Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Last Sunday in Haiti
How long was today's service? We got to the church by10am, when the service was supposed to start. The service started at 10:30am. It lasted until 2:30pm. I will not vent this time. If interested, read my post below on Pastor Jupe's church. My feelings are nearly identical as those reflected in that post, as nearly identical events took place today.
Driving through Haiti, from Delmas to Tabarre. This is what all of Port-au-Prince looks like.
A clip of today's service. Kids are excellent dancers. This went on for a good hour. And it was really really loud.
Driving through Haiti, from Delmas to Tabarre. This is what all of Port-au-Prince looks like.
A clip of today's service. Kids are excellent dancers. This went on for a good hour. And it was really really loud.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Spiritual Warfare
It is impossible not to talk about evil spirits in a country known for Voodoo.
There is definitely something very dark going on in this country.
Because of my upbringing, I am forced to think logically and rationally. Though I accept the existence of demonic forces, I only associate them with things that are, in my mind, blatantly not of or from God. For example, temptations, evil thoughts, evil actions, etc - some of these are a result of my own human weaknesses, and some of these are from evil forces. Demonic possessions and the likes, though I accept them, cause me to be skeptical and I try to reason through them physically. Perhaps it is physical sickness - retardation - epilepsy. Or the occurrence is a hoax. This world, in my mind, is rigidly fixed with physical laws that must be followed. My mind is engineered to assume these physical laws as unbendable and unbreakable.
Etienne, and many other Haitians, think otherwise. And they give eyewitness accounts of these experiences. Voodoo priests turning to beasts or wild animals, dancing through a barrage of gunfire, turning to dust and floating away, sacrificing babies, etc. Demonic possession itself is the most mundane of events. It is an everyday event. In the countryside, Etienne claims, there are places gripped by Voodoo spirits where one in three are possessed. So let's reason through that. Does that mean one in three in the countryside are physically retarded? One in three are epileptic? One in three just bad people?
Pastor Brian also experienced these things, even here at the Vision Center. Etienne, Pastor Brian's assistant, lives in a small house in the back of the Vision Center. Land properties in Haiti are clearly sectioned off by thick cement walls that are about 10 feet high and studded with sharp metal or glass at the top. Even the front entrance is a 9 foot high metal gate with spikes on top. It is nearly impossible for someone to climb into the Vision Center. Moreover, Chris, Pastor Brian's dog is a fine watch dog.
One morning, Etienne called Pastor Brian to come to the back to his house. When he got there, Etienne pointed to a hole in the ground, about 6 inches in diameter, and about an arm's length deep. The ground is made of cement. Inside the hole, Etienne found a candle on a stand. There was no indication that someone had climbed over the wall, took the time to break through the cement to dig a hole, and left. They would've heard it - the hammering to break the cement. Chris would've barked.
Etienne is convinced that this was the doing of a Voodoo priest - not that a Voodoo priest climbed over the wall - but that a Voodoo priest ordained this event through spirits.
See, the local Voodoo practitioners weren't happy when Pastor Brian came into town. For the first few months, Voodoo practitioners would come late in the night to the front gate of the Vision Center to pray and put curses on the Vision Center.
As I heard this story, my mind instantly tried to dismantle the story - someone MUST have climbed over. Chris MUST have been given food or something to chew on to not bark. But what about digging through the cement? What about the hole and displaced soil? What about the candle? Humanly possible? I don't know.
Pastor Brian has a bunch of other stories where he encountered evil spirits. Of Shaman priests knowing at first glance that he was a pastor, of the same priests dancing on swords and broken glass. Of others knowing Pastor Brian's exact thoughts. Of exorcisms both successful and unsuccessful.
I don't know.
What I do know, though, is that Jesus Christ reigns over the physical laws that hold this earth rigidly, or maybe loosely, in place. Along with those physical laws, Jesus' reign extends completely over those demonic forces that seek to control. So basically, I know who is in charge. That's all I know, and that's all I'm sure of.
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
(Luke 11:24-26)
There is definitely something very dark going on in this country.
Because of my upbringing, I am forced to think logically and rationally. Though I accept the existence of demonic forces, I only associate them with things that are, in my mind, blatantly not of or from God. For example, temptations, evil thoughts, evil actions, etc - some of these are a result of my own human weaknesses, and some of these are from evil forces. Demonic possessions and the likes, though I accept them, cause me to be skeptical and I try to reason through them physically. Perhaps it is physical sickness - retardation - epilepsy. Or the occurrence is a hoax. This world, in my mind, is rigidly fixed with physical laws that must be followed. My mind is engineered to assume these physical laws as unbendable and unbreakable.
Etienne, and many other Haitians, think otherwise. And they give eyewitness accounts of these experiences. Voodoo priests turning to beasts or wild animals, dancing through a barrage of gunfire, turning to dust and floating away, sacrificing babies, etc. Demonic possession itself is the most mundane of events. It is an everyday event. In the countryside, Etienne claims, there are places gripped by Voodoo spirits where one in three are possessed. So let's reason through that. Does that mean one in three in the countryside are physically retarded? One in three are epileptic? One in three just bad people?
Pastor Brian also experienced these things, even here at the Vision Center. Etienne, Pastor Brian's assistant, lives in a small house in the back of the Vision Center. Land properties in Haiti are clearly sectioned off by thick cement walls that are about 10 feet high and studded with sharp metal or glass at the top. Even the front entrance is a 9 foot high metal gate with spikes on top. It is nearly impossible for someone to climb into the Vision Center. Moreover, Chris, Pastor Brian's dog is a fine watch dog.
One morning, Etienne called Pastor Brian to come to the back to his house. When he got there, Etienne pointed to a hole in the ground, about 6 inches in diameter, and about an arm's length deep. The ground is made of cement. Inside the hole, Etienne found a candle on a stand. There was no indication that someone had climbed over the wall, took the time to break through the cement to dig a hole, and left. They would've heard it - the hammering to break the cement. Chris would've barked.
