Plan B & Beyond

Posted on May 29, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

Due to the unpredictable nature of life in Haiti, missionaries have a running joke that one must always have not only a “Plan A and B”, but also a “Plan C and D” as well. This past weekend has been full of backup plans. From the time Pastor Dick and Sandra Stark arrived in Cap-Haitian on Friday until today, we’ve had to regroup and replan constantly. When Dick and Sandra arrived, ALL the hotels in the whole city had been booked for a wedding. At least 600 people had converged upon this little city, most of them coming from Port-au-Prince. They took up every room available. We sat in the hotel lobby of the Roi Christophe Hotel for several hours just trying to obtain just one room for our guests. Dick and Sandra had already been up since 4:00 that morning in order to get to the Fort Lauderdale airport for their flight into Haiti. Two-and-a-half hours later their luggage arrived.

After waiting several hours for a room and wrestling much in prayer, we were finally directed to a hotel outside of town where we got our weary travelers settled in. Well…almost. They had time to rest for a little bit, then had to get ready to drive back into town for a banquet taking place for our Bible school graduates. They were up to the task, though — both Dick and Sandra shared profound words that visibly moved our students. Driving them back to their hotel outside the city at night was quite a feat, since there was no electricity in that part of town (unless you owned a generator). In spite of there being no electricity, there was plenty of traffic and we had to navigate carefully to avoid the oncoming cars and huge trucks barreling down the road at breakneck speed. After returning them safely to the hotel where they were staying, we finally arrived home and fell into bed from exhaustion.

The next morning, we were up early since graduation was at 9:00 a.m. Fortunately, in this case, the hotel was on the way to the radio station where the graduation service took place. Dick was a great sport and dressed up in a jacket and tie despite the hot weather. After assuring him that there would be air conditioning upstairs where he was to deliver the commencement address, well…you probably already guessed. There was no AC and after another long day, our weary guests were more than happy to get back to the hotel room to rest. After dropping them off, Prit and I returned home, took a nap, then went back into town again to inquire about a possible room opening, but there was still “no room in the inn.”

Yesterday, we had our Sunday morning service and returned to the Roi Christophe for lunch. There was still no room available, but fortunately another hotel had a room open up and so we were able to move Dick and Sandra back into the city. Our plan today was to take them to Cormier Plage (the beach), but Sandra has had some issues with what we call the “Haitian Happiness,” we ended up just hanging around the hotel most of the day. At this writing, Dick and Prit have gone to visit our third church plant just outside the city and if Sandra feels up to it, we will go to the beach this afternoon. Tomorrow, they plan to visit our school and see the feeding program in action. They and the wonderful members of Faith Temple Church were the catalyst in getting this program re-started.

At this point, we’re playing it by ear and whatever plan is set in motion (A, B, C, or D) will be the right plan for the moment. We rest on the Lord’s promise that he “orders our steps.” One thing is for sure — I bet Dick and Sandra will be happy to return to their normal life in Alabama where everything is a little more predictable!

Having said all this, we commend our visitors for being such good sports. We see their love for missions and for Rehoboth Ministries to suffer alongside us here in Haiti. We have immensely enjoyed their fellowship and benefited from their wise counsel towards us concerning particular areas of the ministry.

Haitian Mothers’ Day

Posted on May 23, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

This coming Sunday, May 27, Haitians will celebrate la Fête des Mères or, as we know it, Mother’s Day. Mothers are highly esteemed here, whereas Father’s Day is barely noticed. This speaks volumes about Haitian society. Many of the homes have one parent and that parent is usually the mother.

The Haitian mother, in general, is a very strong and resilient person who works hard to support her family. She is also accustomed to extreme suffering and loss. I can think of very few mothers in our church that have not lost at least one child. In a place where disease, malnutrition and natural disasters are commonplace, it is common for mothers to suffer grave loss. Because of this, their hearts seem to long for Heaven more, especially since one of their little ones may have already preceded them there. Years of toil and emotional suffering are often etched into these mothers’ faces who age much sooner than they normally would elsewhere.

