Yesterday was packed. After a good, chilly night's sleep (it's been cold here- especially at night- everyone is commenting that it's very unusual), we had breakfast, put on our Sunday-Go-To-Meetin' clothes and piled in the cars to head down the road. Pastor Delamy is a district superintendent with the Free Methodists, and has a number of churches under his care. So instead of worshipping in Terre Blanche, we went to a town a couple of miles away. It's amazing the difference just being on the other side of the river makes. This town was clearly more properous- it was green, the houses were more put together- they had crops in their fields and water in their irrigation ditches.
The church was packed with the littlest children sitting right up front the older ones behind them and the adults behind them. I was absolutely amazed at the ability of the children to sit still, without adults being near them and *on* them for the entire service- probably two hours. They barely talked, only got up to use the bathroom, and a good number were engaged (though many of the younger ones just stared blankly ahead. SO while it wasn't exactly age-appropriate learning, massive props on self-discipline. (The grave ushers who gave stern looks to the kids who seemed about to act up didn't hurt either)
Lots of singing, many special numbers by groups of kids, groups of men, groups of women. We all got to give greetings (we were sitting on a bench/chairs ON STAGE facing the crowd) and I got to preach. It was well received, though very short. I was thinking I certainly wasn't the *main event* so just shared a brief Gospel-y "exhortation" from Galatians 4:3-8. It was maybe 20 minutes with translation. They probably think we americans don't have much to say.
But it was fun speaking with a translator- especially one as passionate as Delamy, and preaching in a responsive crowd and getting to get a little "babdist" up in there? Priceless. Love that.
After church was lunch and a brief 3 hour clinic where we got to run through all the procedures and practice a little. I've been in the pharmacy, filling prescriptions yesterday and today.
Last night, after clinic and after dinner, I was laying on my bed, waiting for the evening debrief, and in the distance could here a band. Marching band-style drums, some horns- no discernible melody, but slowly getting louder. 2 hours later it seemed as though they were right outside the compound.
There are NO lights here- electricity only in the compound and that only in the inner part around the clinic. I wandered down to the outer part of the compound, intending to go outside the gate to listen, but decided going alone might not be wise. As I was walking back up, I found Antoine, one of the men hanging out and doing "security" of a sort at night. I asked if he'd take me down to see the band and so we walked back to and out the gate.
Right outside the gate was a genuine Haitian Rara band. Rara is a period after Mardi Gras of celebration- some say "to distract Christians from Lent." It's not specifically Voo Doo, but there have been known to be some connections. The band was slowly shuffling down the road, playing in a building frenzy, banging on drums and cymbals, blowing horns made out of PVC pipe, no melody, just the same rhythm and notes over and over, all led by a man dancing at the front, blowing a whistle, cracking a whip every few seconds- all in the dark.
I have to say, it gave me the creeps- especially after having seen some of the voo doo talismans some people leave at crossroads and hearing of the clash of voo doo and the Gospel here.
I'll write more about this in awhile, but some of the people are in absolute slavery to voo doo, expected to sacrifice goats and liquor to the spirits, forbidden to send children to school, living in fear of evil and yet trying constantly to placate and serve it. Many in this area are finding real freedom from all of that thru Jesus, and that's exciting.
Good News looks and sounds a little different here in Haiti than Portland- but it's still all about Jesus and the freedom the Gospel brings.
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