Etienne is convinced that this was the doing of a Voodoo priest - not that a Voodoo priest climbed over the wall - but that a Voodoo priest ordained this event through spirits.
See, the local Voodoo practitioners weren't happy when Pastor Brian came into town. For the first few months, Voodoo practitioners would come late in the night to the front gate of the Vision Center to pray and put curses on the Vision Center.
As I heard this story, my mind instantly tried to dismantle the story - someone MUST have climbed over. Chris MUST have been given food or something to chew on to not bark. But what about digging through the cement? What about the hole and displaced soil? What about the candle? Humanly possible? I don't know.
Pastor Brian has a bunch of other stories where he encountered evil spirits. Of Shaman priests knowing at first glance that he was a pastor, of the same priests dancing on swords and broken glass. Of others knowing Pastor Brian's exact thoughts. Of exorcisms both successful and unsuccessful.
I don't know.
What I do know, though, is that Jesus Christ reigns over the physical laws that hold this earth rigidly, or maybe loosely, in place. Along with those physical laws, Jesus' reign extends completely over those demonic forces that seek to control. So basically, I know who is in charge. That's all I know, and that's all I'm sure of.
"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
(Luke 11:24-26)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
An update from outerspace.
Apologies for the late update. Electricity's been inconsistent, and I had an ugly run-in with the Haitian Conch, which I will discuss later. It's a great story though.
Otherwise, things are going well down here. It's bad though. With less than 2 weeks left, I'm beginning to think more about home. Each night before I sleep, I go over what I'm going to do when I get back - step by step. For example, take a shower (Haitians use buckets), play with pico, and go see how many pullups I can do now at the gym.
Classes are going really well. We changed gears today from reading comprehension and grammar to listening comprehension and speaking. TOEFL has a section where you listen to a conversation or a speech, and you have to answer questions afterwards. There's another section where you're given a series of topics, and you have 15 seconds to prepare a 45 second response to the topics. So today we practiced both. Thankfully Pastor Brian had a spare CD player. They really love this stuff - these simple things (the TOEFL book, CD, and CD players) are things that are extremely hard to access in Haiti. Both rare and extremely expensive. The brightest student in my class wakes up between 4 to 5am, walks up onto the roof of his house and uses the morning sunlight to study.
I walked outside onto the balcony today at around 5:30pm and there was a kid next door on his roof reading something. "Pastor Brian, what's he doing?" "Studying."
My afternoon class is also going well. I've decided that if I'm not going to come away with them having learned a lot of English, then at least I'm going to come away with them having had a good time and laughed a lot, and having read some of the Bible. They love Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Actually, a lot of Haitians love these Kung Fu flicks. You walk down the street and at least one person cries out "Jackie Chan!" As part of their homework each night, I make them write part of the Bible.
I've also had the opportunity to travel around Haiti at night. It's a different world. All of those billions of people who are out in the streets during the day doing whatever they are doing, are also out at night unwinding. Konpa music (specific Haitian beat) is blasted at every corner. It's completely dark except for the natural dark blue of night, and everyone is everywhere just walking around and talking. People squat around small fire pits having corn, and they just relax.
It's not safe though, particularly for two lone Asian guys. Though everyone seems to be out having a good time, there are still police officers with M4's standing at each major intersection. Pretty intimidating. It's good to think of it like the movie "I Am Legend." If the sun goes down, the bad guys come out.
A few local boys we met during a walk to Bill's.
Otherwise, things are going well down here. It's bad though. With less than 2 weeks left, I'm beginning to think more about home. Each night before I sleep, I go over what I'm going to do when I get back - step by step. For example, take a shower (Haitians use buckets), play with pico, and go see how many pullups I can do now at the gym.
Classes are going really well. We changed gears today from reading comprehension and grammar to listening comprehension and speaking. TOEFL has a section where you listen to a conversation or a speech, and you have to answer questions afterwards. There's another section where you're given a series of topics, and you have 15 seconds to prepare a 45 second response to the topics. So today we practiced both. Thankfully Pastor Brian had a spare CD player. They really love this stuff - these simple things (the TOEFL book, CD, and CD players) are things that are extremely hard to access in Haiti. Both rare and extremely expensive. The brightest student in my class wakes up between 4 to 5am, walks up onto the roof of his house and uses the morning sunlight to study.
I walked outside onto the balcony today at around 5:30pm and there was a kid next door on his roof reading something. "Pastor Brian, what's he doing?" "Studying."
My afternoon class is also going well. I've decided that if I'm not going to come away with them having learned a lot of English, then at least I'm going to come away with them having had a good time and laughed a lot, and having read some of the Bible. They love Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Actually, a lot of Haitians love these Kung Fu flicks. You walk down the street and at least one person cries out "Jackie Chan!" As part of their homework each night, I make them write part of the Bible.
I've also had the opportunity to travel around Haiti at night. It's a different world. All of those billions of people who are out in the streets during the day doing whatever they are doing, are also out at night unwinding. Konpa music (specific Haitian beat) is blasted at every corner. It's completely dark except for the natural dark blue of night, and everyone is everywhere just walking around and talking. People squat around small fire pits having corn, and they just relax.
It's not safe though, particularly for two lone Asian guys. Though everyone seems to be out having a good time, there are still police officers with M4's standing at each major intersection. Pretty intimidating. It's good to think of it like the movie "I Am Legend." If the sun goes down, the bad guys come out.
A few local boys we met during a walk to Bill's.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Haitian Protein and The Boys
A few days ago, I woke early because of the usuals: the disoriented roosters, the heat, and the mosquitoes. I've resorted to sleeping with my socks on, which I drench in 100% deet (yes, they sell 100% deet at Sports Authority) before I sleep. The bugs love my feet. There are two kinds of blood suckers - one is the mosquito, which leaves a small itchy bump, and another is this tiny green winged pest that doesn't leave an itchy bump but a burning hematoma (blood blisters). You scratch it and it turns a deep purple. Anyways, I was thirsty so I walked downstairs half-awake to get some water. I've been using the same cup each day, and I just keep it out on the counter for easy access (much like last year). I open the fridge, pull out the water, pour, grab my cup, and drink - and while the water hits my tongue and heads for my throat, a solid, legged entity slides past my tongue and down my throat with the water - a roach.
