I Love the Smell of Diesel in the Morning

It is now a familiar drive:  the bittersweet return trip to the Port Au Prince airport from the Joy House.  Though only 23 miles, it sometimes takes more than 2 hours to navigate the busy bumpy road along Route Nationale No. 2.  This trip is total sensory overload:  visions of children gnawing on a hunk of sugar cane... Pigs, cows and goats roaming freely, looking for a snack among the piles of trash... Women with stacks of mangoes for sale... The sounds of blaring horns as tap-taps (Haitian taxis) push their way through a traffic jam... The shouts of men in the street trying to sell cold drinks... The odor of the fish market as we enter the city... And of course the sometimes overwhelming smell of exhaust fumes from our diesel powered bus that takes us where we need to go.  It is an overwhelming experience but I've grown to cherish it.  Those last few miles are the last few minutes I get to spend in the Haitian culture that I love.  

It may sound crazy until you experience it yourself and then you'll understand.  At first glance, it's easy to see only the bad things about Haiti:  the poverty.  The trash.  The unsafe living conditions.  The filth.  But spend a day with the people and you'll begin to see the heart of Haiti.  The smiles of the children.  The true community between believers in the church.  The resourcefulness.  The creativity.   The joy.  The extravagant love. And in the midst of it all, you may just discover your passion and purpose.

Above all these, though, the greatest blessing is in the vivid ways that God reveals Himself in that place.  I see Jesus in the ways the people at church worship radically, freely, zealously.  I see Jesus when the children write His name in sidewalk chalk at the orphanage.  I see Jesus in the  hearts of the sweet kitchen ladies who serve us morning, noon and night.  I see Jesus in the beauty of the sunset over the mountains.  I see Jesus in the faces of my team members as they work tirelessly to love on the hurting Haitian people.  

But on this trip, I experienced the grandeur of God in perhaps one of the most profound moments of my life.  The second full day of ministry led us out into the village streets to do door-to-door medical visits.  We have discovered that going TO the people often gives us the opportunity to share the love of Christ with those who have not yet been reached with the Gospel.   First we stopped at a small roadside stand where three women were selling baggies of rice while their children played in the alley.     Dr. Brent checked out all the children--letting each one listen to his heart through the stethoscope--and everyone looked basically healthy.  We gave them all Tylenol, cough medicine, vitamins and a healthy dose of dum-dum suckers.  Before leaving, we had the opportunity to tell the ladies about how much Jesus loves them--and one woman prayed to receive Christ's gift of forgiveness.  

By the time we left that home, the word had gotten out that an American doctor was in town.  As we came around the next corner, at the top of the mountain where the voodoo temple is located, a group of people had gathered to see the doctor.  So there, in the courtyard of the voodoo temple, we held a mini clinic and cared for a couple dozen children.  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an elderly woman who was trembling and had covered herself with a bed sheet.  She was clearly struggling so I went to her to offer help.  She explained that she had been sick for a week but had spiked a temperature earlier that day.  It appeared that she little control over her body as she shook with a high fever.  We gave her Tylenol and antibiotics, but something in my spirit told me that her struggles were more spiritual than physical.  She was a captive audience and was willing to listen as I told her about Jesus.  She nodded her head and repeated the words of the translator as we explained how Jesus paid for our sins and defeated death on the cross.  But then her face turned downcast as I shared that Jesus' gift is free for all but we have to choose to accept it.  She wasn't ready to say yes to Jesus, and there was clearly more on her mind.  I knew what it was:  the fear of a voodoo curse.  She allowed me to pray for her, so I placed my hand on her knee and asked God to change her heart and bring healing to her body.  By the time I finished the prayer, the woman was no longer shaking.

While we were there, God moved.  Literally.  The earth shook and the children who had been playing on the steps took off running and screaming.  It was just a little rumble, but it was a big reminder of that day in January 2010 when devastation and death came in the form of a massive earthquake.  Hundreds of thousands died and a million became homeless.  It became clear to me that although the people have come a long way in rebuilding what was lost, still fresh in their minds is the fear they felt that day.  Our Haitian guides had the look in their eye too when they said  it had been a long time since they felt an aftershock and that this could be a warning of another earthquake to come.  

Immediately I began searching the scriptures to find examples of God revealing himself through an earthquake.  According to my study Bible,  it appears that earthquakes are a regular feature of divine intervention.  Haggai 2:6 says, "This is what The Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all nations... And I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty."  Oh, I can just imagine the Lord looking down upon that place of unimaginable evil and saying "I'm going to shake this place and one day it will be filled with MY glory."  While I don't believe that God uses fear tactics to scare people into faith in Him (Paul tells us in Romans that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance)...I do believe that God shows Himself in undeniable ways to get the attention of those who are not looking for Him.  "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.  To a nation that did not call on my name, I said 'Here am I, Here am I." (Isaiah 65:1).  He is an awesome God who pursues us out of His great love. 

The bottom line is this:  God showed up on that mountain where the voodoo temple sits.  He shook the gates of hell and brought to the forefront of our minds the day that life ended for many people in that village.  Whether or not those voodoo worshippers wanted it, they were confronted again with the question of eternity.  Where will their sacrifices and worship of the evil one take them when this life is over?   They fear death and need the hope of Heaven through the gift of Jesus Christ.  

I look forward in faith to the day that the walls of that voodoo temple come down and God's glory is shown on the top of that hill.  Until then, we are called to go and tell them about how much God loves them.   So here is my shameless plug:  if God is prompting you to go to Haiti, I encourage you to obey.  There is great blessing in following His call.  We are planning four trips in 2014 and can help you get there.  If you would like more information on coming to the Joy House, email me at acceptthegift@att.net.  

Blessings, 

Katie