Off the Beaten Path

During a three-day training event in October (pictured above), several of the participants gave reports about what they are doing with Timothy Leadership Training (TLT).  The most interesting was a young man who, after taking the training module on Christian Stewardship, organized a pledge-drive to purchase a set of drums for his church.  If this doesn’t sound like a big deal, note that the average weekly offering in a Haitian church is not more than $20 USD while a set of drums in Haiti cost over $1,200 USD.  Because of the Spirit’s blessing, faithful promotion, and good planning, the church raised the full amount for the drums in only a few months.  Hope and trust in God’s provision radiated out of this young man’s report.  Because of this success, the church is now motivated to tackle some tough problems in its neighborhood it felt formerly powerless to touch.

Surprisingly, one of the greatest struggles we have in ministry in Haiti is finding out what is going on.  Haitian culture generally does not place a lot of emphasis on reporting and we don’t have a lot of money to hire staff to track information down.  Often, we find out about the greatest results of our work coincidently.  Recently, we made a proposal to Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) International to fund a small scholarship that will pay for the travel expenses of trainers who covenant to go “off the beaten path” and train in isolated communities.  The condition of this scholarship is that the trainers have to give a full report of the results of their seminars.  Six pastor/trainers (pictured below with certificates) have agreed to be part of the program.  One pastor, Obed Laventure, has already broken ribs trying to get to his training station on a motorcycle as there are no roads and bridges to the community.  Pray  that God will use these six trainers for his glory.

Election Update

Political slogans are not often well-formulated expressions of leadership vision.  Taking his cue from President Martelly (whose slogan is “shaved head”), the slogan of the leading candidate from the Martelly’s party is “The Plantain Guy” or “Nég Banann nan.” A plantain is basically a large starchy banana that is boiled or deep fried, a very popular food.  This slogan really captures the surreal political developments in Haiti since the second round of elections on October 25.  While many acknowledged that the voting itself was a success, the situation degenerated during the processing and publication of the results as different political parties hurled accusations of fraud at each other.  Specifically, the “Banana Guy” got many more votes than anticipated.  Please pray that the final election on December 27 will be successful in all aspects.  Pray also that political demonstrations would be peaceful and that school and ministry events can take place as planned.

Called to love...Cities?

Zach spent a week in Guatemala City learning about urban ministry initiatives in November.  This picture, taken from the municipal cemetery overlooking the city dump where thousands of people make their living picking through garbage, encapsulates the enigma of poverty afflicting both Port-au-Prince and Guatemala City.

Guatemala City has many talented graffiti artists just like Port-au-Prince.

Quite often those who live in cities wish that they don't.  First, cities are expensive.  Food, housing and transportation are many times more what they would be in a small town or countryside.  Second, cities are congested.  Traffic is horrible and it is hard to find living space.  Finally, cities often suffer higher rates of violence and crime because of both high population density and their attraction to those struggling to survive.  It is true that cities can sometimes offer more opportunities for economic advancement.  However, more and more people compete for the same opportunities in cities.  Our city, Port-au-Prince, is a good example.  With nearly ten times the population of Haiti's second largest urban area, Port-au-Prince is overwhelmed by the nearly constant inflow of new residents.  Port-au-Prince's roads and infrastructure were designed for a city one-quarter of its size.  In Haiti's countryside hedgerows of cactus keep goats and pigs out of gardens.  In Port-au-Prince fifteen-foot-tall block walls topped with razor wire keep thieves at bay.  Billowing waves of dust, diesel exhaust, the smells of 2.5 million people living without a sewage system daily greet inhabitants.  Why even live in the big city?  The answer?  2.5 million.  Jonah learned the same lesson at the end of chapter four when God said, "And should I not have concern for the great city Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?"  God cares about the city because the city is where his children are being born, living, rejoicing, suffering, and dying.  As we are reminded in the story of Jesus' birth, God (or Emmanuel--'God with us') wants to be where his people are.  Over the next year, we plan to put more focus on urban ministry in Haiti.  Please pray for us as we seek to be God's witness in Haiti's largest city.

Segaar-King October Update

Deforestation and problems with land management have made the productive areas of Haiti much less so and the moderately productive areas (such as pictured above) almost completely useless for food production.

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Haiti.  As the seasons change in North America, we are reminded to give thanks to God for harvest and shelter as we confront the beginning of a long, cold winter.  In Haiti, of course, there is almost no difference between seasons.  Unbearably hot gives way to uncomfortably hot.  However, in Haiti, we always give thanks for food.  Based on calories consumed, Haiti is consistently among one the ten hungriest countries in the world.  While there are many reasons for this, most of them are human-caused.  Injustice, inefficiency, lack of productivity and environmental degradation can be reversed when hearts and minds acknowledge the principles God has established for good and bountiful living.  While you give thanks this fall around your Thanksgiving tables, pray that the Gospel would turn Haiti from a land of want to a land of abundance.