I gagged a few times. But what am I going to do? Regurgitate because of a baby roach? I walked back upstairs, wide awake, a bit nauseous, telling myself, "At least you got your protein for the day."
-----------------------------------
On Monday I began my afternoon classes. The students are 7 of Bill's 15 boys (read below about Bill and his orphanage). It is heartbreaking. See, all of the students in my morning class are financially stable, relatively. But the afternoon class is a mess. Having been to Bill's orphanage, I know that all of Bill's 15 boys are housed in 2 rooms, with about 4 bunk beds in each room. Bill's kitchen is stocked with large cans of refried beans. And Bill supports these kids mostly from the $230 check he receives every month from the military. $230 for about 18 people, and cigarettes. It is apparent from their apparel that they wear clothes donated by charity organizations. Each of the students is in need of a haircut. Every class, water is made available to the boys. They can drink as much as they want. But I noticed that these boys drink 3-4 cups each. I was hesitant to ask them how many meals they eat a day, but I finally, nonchalantly asked, "Hey so did you guys have breakfast today?"
They eat two meals a day, one at 8am and another at 6pm. The usual is rice with sauce. No wonder they drink so much. 8 to 6 is a long time.
It is heartbreaking to teach these kids. Each student craves attention. They do whatever they can to get individual praise. They have this habit of yelling out "finished" when they're writing notes, to show me that they're done and they should be praised for it. It is obvious, though, that these boys have not been schooled properly - they are slow to learn, quick to forget, and far behind where they should be according to their age. At the end of class, each boy takes his turn shaking my hand and personally greeting me - they will not leave without doing so. The youngest of the boys never fails to hug me before he leaves.
Moreover, it is obvious that these boys have had to fend for themselves while growing up. At first, I thought it was selfishness. But it's not. It's their survival tactic. They learned quickly that they need to be selfish to survive.
There was an apple sitting on the kitchen counter. One of the boys, Carlos, saw it. He waited after class until most of the other boys were outside. He then grabbed me and said, "Teacher, I ask you question." But he noticed that two of the boys were still next to him. So he cupped his hands around his mouth and pressed it against my ear. He whispered, "Teacher, can I have apple?"
He didn't want the other boys to know he was asking for the apple. Why? Because there was only one apple, and the other boys would want it too if they heard him. He wanted it for himself.
I didn't give it to him. There was only one apple. I can't give an apple to just one of the boys. I'll get 7 apples.
Pray for these boys. It's bad enough that the well-educated, well-off, and well-trained students are having difficulty finding jobs. It's bad enough that there is economic turmoil and spiritual confusion in this country. It's bad enough that this country's leader is incompetent and pockets money for himself. It's bad enough that the wealthy are being kidnapped for ransom. What then for these boys?
Pray for them.
I gagged a few times. But what am I going to do? Regurgitate because of a baby roach? I walked back upstairs, wide awake, a bit nauseous, telling myself, "At least you got your protein for the day."
-----------------------------------
On Monday I began my afternoon classes. The students are 7 of Bill's 15 boys (read below about Bill and his orphanage). It is heartbreaking. See, all of the students in my morning class are financially stable, relatively. But the afternoon class is a mess. Having been to Bill's orphanage, I know that all of Bill's 15 boys are housed in 2 rooms, with about 4 bunk beds in each room. Bill's kitchen is stocked with large cans of refried beans. And Bill supports these kids mostly from the $230 check he receives every month from the military. $230 for about 18 people, and cigarettes. It is apparent from their apparel that they wear clothes donated by charity organizations. Each of the students is in need of a haircut. Every class, water is made available to the boys. They can drink as much as they want. But I noticed that these boys drink 3-4 cups each. I was hesitant to ask them how many meals they eat a day, but I finally, nonchalantly asked, "Hey so did you guys have breakfast today?"
They eat two meals a day, one at 8am and another at 6pm. The usual is rice with sauce. No wonder they drink so much. 8 to 6 is a long time.
It is heartbreaking to teach these kids. Each student craves attention. They do whatever they can to get individual praise. They have this habit of yelling out "finished" when they're writing notes, to show me that they're done and they should be praised for it. It is obvious, though, that these boys have not been schooled properly - they are slow to learn, quick to forget, and far behind where they should be according to their age. At the end of class, each boy takes his turn shaking my hand and personally greeting me - they will not leave without doing so. The youngest of the boys never fails to hug me before he leaves.
Moreover, it is obvious that these boys have had to fend for themselves while growing up. At first, I thought it was selfishness. But it's not. It's their survival tactic. They learned quickly that they need to be selfish to survive.
There was an apple sitting on the kitchen counter. One of the boys, Carlos, saw it. He waited after class until most of the other boys were outside. He then grabbed me and said, "Teacher, I ask you question." But he noticed that two of the boys were still next to him. So he cupped his hands around his mouth and pressed it against my ear. He whispered, "Teacher, can I have apple?"
He didn't want the other boys to know he was asking for the apple. Why? Because there was only one apple, and the other boys would want it too if they heard him. He wanted it for himself.
I didn't give it to him. There was only one apple. I can't give an apple to just one of the boys. I'll get 7 apples.
Pray for these boys. It's bad enough that the well-educated, well-off, and well-trained students are having difficulty finding jobs. It's bad enough that there is economic turmoil and spiritual confusion in this country. It's bad enough that this country's leader is incompetent and pockets money for himself. It's bad enough that the wealthy are being kidnapped for ransom. What then for these boys?
