Written by Jennifer Richey, member of the Mission Haiti – Lutheran Church of Hope team serving in Pignon, Haiti. 

As we were flying from Miami to Port Au Prince today, just a few hundred miles away, I was reading the book The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns.  In the book there is a chapter partially devoted to Haiti.  The following is a quote from this chapter:

“In Haiti, where three-quarters of the population earns less than $2 a day and one in five children is chronically malnourished, the one business booming amid all the gloom is the selling of patties made of mud, oil and sugar, typically consumed by the most destitute. “It’s salty and it has butter and you don’t know you’re eating dirt,” said Olwich Louis Jeune, 24, who has taken to eating them more often in recent months.  “It makes your stomach quiet down.”

So incredibly sad but it paints a great picture of the plight Haitians face on a daily basis.  When we landed it was easy to see how simple it could be to fall into this seemingly bottomless pit.  We traveled from Port, by car, to where we will be staying for the week, which is a city called Pignon.  The devastation from the earthquake many years ago is still evident with rubble lining the streets along our almost five hour long trek.  The car ride was long, curvy, bumpy, and at times, a bit scary.  However, this ride gave us the opportunity to completely be immersed in their world, even if only for a little bit.  We noticed the beauty in every man, woman, and child.  We saw deep joy in the faces of the Haitians when they have every right not to feel that way.  We bonded, as a team.  Oh, and have I mentioned it’s hot?  Like really, really hot.

A view from the van on the ride from Port-au-Prince to Pignon.

God is on the move in this group of missionaries and it’s awesome to see.  Tomorrow our plans are to go to church, have lunch at a local restaurant, and bring food and pray over five poor families who are considered the “poorest of the poor.”  We all pray we continue to bring light and love to these absolutely beautiful people.

James 2:18 – But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

P.S. We don’t have internet access so if you are looking to hear from your loved ones, this is it!

Bondye beni ou (God bless you in Haitian Creole)