I am sure lots of my future posts will reference Haiti, in fact, I notice that I reference Haiti a lot now. I am sure people in my life are “over it”. I have even seen fellow teammates on FB have “friends” tell them to get over the obsession with Haiti. I hope I never get over it. I hope God keeps my heart inclined to Haiti and I hope I never forget what He taught me while I was there. It has been a hard recovery from Haiti, but one I would repeat again and again.
On our final full day in Haiti, the half of the team that did not go on home visits earlier in the week, got their turn. We had an “appointment” with a witch doctor, who had given Jen an open invitation to stop by. Our goals for the day was, to visit a mom who was very sick who recently had twins and to stop by this witch doctor… and see who else we met along the way.
We loaded up in our typical transportation and headed off…
We traveled a ways away into some of the villages near Pignon. We were in search of the sick mother. When we arrived at her last known location, her brother appeared and told us that her family had taken her to the Witch Doctor (the WD) for care. The brother took us to her. This was the WD’s home and “community”. Unfortunately, the WD was not there but the people in his community allowed us in to see the mother.
There is a song that has the words “You make beautiful things out of the dust”, the song took on new meaning to me. There was such beauty among the dust. This is one of my favorite pictures that Sonja took. I don’t know why, but it is beautiful to me. It really struck me that no matter the location or circumstance God loves this man as much as he loves me. This man looks as if he could be my neighbor, or a friend from the ball fields… but because of his situation, his country, his surroundings he does not have the same access to things that I do. Nor does he serve (or even know about) the God I serve.
All over these back, dirt, roads you would smell and see these distilleries. Alcohol made from Sugar Cane. The smell was overwhelming. There was one that we checked out right inside the WD community we were in. They were cooking away.
This is the mother we were searching for. She was under the WD’s care. I wish I could make you feel the things I felt as I entered and stood in the WD’s home. It was pitch black. She was sitting on a bed, leaning over onto a chair. She could not breathe. As she took in air her body would squirm as air tried it’s best to enter her body. On her wrist was tied a rag of some sort, as well as on her ankles. Her legs were covered in a white powder and on the ground beside her was a cross buried in the ground surrounded by what was formally a fire and bottles. I can only imagine what toxins and potions were inside her body. Her eyes lacked anything. There was nothing there but darkness. I am not even sure she was aware that we were there. Her twin babies lay almost lifeless on the bed beside her soaked in urine. As they opened the doors to the hut wind would breeze through and the ceiling, which seemed to be bags of some sort, blew around and hit us in the head. You could not even tell if the fact that 12 people had descended into this small space and were surrounding her was noticed. She maintained her distant stare and shallow breathing. We picked up her babies to check them out and with permission from her family and the WD’s community we prayed over her. So much was going on in this small space that my senses were overwhelmed… not to mention that I was physically in one of the darkest places I had been in my entire life.
Jen told the family (who had been told by the WD that the mother was possessed) that she was very sick and needed medical help. That she would even help with the cost of medicine. I believe Jen thought that the mother was suffering from an infection that was spreading to her heart from the delivery of the babies by C-section.
As we were leaving we told the brother that Jen’s feeding program could provide help for the mom and her babies. However, Jen also explained that for that to be possible the mother had to leave the home and care of the witch doctor.The brother was moved to tears and explained to us that he had recently come to the Lord, but the decision was not his. It was that of the mother and grandmother. We prayed over the brother for strength, wisdom and for the means to care for his sister, her babies, and his mother.
(We learned that the mother passed away only about a week and a half later. I can only imagine how painful her final days were. The babies came into the care of the brother who immediately brought them to the feeding clinic and was also given a job at the orphanage. However, less that another week later, we were told that the twin babies died suspiciously within hours of each other. They were both perfectly healthy at the feeding clinic on Wednesday and were gone by Sunday. Although we may never know what happened, we speculate that they were poisoned. It could be that they were taking some of the same WD medications as their mother, because I am sure if they thought the mother was possessed then surely as life that had come from her, they were too).