Please join us in giving thanks for:

1.   A return to health.  In October we were slammed by a second strain of Dengue Fever (there are five).  Vivian missed two weeks of school. 

2.   A successful three days of Timothy Leadership Training.  We trained 60 participants, twenty of whom were new to the training.

3.   The seminary of the CRC of Haiti restarted again in October after a year’s closure because of conflict.  It was wonderful to start teaching Old and New Testament to the students again.

4.   Successful elections in Haiti on October 25.  These were the calmest and most orderly in a decade!  The final round of elections are set for December 27 (the run-off election for the president).

Please join us in prayer for:

1.   God to provide a new missionary family to come to Haiti.  While the need is critical, we have a prospective candidate!  Pray that God will guide the process.

2.   The creation of a new Christian Worldview training that we hope will address some of the social and family issues that make Haiti a land of hunger.

3.   Safe travel for Zach in November.  He will be going to Guatemala to learn more about urban ministry.

Thanks for your prayers and support,

Zachary, Sharon, Hannah, Vivian, Isaiah and Esther Segaar-King

Missionaries to Haiti through Christian Reformed World Missions 

A Bittersweet Moment

Graduates sing in honor of one of their professors who lost his life days before the graduation.

In Haiti it often feels like some of the greatest successes come at times of greatest frustration or heartache.  Last summer Zachary attended the graduation ceremony for a group of teachers and school administrators that participated in a several-year-long training program put on by the Consortium for the Reinforcement of Christian Education (CRECH).  This training program, supported by CRWM-Haiti, aims to make Christian educators more effective in the classroom.  Several weeks before the graduation ceremony, one of the program's trainers was abducted in Carrefour, a suburb of Port-au-Prince long troubled by crime.  During these weeks, the professor's students prayed unceasingly for his safe return.  For reasons no human being will ever understand, these prayers were not answered.  In the day preceding the ceremony, the body of this trainer was found.  As can be imagined, the graduation ceremony was very emotional.  While giving thanks for the successful completion of the training, many of the students lamented the loss of a beloved educator and friend.  It was touching to see just how influential this educator was as many graduates recounted how much they had learned from him.  We were reminded of the Apostle Paul's battle with God over the "thorn in his flesh" (2 Cor. 12).  While we don't know what troubled Paul, we know that he repeatedly and at length pleaded with God for its removal (12:8).  God's response was not to answer Paul's prayer, but rather to tell him, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness" (12:9).  We don't know why God permitted this gifted educator to be lost, but Zachary saw evidence that God had used him in a powerful way to change the lives of a group of teachers and principles who will never forget his Christian witness.

One's Civic Duty

Campaign posters plastered over the side of cargo container with a goat on the hood of a car looking on. 

In Haiti October 25, 2015, is a day set aside for what Haitians call "devwa sivik nou" or "our civic duty."  The uninitiated in Haitian culture might understand this phrase to refer to picking up trash on the roadside or raking some leaves in the public park.  For a Haitian, however, this phrase refers to voting.  Today Haiti held its first round of presidential elections and second round of legislative elections.  The first round legislative elections held back in August garnered less that a 20% turn-out from all eligible voters.  It seems that Haitians are understandably cynical about the possibility that any particular candidate might turn out to be a conscientious and effective leader.  Many (if not most) Americans and Canadians often feel the same way about their own officials.  For this reason, most Haitians will not perform "their civic duty" on October 25.
In order to combat this cynicism about voting, we offered a bible study called "Choosing Good Leaders" which presented the biblical discussion of principles of choosing leaders.  Unfortunately, for the reason stated above, this bible study has had a hard time getting traction.  Many in Haiti just believe that they are condemned to have corrupt and self-serving leadership in government and business.  With one final presidential run-off election scheduled just after Christmas, we still have two months to promote "Choosing Good Leaders."  Pray that we will be successful in encouraging Haitian Christians to do "their civic duty."
On a positive note, it seems that today's elections were, for the most part, peaceful and successful.  Our neighborhood in Port-au-Prince was eerily quiet.  It will be some weeks before the votes are counted and we really know the results of the election.  Thanks for your prayers.

Guess What's on the Hood of Your Car?

One thing about living in Haiti--there is no end to the surprises.  Normally, one would expect to find a cat or possibly a pigeon resting on top of one's car.  However, in Haiti, the animals which can use your car to roost can be much larger.  Upon arriving at our office this week, we were surprised to find one of the local goats resting on the hood of a a public-transportation truck.  Imagine parking your nice clean car and coming out only to find it covered with hoof-shaped dents, round brown pellets, and one very crabby goat.  Ah....life in Haiti.