We are very proud of our mothers here, especially the “Mothers in Israel” who not only demonstrate a great love for their families, but also for the Lord and his Church.

Covenant of Grace Bible Institute Class of 2012

Posted on May 22, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

Time is winding down for the graduates of Covenant of Grace Bible Institute! Our 2012 class boasts of 12 graduates who will heave a huge sigh of relief on Saturday as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas. They will finally be able to celebrate the culmination of four years of hard work! Essays, tests, and late night studying will become things of the past as these bright young men and women embark upon new adventures.

Each graduating class has its own unique name. This year’s class is named after Martin Luther, the great 16th-century reformer. We are extremely proud of our students and the character and work that they have demonstrated. Each one is already active in their local church serving in various capacities such as teaching Sunday school, leading youth groups, and serving on worship teams. Would you please remember to keep these future leaders in your prayers?

A Haitian Snack

Posted on May 21, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

It’s called “Ereba” in Central South America and “Fufu” in Africa. Here in Haiti, it’s known as “Kasav” and can be purchased by the side of the road. It’s a staple made from the yucca root. At times coconut is added (my favorite!) and it tastes great when topped with “mamba” (peanut butter). In English, it’s called Cassava Bread, but we never had any until we came to the mission field. Add a slice of “zaboka” (avocado) and you have yourself one great snack!

Mr. Peanut Butter Man

Posted on May 19, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

François Fabius has been making and selling peanut butter for 62 years. He started in his youth at just 16 years of age. We know him better as “Mr. Peanut Butter Man.” We enjoy his peanut butter as well as encouraging him in his small business. It’s pretty good peanut butter and the Roi Christophe (a hotel that hosts a lot of foreign visitors) buys all their peanut butter from him.

Haitian peanut butter is very different from your average Jif or Skippy. It has more liquid and can literally be poured from the jar instead of scooped out. It also contains piments (hot, red peppers) and has a bite to it. If you want the true Haitian experience, you need to put some Haitian mamba (peanut butter) on top of cassava bread. (More about that tomorrow!)

Here is a picture of François posing in front of a statue of Henri Christophe. He was delighted to see a picture of himself, as this is a rare occurrence for him. I bet Henri Christophe would have liked his peanut butter as much as we do!

Haitian Flag Day

Posted on May 18, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

Today, all across Haiti, people have been celebrating the Fête du Drapeau — Haitian Flag Day. Students all dressed up in red, white, and blue proudly marched through the city streets singing. In other places, onlookers viewed marching bands as they played Haiti’s national anthem. The Haitian people are fiercely proud of their heritage and culture, no matter how troublesome the past may have been. They truly love their country. They also have a beautiful flag. Since 1803, the flag has evolved into the present flag shown to the left. For those interested in reading about its history, click here.

Doing the Work of an Evangelist

Posted on May 16, 2012 by rehobothhaiti

We recently posted the biography of Ronald Occilus, who is our evangelist-at-large. Ronald is our Haitian “son” who lived with us for thirteen years. We are so very proud of the man of God he has become. Ronald just spent a week in the city of Ouanaminthe preaching a crusade. Did he ever have a story to tell! One night, at the end of a service, a woman came to him and gave her life to the Lord. She said her husband had left her after eight years of marriage. She had every intention of going to the witch doctor that very night to put a curse on him in order to kill him. But, she came to the crusade and after hearing the Gospel, said she wanted to be saved. She is now praying for the restoration of her marriage instead! The Gospel has the power to convict, save, and transform!

*Ouanaminthe is the last town in Haiti before crossing the border into the Dominican Republic. It is separated from the town of Dajabon (Dominican Republic) by the Massacre River. The Massacre River has a history of its own, thereby earning its name.

Rehoboth Ministries

Serving Haiti since 1983.