Our next stop was along the road in the village. Here one of the families from the clinic lived. This family has lost 5 children to malnutrition and have one child left. He was very worried about his child at the feeding clinic on Wednesday because he was a little swollen. As it turned out he was probably suffering from a case of worms and not malnutrition. But his family was very concerned. I cannot imagine losing 5 children and knowing that I could not provide them with enough food to sustain them. We gave them some extra seed packets in hopes that they could start a garden.
This mom, who was so happy and sweet, did not know her age (she looked so young). She had several children and the one she is holding was dehydrated and starving. They were invited to come be a part of the feeding clinic the following Wednesday.
We could not get over how sweet and happy she was in her cute pink smocked dress. Then someone lifted her up and found out in fact, she was a precious little HE! We got a kick out of that!
They loved having their photo taken. I love this one with the photographer herself, Sonja.
For the most part in the community, the girls stayed covered, but the boys ran around “free willy”. I don’t think we saw a boy child under 8 with pants on.
Our final stop was at the home of another WD, the one we had been invited to. He was not at home at the time so we were able to spend some time with his neighbor. The neighbor of the WD was a family that Jen had been ministering to for a while. Her words were that it was the poorest family that she works with. They have lost several children and these twins barely survived a bout with Cholera. The home they are in is rented and all they have. Jen and her ministry have purchased some land for them in the community we were in above so that they can be supported and out of the WD’s control. We are hoping to help Steve go back in March and build them a home on that property.
The home was barely standing and overwhelming to see. Other than a few clothes hanging from the rafters and a saddle fashioned from hay. This was all that we could see inside the door of the home.
The twins that survived the cholera are thriving now in the feeding program. But the mom was reprimanded because she has not brought them with her in several weeks. It is a requirement of the program so that Jen can see that they are growing and thriving. I felt sorry for her because I thought of all the times I have not wanted to run into the grocery with all the kiddos in tow. She had to walk, carrying herself and twins, miles and miles, I could totally “get” why she would take the opportunity to send dad or just run herself and get the milk. Life is so much more difficult in Haiti. We take for granted the simple things here.
This was the view right outside their home. The flags flying (we found out) signify that this is where a WD lives. The colors he flies signifies the gods he serves.
This is one of the WD’s girlfriends. I love this picture because it is totally what I picture in my head when I think of Voodoo. She did have some control over this family. I have video of her slapping one of the babies because they were scared of us and would not come to us. 
Pastor “C” went everywhere we went on that day and is known in this community. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for him to be a light in this dark place. He was full of grace and love.
We stopped briefly by his church and actually walked around the exterior praying for his ministry and that it, along with his church would expand.
We finished up the day at home with a Game Boy “fete”. Jen gathered all the boys (that were not at Choir) and told them she had a surprise. She had already told them that people in the US no longer played Game Boys and that she did not think we would be able to bring one to replace their one that was broken. She brought out one Game Boy to show the kids and they were thrilled. She asked them if it was enough, some nodded yes, some anticipated more. She held up 2 game boys and repeated her question. They boys got more and more excited… when she finally brought out a third Game Boy and asked if that were enough, they cheered and said YES! Her response was “I guess I will tell them to take all the others back then.” She let the boys come in the house for a party where they found that not only were there 3, but there were enough for each and every boy to play with one of their very own. They went from table to table overwhelmed with the games. It was FABULOUS!!!
I cannot end my week in Haiti without sharing these fine young men with you (pictured with our team member Stephanie). These men are in school to become Pastor’s in their community and they spent all week ministering to us, loving on us, translating for us, and showing us what life is like in Haiti. They have a big task at hand. I am honored to know them (and be their friends on FB). My prayer is that God would use them in mighty ways to expand His kingdom in Haiti.
I learned so much in Haiti, and it will forever have a piece of my heart. I will be back to hug the necks of my friends and to see (and hopefully have a hand) in what God is doing in this beautiful country. Pray for me, pray for them… and next time GO WITH ME!!!
I do have to add that I just thought that the little plane I rode into Pignon was “rough” . Then they brought me to the plane I was to leave on. This 5 passenger plane carried me away from the land that captured my heart, and I would get on it again and again to only experience a touch of it all over again!
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