Pray for them.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
4 Hours Long.
Today, Pastor Brian, Ettiene, Pastor John, and I traveled about 1.5 hours to Pastor Jupe's church in the countryside. Pastor Brian was asked to preach at the church.
A few things to point out about the current situation concerning Sunday Worship in Haiti (taken mostly from discussion with Pastor Brian). First, it is disappointingly not Christ-centered. I mean, its great that today they were jumping up and down and clapping their hands and dancing around, but do they really know who they are worshiping? As Pastor Brian mentioned numerous times, Haitian Worship seems to be more about the emotions, the dancing, the music, the crying out, the "Hallelujahs" and "Amens", but they don't know Christ. They focus more, during sermons, on appearance, the Sunday apparel, the role of the necktie and the dress, and the evils of facial creams and perfumes. Second, approximately 80% of Haitian pastors have only high school level schooling. It is not surprising then that many Haitians are spiritually confused and misled - simultaneously embracing other religions (ie. Voodooism) and not knowing the difference between Christianity and Cults (ie. Jehovah's Witnesses). They quote 1 John where it says the Spirit will teach you and that you do not need to be taught by others. Though this is Scripture, the Haitian pastors should have the rationality to know that they don't know a thing about the Bible, instead of just trying to justify themselves. Third, Haitian pastors talk too much. As Ettienne put it, "If six pastors are present at a Sunday Service, all six pastors will stand up and preach." What happens then? It's bad enough that most of these pastors don't know what they're talking about, but then all the messages get muddied together, leaving the listeners with a huge pot of mush that eventually goes into the trash.
Pastor Brian gave this wonderful sermon today about who Christ is and what it is to be Christ-like.
To be Christ-like is to:
1. Love others
2. Be humble
3. Serve others
It was very clear and to the point. He added bits of context (how Paul was in jail when he wrote Philippians), and bits of application. But what happened? After Pastor Brian was done giving his sermon, Haitian pastor (Pastor John) jumps up and begins his own 4 point sermon. But these 4 points were nonsense! And in the middle of his rambling, he tells the congregation he forgot his fourth point, and he jokes about how he's going to go home, look at his notes, and come back with the fourth point. So he sits down. What happens next? In the middle of the announcements, Pastor John stands back up, grabs the mic and tells the congregation he remembers now, and begins talking again! I mean, come on!
What is going on? Pastor John wasn't even supposed to come today. He is the associate pastor at another church. He heard the rumor that Pastor Brian was going to preach at the church, so he shows up at the front door at 7am today saying, "I will go with you." Fine. But then to muddy Pastor Brian's sermon with his own 4 points of nonsense when he wasn't even supposed to preach? I was hugely disappointed.
I asked Pastor Brian if he was disappointed. He said, "I used to get disappointed. But it happens all the time so now I don't care. They just don't know. Besides, Pastor John is the associate pastor at Pastor Mark's church, so he never gets to preach. He probably seized this opportunity to get a turn at the mic."
Anyhow, I know this entry was more of me venting. I apologize. I should be patient and understanding. It was hard though. The service was a healthy 4 hours long.
Sara and Mika - two most cute and adorable girls in all of Haiti.
Ettiene, Sara, Mika, Me, and Chris
Pastor Brian, Me, Chris, Sara
Sunday Service. I think Pastor Brian was doing a two-step.
A few things to point out about the current situation concerning Sunday Worship in Haiti (taken mostly from discussion with Pastor Brian). First, it is disappointingly not Christ-centered. I mean, its great that today they were jumping up and down and clapping their hands and dancing around, but do they really know who they are worshiping? As Pastor Brian mentioned numerous times, Haitian Worship seems to be more about the emotions, the dancing, the music, the crying out, the "Hallelujahs" and "Amens", but they don't know Christ. They focus more, during sermons, on appearance, the Sunday apparel, the role of the necktie and the dress, and the evils of facial creams and perfumes. Second, approximately 80% of Haitian pastors have only high school level schooling. It is not surprising then that many Haitians are spiritually confused and misled - simultaneously embracing other religions (ie. Voodooism) and not knowing the difference between Christianity and Cults (ie. Jehovah's Witnesses). They quote 1 John where it says the Spirit will teach you and that you do not need to be taught by others. Though this is Scripture, the Haitian pastors should have the rationality to know that they don't know a thing about the Bible, instead of just trying to justify themselves. Third, Haitian pastors talk too much. As Ettienne put it, "If six pastors are present at a Sunday Service, all six pastors will stand up and preach." What happens then? It's bad enough that most of these pastors don't know what they're talking about, but then all the messages get muddied together, leaving the listeners with a huge pot of mush that eventually goes into the trash.
Pastor Brian gave this wonderful sermon today about who Christ is and what it is to be Christ-like.
To be Christ-like is to:
1. Love others
2. Be humble
3. Serve others
It was very clear and to the point. He added bits of context (how Paul was in jail when he wrote Philippians), and bits of application. But what happened? After Pastor Brian was done giving his sermon, Haitian pastor (Pastor John) jumps up and begins his own 4 point sermon. But these 4 points were nonsense! And in the middle of his rambling, he tells the congregation he forgot his fourth point, and he jokes about how he's going to go home, look at his notes, and come back with the fourth point. So he sits down. What happens next? In the middle of the announcements, Pastor John stands back up, grabs the mic and tells the congregation he remembers now, and begins talking again! I mean, come on!
What is going on? Pastor John wasn't even supposed to come today. He is the associate pastor at another church. He heard the rumor that Pastor Brian was going to preach at the church, so he shows up at the front door at 7am today saying, "I will go with you." Fine. But then to muddy Pastor Brian's sermon with his own 4 points of nonsense when he wasn't even supposed to preach? I was hugely disappointed.
I asked Pastor Brian if he was disappointed. He said, "I used to get disappointed. But it happens all the time so now I don't care. They just don't know. Besides, Pastor John is the associate pastor at Pastor Mark's church, so he never gets to preach. He probably seized this opportunity to get a turn at the mic."
