"And Everything in It...!?!"

Psalm 24, attributed to King David, states, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This is a pretty serious claim. Every inch of this world belongs to its Creator. During the last few days, a group of ten Haitian church leaders (part of a larger group of forty-five), have been studying the Timothy Leadership Training material, “Bon Jesyon Byen Bondye” (trans: “Managing God’s Stuff Well”). If everything is God’s, then we are only caretakers. And if we are only caretakers, then we are responsible to the Owner. Our bodies are not our own. Our houses, cars, and i-phones are not our own. And our money is not our own. It all was given to us and it all will return to our Lord. What matters is how we use what we are given. So we must ask the question, “Are we using ‘God’s stuff’ to advance God’s kingdom?” Or, are we using “God’s stuff” to live a self-gratifying lifestyle. The Haitians that Zach taught definitely got the message. Because they have so little, it seems to be easier for Haitians to put their worldly possessions into the service of their Creator. But what of we North Americans who have so much? Can we put it all into the service of the Creator? Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded...” (Luke 12:48). The picture on the left is of a participant sharing her plan to use Timothy Training materials in her Sunday School class. The picture on the left is the food prepared for the seminar participants.

Haiti in the Headlines Again

A few days ago we had a first: An e-mail from the US consulate in Port-au-Prince warning of a cholera epidemic in the Artibonite River valley of Haiti. We have gotten e-mail warnings about demonstrations, earthquakes, hurricanes, kidnapping, even heavy rains--but never for a bona-fide epidemic. The next day the story hit the international news websites. So what are we to make of this new headline? Bouts of diarrhea and vomiting are very common in Haiti (although admittedly, cholera is not--it has been over 50 years since the last reported case). It seems that most often diarrhea and vomiting result from a gastro-intestinal virus and can be very severe. Our children have often had this GI virus so bad that we were forced to give them 5ml of Gatorade every 15 minutes for twelve hours to rehydrate. In our experience, it has been very rare that we have contracted a bacterial GI infection (like salmonella) or a parasitical infection (like giardia or dysentery). For the most part, Haitians practice good hygene in food preparation. Without access to running water, however, handwashing is not always done well. Also, as is the case this time, the pit latrines that most Haitians use can create problems. The epicenter of this latest infection, the Artibonite river valley, has been flooding lately because of heavy rains. Flooded pit latrines contaminate water. Also, Haitians live in close proximity to many domestic animals (cattle, goats, dogs, cats, chickens, etc.) which often causes many sanitation problems. The greatest fear right now is the hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in Port-au-Prince's crowded and unsanitary refugee camps. Most camps have pit latrines and safe drinking water due to NGO refief activity. But, the tents don't have running water for handwashing and getting to the latrine is sometimes impossible for many. Please join us in praying that this cholera epidemic will not spread to the refugee camps in Haiti. Also, this coming week, 24-31 October, Zach will be on his own with the three oldest kids while Sharon and Esther travel to Virginia for a training session. Thanks for your prayers!

Elections, Creole-Style

With the first Tuesday in November approaching in the United States, our thoughts turn to elections and the constant drone of candidates vying for the opportunity to make the world a little better. The election cycle is in full swing in Haiti as well. Presidential and legislative elections are scheduled on Sunday, November 28. President Rene Preval has served two five-year terms and is constitutionally barred from re-election. There is a menagerie of others seeking his job: One candidate, Mirlande Manigat, is the wife of a former Haitian president (á la Hillary Clinton). Another candidate, Jacque Edouarde Alexis, Preval’s former prime minister (á la Al Gore, George Bush Sr., etc.) who was sacked in the food riots of 2008. The most interesting candidate is “Sweet Mickey Martelly,” a Haitian singer known for cross-dressing and cigarette advertising (he doesn’t stand a chance in a socially-conservative country like Haiti). Another entertainer, Wyclef Jean, the popular Haitian-American hip-hop artist, was barred from running as president by the Haitian government for reasons not yet completely known. Beginning in August, gangs of roving graffiti-artists/vandals have roamed the streets at night spray-painting their favorite politicians’ names on everything (including walls, doors, signs and parked cars) and plastering every available surface with campaign posters (see photo above). But campaigning in Haiti has a dark side. Often less scrupulous political parties will resort to drug-trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion to fund their campaigns. Election Day and the result-publication of day (usually 5-7 days after) are especially anxiety-provoking, as incredulous political operatives burn tires, throw rocks, and generally misbehave in protest of the publicized result. What is most important is that the man or woman God has chosen to lead Haiti is elected. Paul says that there “is no authority except that which God has established” (Rom. 13:1). Pray that God’s will will be done in the Haitian elections Nov. 28

Church as a Contact Sport

People sometimes ask us what is the most difficult part of the work of church development. That is not a hard question to answer. The most difficult task is what Paul writes about in Colossians 1:19-20: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Jesus Christ], and through him to reconcile all things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Bringing peace to those in conflict is truly the most difficult of all vocations. In fact, it can lead to bloodshed. Just ask Jesus. Recently there was a regional meeting of CRC of Haiti churches. During the meeting a conflict erupted between two pastors who have worked together for eleven years. Unbelievably, the conflict actually came to blows, with three participants physically restrained. Of course, the brouhaha exploded into public scandal, ending up before the local magistrate who actually demanded the parties to repent and pray together for forgiveness (imagine that happening at your local courthouse!). Last week, Zach attended a service of discipline and reconciliation for these regional leaders. The three pastors who exchanged blows repented and embraced each other publicly. Each pastor was put under discipline (they cannot function as pastors for three months). It is truly a miracle that three men who physically attacked each other are willing to be reconciled at all. Truly, Jesus Christ through his Holy Spirit is reconciling creation and human beings to himself (and to each other). Please pray that these three pastors will not have "second thoughts" about their admissions. Pray also that the churches will not suffer from the discipline of their shepherds. As long as Christian brothers and sisters are praising God, doing potlucks and summer picnics, church development isn't all that bad. But reconciliation--now that's a contact sport!