Week 14 on the Island

The past few weeks have been different from the first 12 weeks of our time here. We were without a vehicle, so it was a time to slow down and experience Haiti on a more personal level.

The down time all started when Barry realized that the black truck, his main transportation, was in need of an engine rebuild. The plan was to take the truck to Guyteau, a man in Port-au-Prince whom Barry was referred to for various tasks. He would have one of his mechanics rebuild the engine.  Barry would need a ride home after dropping it off, so someone would follow him with the red truck, another truck our church brethren bought years ago. Since our translator said he has a valid drivers license and drove frequently for another mission, he seemed fit for the task. They were less than a mile outside of Arcahaie when Barry noticed that the other truck was not behind him anymore. He called Anouce, who said only that something was wrong with the truck and he had to pull over. It turned out that the automatic transmission had been kept in low gear, rather than drive, and the engine was blown to pieces. 

The red truck was towed to a different mechanic nearby, where they claimed they could fix it in one week. The appointment was kept for the black truck in Port-au-Prince and a rental car was picked up to use for the five days it was supposed to take to fix it. When the time "in the shop" was too far extended, the rental car was returned in order to save expenses. When the black truck was finally picked up, there were still several things terribly wrong, and the truck was left in Port-au-Prince with the mechanic again.  It soon became evident that preaching at long distances away would have to wait. 

Meanwhile, we have had more time with the locals, and it seems that the Gospel is stirring some people up. More of them seem to want to go to church and have become more open to hearing about their need for of salvation. There was one particular opportunity to share Christ when we found out that electricity was being stolen directly from our generator by several nearby neighbors. They tried to deny doing any such thing, but when the evidence clearly pointed against them, and they were told that God sees everything, they confessed their theft. Barry still felt led to find a way to set up five houses with the ability to run lights off of a battery that's charged by our generator. 

The home for the widows behind us is finally finished, and they seem to be truly blessed by their new place. The oldest, Alice, seems to be growing more frail, but is always happy to see visitors and tries to share and talk as well as she can. The other day she asked Barry to "give her a blessing" and pray with her. Her daughter, Getrid, is full of smiles; quite different from her burdened demeanor when we first came here.

Barry has also been doing some traveling around nearby to pray with the sick. He and Merelin are working with two young people who are mute because of voodoo spells that were placed on them. They are rather lifeless, just sitting in a trance, and appear to eat only enough to keep them alive. It is such a burden to see young lives under this bondage and waiting to be set free. 

He sat in this position for a long period of time while they cried out to God.  

We are glad to now have the black truck back with us.  After leaving Barry stranded a few times and more things getting fixed, it seems to finally be running more smoothly. There are still a few things that need repaired, but we are hopeful it will all be done soon. Barry is ready to get his team going again and continue preaching and discipling wherever the Lord leads.

Barry and the boys replacing a CV axle on the black truck

The longer we are here in Haiti, the more needs we see abounding everywhere.  As more people find out where we are, we receive more opportunities to minister to the needs all around us. Please continue to pray for us, as doors continue to open, and the devil continues to war against us.