Anyhow, I know this entry was more of me venting. I apologize. I should be patient and understanding. It was hard though. The service was a healthy 4 hours long.
Sara and Mika - two most cute and adorable girls in all of Haiti.
Ettiene, Sara, Mika, Me, and Chris
Pastor Brian, Me, Chris, Sara
Sunday Service. I think Pastor Brian was doing a two-step.
Friday, June 6, 2008
"If we stay more than 15 minutes, the gang members come" - Pastor Brian
This afternoon, Pastor Brian and I rode into the most dangerous city in Haiti on motorcycles. I rode behind Immanuel, a rather shady City Soleil native who Pastor Brian knows nothing about except for the fact that Immanuel knows his way around City Soleil. It's weird. Immanuel claims to have grown up in City Soleil. Yet, he speaks near-perfect English. And some Portuguese. He sports his own Dell laptop, and seems to know every single person in City Soleil.
All Pastor Brian knows is that if he goes into City Soleil with Immanuel, he is temporarily safe. So I actually prayed a lot the night before. "God, if it is Your will, I don't want to die yet."
It was absolutely crazy. Right after class, I was whipped onto the back of Immanuel's motorcycle, and we went off through Port-au-Prince towards City Soleil. I'd never been on a motorcycle before. And then to ride through one of the most dangerous cities in the world.. it was both exhilarating and frightening. Once we got there, we visited a small school. Out of those small shacks came children and babies, some of them naked, most of them barefooted. Girls who could be as young as 14 were nursing babies. And what do we find right outside the school? Mud cookies. I've got 6 of them to distribute if anyone is interested. I tried my first one yesterday. Now I understand. You can't swallow it. It sucks the saliva out of your mouth, and turns to clay on your tongue. I just don't know how they eat these things..
We stayed there for about 10 minutes in two different locations in the city. Why?
"If we stay more than 15 minutes, the gang members come, and it becomes dangerous." - Pastor Brian.
In all honesty, though, Cite Soleil, supposedly, is much safer today than it used to be. A lot of effort has gone into rebuilding Cite Soleil. Though it may be less dangerous, it definitely is the poorest part of Haiti.
At the end is a video. I nearly fell off the bike taking it.
The first school we visited.
"Ou gen bonbon?" - (Do you have cookies?)
Mud cookies out to dry.
Riding through Cite Soleil.
All Pastor Brian knows is that if he goes into City Soleil with Immanuel, he is temporarily safe. So I actually prayed a lot the night before. "God, if it is Your will, I don't want to die yet."
It was absolutely crazy. Right after class, I was whipped onto the back of Immanuel's motorcycle, and we went off through Port-au-Prince towards City Soleil. I'd never been on a motorcycle before. And then to ride through one of the most dangerous cities in the world.. it was both exhilarating and frightening. Once we got there, we visited a small school. Out of those small shacks came children and babies, some of them naked, most of them barefooted. Girls who could be as young as 14 were nursing babies. And what do we find right outside the school? Mud cookies. I've got 6 of them to distribute if anyone is interested. I tried my first one yesterday. Now I understand. You can't swallow it. It sucks the saliva out of your mouth, and turns to clay on your tongue. I just don't know how they eat these things..
We stayed there for about 10 minutes in two different locations in the city. Why?
"If we stay more than 15 minutes, the gang members come, and it becomes dangerous." - Pastor Brian.
In all honesty, though, Cite Soleil, supposedly, is much safer today than it used to be. A lot of effort has gone into rebuilding Cite Soleil. Though it may be less dangerous, it definitely is the poorest part of Haiti.
At the end is a video. I nearly fell off the bike taking it.
The first school we visited.
"Ou gen bonbon?" - (Do you have cookies?)
Mud cookies out to dry.
Riding through Cite Soleil.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Essay Question: Why Do You Want To Learn English?
"I want to learn more English because English is a beautiful tongue, and it's a commercial language.
I have a big dream. My dream is to go visit the United States. Why? It's because my mother moved there 25 years ago. I don't know her face. When she left me I was a baby. My grandmother shows me her picture. Everyday I pray to the Lord to give me a chance to go over there, because I want to know why she went away, and if she didn't want me anymore.
Sometimes I talk to God but He doesn't say anything. And sometimes He responds by asking for another thing. Everyday I say, "Father, give me one more chance in my life. Please, let me know my mother before she dies. It's a big and bad experience for a child when he doesn't know his mother. Sometimes, I can't believe it. By the way, if I did something really bad in my life, I want you to forgive me. But please let me know my mother."
After that I will find a good job. I have one increasing purpose. My purpose is to be a big educated man, and rich, to help my country, the children, the world, my family, and those people who helped me in m life. This is why I want to learn English."
-Ansycolas, age 25-
My morning class. Ansycolas stands to my left.
Dinner. Pastor Brian is a sick chef. And my hair is getting long(er).
I have a big dream. My dream is to go visit the United States. Why? It's because my mother moved there 25 years ago. I don't know her face. When she left me I was a baby. My grandmother shows me her picture. Everyday I pray to the Lord to give me a chance to go over there, because I want to know why she went away, and if she didn't want me anymore.
Sometimes I talk to God but He doesn't say anything. And sometimes He responds by asking for another thing. Everyday I say, "Father, give me one more chance in my life. Please, let me know my mother before she dies. It's a big and bad experience for a child when he doesn't know his mother. Sometimes, I can't believe it. By the way, if I did something really bad in my life, I want you to forgive me. But please let me know my mother."
After that I will find a good job. I have one increasing purpose. My purpose is to be a big educated man, and rich, to help my country, the children, the world, my family, and those people who helped me in m life. This is why I want to learn English."
-Ansycolas, age 25-
My morning class. Ansycolas stands to my left.
Dinner. Pastor Brian is a sick chef. And my hair is getting long(er).
