Haiti: 'Just read the scripture ...'

Service is going really well. Recently I called on a young man, Louinel in his early twenties, at his families local store. Although he was quite busy and couldn't stay, some of his family members raised a question concerning Jesus role. So I stayed to address their questions. After showing that prayers were never addressed to Jesus and sharing a few key scriptures, two women in his family agreed that Jesus could not be God. Soon another relative, his aunt, stopped by at the tail end of the conversation. She was so pleasant, curious, and humble. I asked her to read and explain how she understood 1 Cor. 15:23-28 and she too came to the right conclusion. I began to get a little concerned as I wasn't sure how Louinel would react when he came home to find his relatives had changed their view. Having taken philosophy in school he was a proud young man, but did show some signs of humility and respect for the scriptures on my last visit. While I was planning to leave he returned. I listened to him express why he thought Jesus was God and allowed the bible to answer. As I anticipated he was a little combative, but one of his relatives told him 'just read the scripture and tell him what you understand'. After firing out that the scriptures can't be understood without the help of the holy spirit, he read the verse and then paused. He seemed like he was pierced through and a little distraught. I asked him if he believed what he just read and he replied, 'if it's from the bible I believe it'. I was relieved as he asked me to come back again to discuss other questions he has. I was accompanied by a study, who just started preaching and we were thrilled to see how powerfully the scriptures impacted the family.

I also met on another young teen named Jeff Blaze. When following up he was running late for school which starts in the afternoon. So we spoke to his mom, who was very welcoming, and interested in the scriptures. She would always tell us to greet all the friends in her behalf, although she had not met them. She encouraged us to return and we put her in touch with a sister who began her study. After stopping by to see her son one day she seemed troubled and explained that she received a reprimand from her church, as they were aware that she was studying with witnesses. They threatened to remove some of her privileges, such as teaching Sunday school. Sadly she succumbed to the pressure and believes that her pastor was chosen by God to make decisions for her. I asked if she would allow me to visit her periodically to say hello if that was permissible. She chuckled and encouraged me to still visit her son since he ironically attends another church. She still sends greetings to all the friends as I call on her son.

The C.O. Brother Roche and his wife are both from Guadeloupe and had to learn Haitian creole. He admits that being immersed in the culture and hearing it spoken daily made it easy to learn. He highlighted in one of his talks that we shouldn't focus on peoples flaws, such as big ears, but see people the same way Jehovah does. Overlooking minor imperfections to see the person as a whole. We were able to share a few meals with them and host them as a service group. It was good seeing them in a relaxed setting. They are both learning English although a little shy about their pronunciation.

The Congregation is spirited and warm. As the meetings conclude walking down the aisles can be a challenge because of people clustering together. Young ones will sometimes run up to me and call me "frere wo" (tall brother) as they hug my knee caps. The majority of the friends in the congregation have learned the truth in the past 3 or 4 years. Many are skillful at recalling scriptures and have a zeal for the ministry.

Last week Monday around 4 am we lost power and shortly after we received a phone call that a sisters house caught on fire. We got dressed and departed immediately. All the elders and a few others drove to the sisters home about 20 minutes north in Domond. We were glad to find out that the sister and here children made it out safely. She explained that around midnight an power line (13,000 volts) fell on the home and set the roof ablaze. She quickly woke the children and exited the house at the rear in the drizzling rain. As she was leaving she touched something that enabled the current to throw her face forward to the ground, burning her arm and leg. As others ran out of there homes to help the light rain on the street carried the electrical charge, throwing others to the ground. We are glad that the burns Sister Odette suffered were minor as she, void of emotion, watched her dress shop and home burn to the ground. The neighbors began to praise God because they all escaped with their lives. We did our best to comfort the family and provide them with breakfast and jackets as it was cool and rainy. The children were appreciative and the sister was still shocked by the turn of events. We left for a few hours as she waited for city officials to arrive.

We returned with material support and words of encouragement as we worked into the evening framing doors onto a near by residence that was under construction. Pillows, blankets, foam mattresses, food and clothing caused the humble young boy David who escaped with his family and a pair of shorts to praise Jehovah. A few days later and with continued support Sister Odette was out in the ministry, inviting others to the memorial.

Mango season is about to start and I've been enjoying all the fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the pineapples and avocados. I'll be leaving early next month as the rainy season begins.