While we were gone, the church group and Pastor Bazalet decided they would like to have Sunday evening services as well, so we're now meeting twice on Sundays. Franz can't make it to the evening service, so Barry does his best to share what he can in Creole without the help of a translator. It's a laid back time of sharing and asking questions. This past Sunday, several of the women expressed a desire to have a modest dress of their own.
A few days later, we were off to the market to look for dress material for the church ladies, buy some rice and beans, and see if we could find out how the sale of our first plantain harvest was going. When we were a few dozen yards from the main entrance of the market building, we noticed a commotion in the crowd. As we kept approaching, a motorcycle came bolting from the chaos, carrying a man whom Barry recognized, with a bloody chest , eyes closed, and unable to support himself. It looked pretty evidently to be a gunshot wound. Unfortunately the main entrance was right in the path we needed to take, so we squeezed our way through the jumbled mass of people, right past the fresh blood still spattered on the concrete.
After asking a few questions to various vendors, we learned the victim was the man who sits in front of the building exchanging money. He was shot 3 times in the back and robbed. Despite all the witnesses, the gunman easily escaped. Apparently there is a gang of men in the area who are shooting people for much less than a wad of cash, even for a basic flip phone. The money changer, who did not survive, was also a witch doctor. Barry had made efforts to witness to to him on multiple occasions there at the market. He was so set in his beliefs that he would not even allow himself to touch a Gospel tract, as if it was a curse to him. Another time he finally took one and ripped it up and threw it on the ground. His death was rather tragic and a stark reminder that we're back in Haiti, and there's no less work to do. Our boys were a little shook up after seeing the wounded man and being squeezed in throng of people, but their little minds seem to be able move past such things.
We're thankful for all the hospitality that was shown during our visit home, and even more thankful for the prayers that are raised on behalf of the mission!
Plantains from our garden ready to go to the market.