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Bill (6.4.08)
Bill lives down the road and runs a boys' orphanage. Today, after a delicious lunch at the MacEpi with Pastor Brian and 4 of my students (they cleaned the house in return for lunch), Pastor Brian and I decided to stop by Bill's orphanage on the way back to the Vision Center.
At first glance, the scar above Bill's left eye catches your attention. He looks much like a retired ship captain; he looks like he could spend hours recounting days out at sea battling pirates and sea monsters. Even the orphanage itself displays remnants of an adventurous past: run down bikes, rusted cars, various pieces of rubber, two cats, and a giant black St. Bernard. During those short 2 hours that Pastor Brian and I spent there, he did recount fascinating stories of his past; not stories of days out at sea, but stories of what his life was like during the past 12 years he spent in Haiti.
He recounted those first few days he spent in Haiti, when a band of Haitians came to his house to murder him. Led by the Spirit, he had left his comfortable life in West Palms, FL to take over a countryside mission center that had somehow, before Bill's arrival, gained the utmost animosity of the people. Soon after his arrival, the mission center closed, and he moved on to Santos, Haiti, to open a boys' orphanage.
There he ran into a slew of other misfortunes. He caught one of his older orphans in bed with a short term missionary; a teenage Caucasian girl sent as a representative from a Michigan church that sponsored Bill. Upon approaching the church about the incident, the church believed the girl as she denied any wrong doing, and immediately stopped supporting Bill ( it was obvious that the girl hadn't been raped but rather, that she had been the seductress). Bill would find out later that another female missionary, appointed later on, was molesting the youngest of his boys - that female missionary still works in Haiti.
Finally, the Haitian government collapsed under corruption, forcing Bill to hire a guard and take up arms to defend, each night for months, his orphanage from invaders.
"Did you shoot anyone?" "Yes."
After successfully defending his orphanage from the chimeres, he discovered that many of his supporters in the States disagreed with his taking up arms to defend himself. "You did not trust fully in Jesus Christ", they said, and he lost more financial support. Eventually, he would leave the city of Santos with 15 of his boys and settle for a much smaller house in Tabarre, where he is today. Currently, the majority of the support for the boys and himself comes from the $230 he receives every month for having served in the U.S. military. His insulin shots are free.
And yet he continues to proclaim Christ, taking his troubles "on the chin with a grin" (that phrase was in a TOEFL essay we read today in class).
"Hey, we should have dinner sometime" - Bill
"Definitely." Me and Pastor Brian.
At first glance, the scar above Bill's left eye catches your attention. He looks much like a retired ship captain; he looks like he could spend hours recounting days out at sea battling pirates and sea monsters. Even the orphanage itself displays remnants of an adventurous past: run down bikes, rusted cars, various pieces of rubber, two cats, and a giant black St. Bernard. During those short 2 hours that Pastor Brian and I spent there, he did recount fascinating stories of his past; not stories of days out at sea, but stories of what his life was like during the past 12 years he spent in Haiti.
He recounted those first few days he spent in Haiti, when a band of Haitians came to his house to murder him. Led by the Spirit, he had left his comfortable life in West Palms, FL to take over a countryside mission center that had somehow, before Bill's arrival, gained the utmost animosity of the people. Soon after his arrival, the mission center closed, and he moved on to Santos, Haiti, to open a boys' orphanage.
There he ran into a slew of other misfortunes. He caught one of his older orphans in bed with a short term missionary; a teenage Caucasian girl sent as a representative from a Michigan church that sponsored Bill. Upon approaching the church about the incident, the church believed the girl as she denied any wrong doing, and immediately stopped supporting Bill ( it was obvious that the girl hadn't been raped but rather, that she had been the seductress). Bill would find out later that another female missionary, appointed later on, was molesting the youngest of his boys - that female missionary still works in Haiti.
Finally, the Haitian government collapsed under corruption, forcing Bill to hire a guard and take up arms to defend, each night for months, his orphanage from invaders.
"Did you shoot anyone?" "Yes."
After successfully defending his orphanage from the chimeres, he discovered that many of his supporters in the States disagreed with his taking up arms to defend himself. "You did not trust fully in Jesus Christ", they said, and he lost more financial support. Eventually, he would leave the city of Santos with 15 of his boys and settle for a much smaller house in Tabarre, where he is today. Currently, the majority of the support for the boys and himself comes from the $230 he receives every month for having served in the U.S. military. His insulin shots are free.
And yet he continues to proclaim Christ, taking his troubles "on the chin with a grin" (that phrase was in a TOEFL essay we read today in class).
"Hey, we should have dinner sometime" - Bill
"Definitely." Me and Pastor Brian.
Gang Leaders, Legends, Voodoo, and Cite Soleil (6.3.08)
Every night, Pastor Brian, Ettiene, and I meet together at 7pm to have quiet time. It's a really wonderful thing: we sing hymns, read 1 John, meditate on the word, discuss, and pray.
After our quiet time last night, somehow the the conversation turned to the gangs of Cite Soleil (City of the Sun). According to Ettiene, and all the other Haitian people, the following stories are true.
The Legend of Wilme
Wilme was a modern day Robin Hood of City Soleil (Cite Soleil, for those of you who don't know, is a remote district in Port-au-Prince and is considered the poorest area in all of Haiti). He succeeded in stealing from the rich and distributing to the poor. Cite Soleil is divided in approximately 34 regions and, during the reign of Aristide and his cronies, each region had its own gang leader. The movie "Ghosts of Cite Soleil" documents the lives of two of these gang leaders. Wilme was chief among these 34 leaders: head honcho of Cite Soleil.
Physically, Wilme was hard to miss. He kept his head shaved except for 4 long braided strands that fell on opposite sides of his head. He never wore clothing except for boxer shorts. He didn't wear shoes. Finally, he kept 4 red handkerchiefs tied to his body: 1 above each elbow, and 1 above each knee.
