesus’s temporary tomb. The sound of many waters and loud thunder accompanies God’s presence. If the Lord can raise the dead with a cry of command and the sound of a trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16), then a few city walls are a cinch.

The fall of Jericho is Israel’s first victory in the promised land. They marched. They blew ram’s horn trumpets. They shouted. But God did the heavy lifting. He brought down the walls. Is there a lesson there for us? We go (to all nations), we lift up our voices and play our instruments in worship, and God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Posted in Grace, Life

Be still

Posted on by William Douthwaite

img_7401.jpgWe really like it when our Lord stills the storm. When the hurricane’s over and your house is still standing and the skies clear and the sun comes out, we’re ready to go. We’re ready for the power to come back on, stores to reopen, the kids head off to school, fill the car with gas and get back to work.

It doesn’t always work out that way. A day or two later and the power’s still out, cable isn’t back on, gas stations don’t have gas, stores aren’t open, schools are closed, and suddenly, the stillness becomes a nuisance rather than a blessing.

When you have no place you need to be, there’s nowhere to go, no TV, no lights, the world can be a very still place. God says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), it’s as if he’s asking, “What’s your hurry?” Continue reading “Be still” →

Posted in Ministry

Top ministry moments – #2: The phone call from Haiti

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I was about five minutes into my sermon when I heard the phone in my pocket ring.

Yes, it was my turn to have my phone with me in church, the volume turned up and had someone call me on a Sunday morning, right in the middle of a worship service! Naturally I paused the sermon, excused myself and took the call. It was my wife. Continue reading “Top ministry moments – #2: The phone call from Haiti” →

Posted in Ministry, worship

Worshiping in a different language

Posted on by William Douthwaite

13001071_10153648825923981_1257256415220592090_nSo about a week ago I found myself worshiping in a different language. On the Sunday after we arrived in Haiti, we attended a worship service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The service was spoken and sung entirely in Haitian Creole. The extent of my Haitian Creole is a few numbers and colors.

As I sat and listened intently, I was determined to find something that sounded familiar. I kind of knew where we were in the liturgy, so I recognized when they said “Amen” and I heard Jesus mentioned a few times. But that was pretty much it. It was a lengthy sermon, so my mind began to wander a little. I began to wonder if the Gospel is still the power of God for salvation if you can’t understand the language it’s being preached in. Can faith come from hearing the word of Christ in a different language?

I immediately thought to myself, “Of course not.” And just as quickly I thought, “Wait a minute. Is that always true?” What about absolution? Was I forgiven even though I didn’t actually understand the words of absolution the pastor spoke?  This is a mind-bending question.

The converse is just as intriguing. Speaking the gospel in the language everyone understands doesn’t guarantee my audience will hear or grasp the message. I know people have sat through my sermons and wondered, “What in the world is he talking about?”

So, did I receive God’s gifts of grace that Sunday in Haiti? I believe I did, and I am thankful. But I need to do a little more thinking about this.

 

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (final entry: returning home)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

After a very early wake-up call, we assembled for a quick 4:30 am breakfast, loaded up the trucks and headed to the Port-au-Prince airport. Though it was barely dawn, the roads were already lined with people preparing for market day.

The airport is always part of the adventure. As soon as you step out of the van, you are surrounded by vendors and others eager to help you with your bags. This is when you get a lot of practice saying, “No, merci.”

Inside, long lines snake through the room where you wait to check in. Some check-in kiosks are working. Most are not. Finally we all get checked in and our bags dropped and its off to immigration, security, customs and a second security check. But this was a good day. It only took an hour to complete the process and we could sit down to wait for our plane to board. There are some nice little restaurants in the airport with some very good coffee, sandwiches and pastries.

The flight was uneventful, and immigration and customs on the US side went quickly. But that’s when you have to say goodbye to everyone heading off to different parts of the country. Facebook means we won’t lose touch. In fact, we’ll get to know each other better as we keep in touch and plan our next getaway to Haiti.

We still had a long drive home from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Coast, giving us lots of time to reflect upon our trip and short-term missions in general. More on that soon.

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Our team: Tamara, Cassie, Lisa, Doris, Nancy, Megan, Helen, me, Elizabeth, Jesse, Oz, Brenda and Quinton

 

Posted in Ministry, Travel

Haiti (April 15: transition day)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

How do you prepare yourself to re-enter the real world? After a week in Haiti, it’s good to have a day to reflect, recuperate and recharge for the journey home. 

We didn’t have to get up as early today, and traveled to Kaliko Beach Club just a little bit north of Port-au-Prince. It’s a nice little resort on some clear blue water lapping up against a rocky shore. You can just reach down and grab spiny lobsters and giant crabs, which various locals did who then offered to cook them up for me.

We sat on the beach, talked in the pool, napped and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

  
After supper our group reflected on the week, and how it affected us and our faith. Plus, what will we say when someone asks, “So, how was your trip? Did you have fun?”

It’s a difficult question to answer. It was a hard week of grueling days and not drinking the water and not opening your mouth in the shower. It was a series of long rides to parts unknown where curious looks welcomed us onto their home court in strange tongues. It was a constant encounter with poverty, mercy and faith. It was as a previous team described it: “The worst vacation I ever loved.”

Everyone from rookies to seasoned veterans talked about “next time.” Lophane and Helen reminded us of the value of “presence.” And we were reminded that our friends, family and colleagues will now try to reel us back into the world from which we have been absent, whether we are ready or not. 

The images of young eyes peering through holes in the walls, impossibly bumpy roads, the joyful splash of baptismal water and smile after amazing smile will play over and over again in our day and nighttime dreams. Those visions make you see every person, headline and bible passage in a different light. 

How do you re-enter the real world? Transformed, renewed, discerning and grateful.

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, 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!