Hello,
I was
talking with one of our friends about our work in Haiti. He was asking what
changes had or were taking place that were making a difference in the people we
have been working with.
He knew many
changes were easily seen but wondered what deeper changes had occurred. I wanted
to share some of the amazing changes and some stories we have seen with you.
Many people entering
new cultures prefer to do things themselves how they are used to or know how to
do them. It is a less frustrating way to accomplish something. Doing it
yourself is an easier way to get something done how you want it done and quickly.
An example would be teaching your child how to clean a bathroom or balance a
bank account. It is way faster to just do it for them. But it does not teach
them life skills. We felt strongly that we were to come alongside the people of
Haiti and help them to help themselves. To us, this meant to explain, model, teach
and impart. It also meant not just having Haitians be workers but leaders. It
meant helping them discover their skills and giftings. It meant changing how
they think and see life.
A simple
example of this is problem-solving. In school growing up I used to hate story
problems in math. I see the value of them now. Haitian education does not
include any type of problem-solving skills. Subjects are taught through lectures
and rote memory. There is no reason for a government that is trying to oppress
a population to teach people problem-solving skills. They do not want people to
think out of the box. When I realized this we started implementing real-life
situation story problems into our schools.
Early on as
we were finishing our Children’s Village I asked one of the women who had been
helping with the children, what they wanted to do in the village. She did not
understand, so I said as an example, she could be a nanny, a cook, or a worship
leader. She said to just tell her what she was supposed to do, she did not understand
the concept of having a choice. Having a voice was new to her. So one of the
things we model and teach is that women and children have value.
Some of the
things that were frustrating in the beginning were easier to understand as we
learned more about the culture. An example of this is why you would put oil in
your car, gas makes it go. Oil costs money and doesn’t make the car run unless
you understand how an engine works. Cars were mostly owned by the wealthy or foreigners
when we first were in Haiti. Eventually, tap-taps and moto’s became more available
and things changed.
Another area
we experienced changed thinking needing to happen was in business principles among
the poorer people. You may remember my telling the story of Kalano and his wife,
Francesca. Kalano and his wife started asking questions about our
family and our faith in Jesus. Mike answered the questions as they came and
then one day he asked if they were interested in Jesus, why they did not go to church.
Their answer was a common one, "everyone says we cannot go because we do
not have any clothes nice enough for church". Mike told them that they
could come to any of the churches in our ministry, no matter what clothes they
had on.
They shared that they each had a child from another
relationship and that their youngest child was both of theirs. We assured
them that God was a God of forgiveness and acceptance. They shared that
they struggled to find jobs and that they felt their lives were a mess.
Over the next day or two they decide that they wanted to
give their lives to Jesus. Mike shared the life-giving gospel message
with them. They accepted Christ into their lives and asked if they
could go to church with us. They went with us the next Sunday and loved it.
They came forward for prayer, and the healing started.
The next thing they asked was if they could get
married so that they would be right with God. They also started reading the bible.
This is huge, as Kalano was not educated and could not read or write other than
sign his name. But in his hunger and passion to know God more, God in his mercy
allowed Kalano to read and understand the bible. He still couldn’t read
anything else.
God had also given Kalano a passion to learn and
a sense of business. A little while later, Kalano asked if he
could open the boutique that came with our house. It has been closed since we
moved into the house. It was a room about 6 feet by 8 feet. There were two 500-gallon
water tanks above the room, set up for a purified
water business that had a window opening to the street to sell
through. We decided to take a risk and invest in them to start
a business selling food items, toiletries, and purified water. We
taught them basic business principles, each evening they brought the money to
us and we put it in different envelopes, for savings, reinvestment in products,
and salary. After He and his wife had been running the shop for a month we gave
them the envelope for their salary and Kalano said he could not take charity
after all we had done for him. When we explained that he had earned it, this was
their salary he started to cry with joy and unbelief. They were the first we
taught business principles to, this is now done on a larger scale.
Minds are changed, which changes lives, which changes communities,
which will change nations.
When a people group is living a survival lifestyle, their focus rightly so, becomes living day-to-day, not long-term focused or big picture focused. So trying to get people to understand dreams and visions and how to get there is a foreign concept. It takes meeting their initial needs and then showing, teaching along with experiencing new things to help someone even entertain the possibilities that life holds.
When we
first started ministering in Haiti Mike would hold pastors’ conferences and
many would come, but we did not see fruit. We did not understand that they saw
the conferences as a form of entertainment and status. They did not understand what
was being shared was meant to be applied and taught in their churches. So we
stopped holding the conferences for a few years. Mike gathered 12 men and met with them, he
taught them, modeled servanthood to them, refused to sit on stage in places of
honor, and walked with them doing life together. One afternoon about three
years into this time one of the men, Kael, came running to see Mike, you
may remember reading about him in a prayer partner. Kael endeared himself to
Mike early on in the ministry by being the one running to him and saying, "Pastor Mike, I
can't believe that I have lived this long without understanding all that Jesus
has done for me and that He wants to have a personal relationship with me, WITH
ME; CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!" Kael was one of the first pastors to get it. He
greatly helped the others to understand that truth. Not long after that Mike began
holding pastors’ conferences again, and the fruit was and has been incredible.
We as first-world
people versus third-world people mostly US, Canadian, and French have modeled
over history that we come and give relief, we have the money and the resources,
we are the givers, and the poor and needy are supposed to receive. This is an
important first emergency response, but we need to move on from there. We need
to help with rehabilitation and community development. When we continue in this
relief stage it creates dependence and not independence. It takes away self-worth
and identity. It does not create people who understand they have an identity, gifts,
skills, and talents that are God-given.
We have been
witness to the people we have invested in being transformed. We believe that following
what Christ modeled to us, investing in a small group well is the most
effective way to change a life, a family, a community, and a nation.
This fall we
are hoping to open our school for pastors and leaders. We believe it will be
another step in transforming the minds of pastors and leaders. It will be a
bible school, but one that also teaches their identity in Christ, how to be in
God’s presence, and how to hear Him. How to learn, understand and walk in their
God-given giftings. Also, how to exhort, encourage and build each other up. The
second year will build on this and will also teach leadership skills.
These are
some of the deeper amazing changes we have been blessed to be a part of and we
believe will change the people of Haiti. We are so thankful you have come alongside
us and helped the people of Haiti.
Many
Blessings,
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