The UN army, knowing that he was the mastermind behind all of Cite Soleil's mischiefs, decided to bring Wilme down. One day, they cornered him in Cite Soleil with 3 or 4 tanks and a swarm of soldiers. They all took aim at him and fired.
Wilme, unphased by the barage of bullets coming at him, began to dance in front of the soldiers. Through his dancing, he dodged most of the bullets. If a bullet did pierce him, he brushed the area off with his hands and that was all. And in the midst of his dancing, he return fired with his own machine gun.
The UN army could not bring him down. At one point, they managed to capture him and place him in the UN vehicle, but when they got to headquarters and checked the back, he was gone. Finally, Wilme's own brother gave the secret to killing Wilme. In return for $5000, he told the UN Wilme's secret: There are 3 pins embedded into the sole of Wilme's feet. Remove these pins and he will die. See, WIlme's father had been a Voodoo priest. And supposedly, these pins made him immortal.
Soon after, they captured him. As soon as the pins were removed, he died.
The Legend of the Two Gang Leaders
Two rival gang leaders decided to determine publicly who was the stronger one. So they gathered all the people as witnesses. Then, they put 5 meters between them, took out their guns, and began to shoot at each other. They shot at each other for at least 5 mins, unloading clip after clip. Finally, unscathed from the gunshots, the two gang leaders approached each other, shook hands acknowledging each others' power, and walked away friends.
After our quiet time last night, somehow the the conversation turned to the gangs of Cite Soleil (City of the Sun). According to Ettiene, and all the other Haitian people, the following stories are true.
The Legend of Wilme
Wilme was a modern day Robin Hood of City Soleil (Cite Soleil, for those of you who don't know, is a remote district in Port-au-Prince and is considered the poorest area in all of Haiti). He succeeded in stealing from the rich and distributing to the poor. Cite Soleil is divided in approximately 34 regions and, during the reign of Aristide and his cronies, each region had its own gang leader. The movie "Ghosts of Cite Soleil" documents the lives of two of these gang leaders. Wilme was chief among these 34 leaders: head honcho of Cite Soleil.
Physically, Wilme was hard to miss. He kept his head shaved except for 4 long braided strands that fell on opposite sides of his head. He never wore clothing except for boxer shorts. He didn't wear shoes. Finally, he kept 4 red handkerchiefs tied to his body: 1 above each elbow, and 1 above each knee.
The UN army, knowing that he was the mastermind behind all of Cite Soleil's mischiefs, decided to bring Wilme down. One day, they cornered him in Cite Soleil with 3 or 4 tanks and a swarm of soldiers. They all took aim at him and fired.
Wilme, unphased by the barage of bullets coming at him, began to dance in front of the soldiers. Through his dancing, he dodged most of the bullets. If a bullet did pierce him, he brushed the area off with his hands and that was all. And in the midst of his dancing, he return fired with his own machine gun.
The UN army could not bring him down. At one point, they managed to capture him and place him in the UN vehicle, but when they got to headquarters and checked the back, he was gone. Finally, Wilme's own brother gave the secret to killing Wilme. In return for $5000, he told the UN Wilme's secret: There are 3 pins embedded into the sole of Wilme's feet. Remove these pins and he will die. See, WIlme's father had been a Voodoo priest. And supposedly, these pins made him immortal.
Soon after, they captured him. As soon as the pins were removed, he died.
The Legend of the Two Gang Leaders
Two rival gang leaders decided to determine publicly who was the stronger one. So they gathered all the people as witnesses. Then, they put 5 meters between them, took out their guns, and began to shoot at each other. They shot at each other for at least 5 mins, unloading clip after clip. Finally, unscathed from the gunshots, the two gang leaders approached each other, shook hands acknowledging each others' power, and walked away friends.
Monday, June 2, 2008
"I know Jesus, but who are you?" (6.2.08)
This afternoon, I was reading through the essays that my students had written, when I began to hear yelling and chanting outside. Fortunately, I was able to record it on my digital camera because it was occurring right outside, so I'll post that up later. It was quite a commotion, as the chanting grew louder and louder and more frenzied (TEOTEC Haiti mission team, remember last year - the voodoo chanting?) . So I went to Pastor Brian and asked him what was going on. He said:
"Oh they've been doing that for the past month. There's a couple that lives there, and the wife is demon possessed. For about a month, she's been crying and screaming at night. So about a week ago, the husband called a pastor to come and pray for her. But Ettiene (the housekeeper) came to me laughing a few nights ago. He told me that when the pastor went up to the woman to pray, the woman turned to him and said, "I know Jesus, but who are you!?""
We then had a long discussion about spirits and demon possessions; and certain unanswered questions such as: 1. How oculd a person who has received the Holy Spirit then be possessed by a demon? How is it that some demons are more difficult to remove, when the Apostles and Jesus had no trouble? Why are some better at it than others?
He said he should go see what's going on, so we're going to go tomorrow afternoon. It should be very interesting. My first exorcism.
So to take a step backwards, I had 3 students show up today (we are expecting about 10 total). Two early 20's and one pastor who is in his 40's. He pastors a church that's located about 3 hours away on foot (there are no buses that go there). They're all really eager to learn. To gage how good they are, we began with an essay exercise, and the question I had them answer was why they wanted to learn English.
They want to learn English because it is their way out - learning English will get them a job as a translator - and being a translator will let them earn lots of money. The sad reality of the situation is that: 1. If they want to become a professional translator, they've got to really practice a lot (Pastor Brian's opinion was that it is too late for these students to improve to a professional level) 2. There really aren't a lot of translator job openings in Haiti and 3. Even if they did land a job as a translator, the pay would still be minimal, and the position temporary.
70% of Haiti is unemployed. If you walk into the busy streets, those 70% of men and women are out there wandering about trying to find something to do.
A last interesting event of the day:
So a little past 1pm, when Pastor Brian was taking a bath, I hear knocking on the front gate (and of course Chris goes crazy). So I go down and open the gate door a crack, and there standing before me is a Haitian man with a machete.
