“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:16-21 (ESV)
When I returned from my very first mission trip, I told the LORD, “LORD, I will go wherever you send me!”
And the LORD said, “Okay kid, watch this.”
Many of you have heard me tell that story before, but what I may not have mentioned is that when I prayed that prayer back in 2015, a tiny little voice in the back of my head was saying, “But please, do not send me to Haiti.”
That’s because Haiti scared me – and that was long before all the current nastiness that has taken place in Haiti.
I thought of Haiti as a place of deep darkness, where voodoo was common and the people had given the devil control of the land. Recent events, with the collapse of the government and control of the nation resting in the hands of gang members and some guy the media called “Jimmy Barbeque” didn’t make me think of Haiti any more favorably.
And, I think the world thinks of Haiti that way. I think we think of Haiti primarily with fear, and as a result, I think we condemn Haiti and her people -- and that is most assuredly not what Jesus came into this world to do.
It’s difficult to get really accurate numbers, but as best we can tell, about 11.4 million people live in Haiti. For the most part, they are people like you and me. They have hopes and dreams and families and jobs and friends and neighbors and people who love them. They work and live their lives and do the best they can to raise their children, just like we would.
From what I could see in the 12 days I was there, the people living in the areas around Les Cayes and Torbeck where I visited did not seem to be living remarkably different lives than the people I had seen living in Guatemala or Peru. It seemed that every available field in the broad coastal plain of the area was planted with rice and corn and beans and papaya and cassava and other crops -and people were out working those fields.
There were goats and pigs and cattle tied to stakes and grazing the sides of the roads and the fields. We ate fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and cabbage and carrots and plantains and mangoes and bananas and watermelon and pineapples – and it was common to see people selling this fresh produce by the side of the road.
The people I saw were living normal Haitian lives, not fear-based, gang-controlled lives – and that’s because local police departments from the northern and southern parts of Haiti have effectively contained the 7000 or so gang members to the area around Port-au-Prince.
I want to stress this: At no point did I fear being shot or kidnapped. The gangs do not control all of Haiti. Yes, they control 80% of Port-au-Prince and their activity and influence has caused widespread inflation and hardship throughout the country. I just read today that about five million Haitians living in and around Port-au-Prince are living in near-famine conditions. Although the gangs promise free and fair elections are coming, no one believes them, so the people just keep living their lives as best they can.
And, by the mighty power and grace of God, the things that GoServ Global had been doing prior to all that has taken place in Haiti have continued because, (while most Christian ministries shut down in Haiti because the people running those ministries fled the country) GoServ’s ministries in Haiti were run by Haitians, not Americans.
Today, there is a school here serving 1300 students – and each one of those students gets a meal each day made partly with produce raised on-site. There is an orphanage here that has rescued 160 young lives from death, disease, and misery – and other areas orphanages receive support, too. There is a medical clinic that treats an average of 45 patients a month. There is a theological school where I saw 17 students graduate from a three-year program, now greatly equipped to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is an annual Pastor’s Conference here where I saw 300 local pastors come together and learn and pray and worship in unity. GoServ has placed almost 600 Safe T Homes in the area, giving people safe, secure, affordable places to live. There is a Birthing Center where children can be born in far better conditions than were previously possible, with far better chances of survival.
And, there is a church here that is often packed with 650 people where praise and worship shines the light of Jesus Christ – the light that shines in the darkness, the light that cannot be overcome, the Light of the World.
And that light cannot be contained. I cannot be put down. It cannot be snuffed out. The darkness that has characterized Haiti for so long is yielding to the light of Jesus Christ and we saw that – and we believe Haitians can come together and shine and share that light with their neighbors and friends, with other nations, and even with the world.
Haiti’s time of hope is now.
Haiti's children have a hope and a future. We should help and we should pray for Haiti's people, but we should not condemn Haiti or despair for her future.
(The child in the picture is named Joshua. He enjoys making motorcycle noises and being held by his mother and father. ) Photo by author.
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