The River That Divides

Jane and I decided that while Dan was here visiting us, we were going to do a little side trip to either Santo Domingo or Haiti. It was Dan’s choice so off to Haiti it was. We took with us, our good friend Elmond Jean who is Dominican but from Haitian descendent. Being totally fluent in Creole, English and Spanish, Elmond took us to the border and through all the necessary paperwork to get into Haiti.
While there, the four of us had the opportunity to visit several orphanages, schools, churches and their pastors. This really was the main purpose of this trip. This adventure and discovery of a different people, culture and place will not be forgotten for quite some time.
The poverty was incredible, the needs obvious and the hospitality of all we met, Christ like! Since there is no electricity or running water in the entire town, the women fill their water buckets at the communal well.
Our hosts, Pastor Papouloute Onondieu, his wife and family, treated us like very special guests. Their home, a very modest place, is very well kept in Ouanaminthe, on the Haiti and Dominican border. Here they provided us a safe place to rest and lay our heads. It was quite cozy as the three of us shared the home with his family of 11 and yet we felt very much at home.

On Friday night we attended a Haitian church service and even though no one has electricity, worship continues with oil lamps. It was incredibly hot in the crowded little church but that certainly didn’t stop everyone from praising and praying in full earnest. The little congregation is alive and well and wanted everyone outside to know it. God was in this place and they wanted everyone to hear about it. What an awesome time and we were blessed to be there!