First thought.. "Did you come to kidnap me?"
I QUICKLY close the door and run upstairs. "Pastor Brian, there's a man standing outside with a machete." Knowing that I'm pretty much peeing in my pants, he starts laughing. The man had come to lend Pastor Brian his machete to trim his mango tree.
"Oh they've been doing that for the past month. There's a couple that lives there, and the wife is demon possessed. For about a month, she's been crying and screaming at night. So about a week ago, the husband called a pastor to come and pray for her. But Ettiene (the housekeeper) came to me laughing a few nights ago. He told me that when the pastor went up to the woman to pray, the woman turned to him and said, "I know Jesus, but who are you!?""
We then had a long discussion about spirits and demon possessions; and certain unanswered questions such as: 1. How oculd a person who has received the Holy Spirit then be possessed by a demon? How is it that some demons are more difficult to remove, when the Apostles and Jesus had no trouble? Why are some better at it than others?
He said he should go see what's going on, so we're going to go tomorrow afternoon. It should be very interesting. My first exorcism.
So to take a step backwards, I had 3 students show up today (we are expecting about 10 total). Two early 20's and one pastor who is in his 40's. He pastors a church that's located about 3 hours away on foot (there are no buses that go there). They're all really eager to learn. To gage how good they are, we began with an essay exercise, and the question I had them answer was why they wanted to learn English.
They want to learn English because it is their way out - learning English will get them a job as a translator - and being a translator will let them earn lots of money. The sad reality of the situation is that: 1. If they want to become a professional translator, they've got to really practice a lot (Pastor Brian's opinion was that it is too late for these students to improve to a professional level) 2. There really aren't a lot of translator job openings in Haiti and 3. Even if they did land a job as a translator, the pay would still be minimal, and the position temporary.
70% of Haiti is unemployed. If you walk into the busy streets, those 70% of men and women are out there wandering about trying to find something to do.
A last interesting event of the day:
So a little past 1pm, when Pastor Brian was taking a bath, I hear knocking on the front gate (and of course Chris goes crazy). So I go down and open the gate door a crack, and there standing before me is a Haitian man with a machete.
First thought.. "Did you come to kidnap me?"
I QUICKLY close the door and run upstairs. "Pastor Brian, there's a man standing outside with a machete." Knowing that I'm pretty much peeing in my pants, he starts laughing. The man had come to lend Pastor Brian his machete to trim his mango tree.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I'm actually here. (6.1.08)
The reality that I'm in Haiti finally hit me as I walked out of the airplane. The sudden heat, humidity, and scent of burning trash slapped me in the face and I was suddenly alert. I had kept Haiti on the back burner because I had been so busy trying to finish various things and meet different deadlines at work. Even the day before I left, I sat on my sofa wondering if I was actually going to Haiti, if I'd ever finish packing, and when I'd be able to get more than 4 hours of sleep. But finally, I was here and the adrenaline, finally flowing.
It was weird though, stepping off that plane, and it's even harder to describe. In the third person, here's a boy who's got a pretty severe case of wanderlust yet at the same time savors the peace of his room and the presence of his family. I still can't seem to grasp the fact that I'll be here for the next month.
Haiti hasn't changed a bit. Walking off the plane, you see the smoke of the burning trash. Men come up to you and grab your luggage, trying desperately to carry your bags in return for a tip. The streets are littered with trash. Dogs everywhere. Street vendors everywhere. Diesel fuel burning your eyes. If only I could show you what I see here.
Today (Sunday), we woke at 6am to go to a church that is located 2.5 hours away. It was quite an experience. We had to take 3 different buses (pickup trucks with roofs over the back) to get there (plus all of the walking in between). The service itself was 3 hours long.
What was more astounding though, was walking through the clinic that the missionaries had set up next to the church. Having worked a year in a NYC orthopedic hospital, I was completely blown away by the condition of this clinic. It was like that scene in "Outbreak" where the scientists first walk into the hospital with the patients who had Ebola. Just like that. Maybe not as bad.
Anyways, since my time on the internet is limited, I will leave you with one last reflection. Through all of the destitution, chaos, kidnappings (I had lunch with a few Haitians who talked about their experience with kidnappings - how the kidnappings are well coordinated, and how the kidnappers are everywhere - even in the church we went to today) and heat of this country, I am at complete peace here. It is both strange and incredible. I've never felt so rested. I've never experienced this kind of peace in NJ. I feel very complete.
It was weird though, stepping off that plane, and it's even harder to describe. In the third person, here's a boy who's got a pretty severe case of wanderlust yet at the same time savors the peace of his room and the presence of his family. I still can't seem to grasp the fact that I'll be here for the next month.
Haiti hasn't changed a bit. Walking off the plane, you see the smoke of the burning trash. Men come up to you and grab your luggage, trying desperately to carry your bags in return for a tip. The streets are littered with trash. Dogs everywhere. Street vendors everywhere. Diesel fuel burning your eyes. If only I could show you what I see here.
Today (Sunday), we woke at 6am to go to a church that is located 2.5 hours away. It was quite an experience. We had to take 3 different buses (pickup trucks with roofs over the back) to get there (plus all of the walking in between). The service itself was 3 hours long.
What was more astounding though, was walking through the clinic that the missionaries had set up next to the church. Having worked a year in a NYC orthopedic hospital, I was completely blown away by the condition of this clinic. It was like that scene in "Outbreak" where the scientists first walk into the hospital with the patients who had Ebola. Just like that. Maybe not as bad.
Anyways, since my time on the internet is limited, I will leave you with one last reflection. Through all of the destitution, chaos, kidnappings (I had lunch with a few Haitians who talked about their experience with kidnappings - how the kidnappings are well coordinated, and how the kidnappers are everywhere - even in the church we went to today) and heat of this country, I am at complete peace here. It is both strange and incredible. I've never felt so rested. I've never experienced this kind of peace in NJ. I feel very complete.
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