Living Expectantly

We began this morning, 6am at The Church on the Rock.  Worship had started as we entered the large sanctuary, like a pole barn, and many were worshiping Christ with hands in the air, knees bent on the ground, and lips singing thanks to our God.  The site was heavenly.    As we entered this worship service, we were filled with many emotions and wonderment of this spirit-filled service we were about to experience.  We felt welcomed, excited and a little bit apprehensive. 

The pastor read scripture and led songs not only in Creole but also in English.  Together we sang, raised hands and harmonized to “How Great Thou Art.”    We were all blessed by the generosity of the leaders to share their service in English for US.

Following the message, the pastor asked for all who were celebrating birthdays today, to join him for a Birthday Blessing.  Unbeknownst to many of us, Claire stood and joined the others to celebrate her birthday.  It was beautiful to hear the prayers to Claire, asking to give her wisdom which is given generously, as in James 1:5, and for the presence of the Holy Spirit to fill her.  Claire’s eyes exhibited     love, grace and Joy at that moment. 

The tap tap (bus) took us on the next journey through the heart of the capital, Port au Prince, where streets were bustling with activity, traffic was chaotic, and people were busy.  Lined up throughout the streets, we saw goods being sold on make shift stores/ door fronts, from rolling wheelbarrows, and from buckets on the tops of their heads.   It was evident that work is hard in the city.  We watched as groups of men were handling stalks of sugar cane with machetes to expose the sweet pulp and hope for a sale and profit.  We asked ourselves many difficult questions about the lives of the people of this country, as we travelled through this capital.  All of these experiences have led to great discussion later that evening about living expectantly. 

We arrived at Carrefour, the Home for the Sick and Dying Adults.  We felt this was going to be out of our comfort zone as we were called to meet, pray with, and massage the hands and feet of the patients.  Many of those we touched were very ill with fever, thin, frail and yet displayed such gratitude for our care.  At one point, a few of us were in a large ward with women lying on small beds when we started singing How Great Thou Art.   The women being massaged joined us in song in Creole.  It was lovely and heart wrenching.  Music is a universal connection.

We ended this afternoon with a tour of the National Museum of Haiti, which was another eye opening plight to this once Caribbean paradise.  Groups of Haitian school children filled the museum along with us.  We listened to the history of the ransacking and plundering to extinction of the true indigenous peoples in the 16^th century. History has not been amiable to the Island since then.  In 1804 revolution gave the Haitian people their freedom.