Hello from Pasbwadom!
Haiti is in the news these days, and Port-au-Prince is decaying still. The rest of the country is going about life as best we can. A.J. is a man I knew as a student at the WFL school years and years ago. He moved to Port over 20 years ago. He lived up the hillside, and whenever I asked him about his neighborhood, he'd assure me that the gang activity didn't affect him near his house. He was well aware of every intersection and road that he should avoid in the city. At one point, thieves stole a vehicle of his right out from under a cousin who was driving it for him. Still, he stayed in Port. This week, he called to say he is back in Pasbwadom. He fled with his family and whatever they could fit into a vehicle. He paid big money to get past the gangs. At least he is safe now...though displaced. I learned this week that a friend of a friend is making plans to leave Port and come live in Pasbwadom as well. He now sees armed gang members walking by his front gate. His kids are scared. They hope to be able to come out to the safe countryside and somehow make a life. We have seen a helicopter or two out here in our area. Americans and other nationalities are leaving in huge numbers. Private companies are carrying people...for a price. The main airport remains closed. Hopelessness is something Haitians have dealt with forever. They don't seem phased by it at this point. Bad news comes in like a river, and people shrug it off and go on with living today. More and more people are hungry out here. I think it may get worse soon. I frankly don't want to think about escaping to "safety" and "easy life". I don't even talk about that with people here. There is no "escape" for them. There is no path. Pray for Haitians. Pray also for those who choose to be here now. There are many of us. Good Friday is the perfect day to reflect on choices like these. How much should we do to help another person? How much should we give to be alongside a person in real need? How much does love cost? For me, Calvary is clear. Christ on the Cross changes everything. He humbly gave away His life, and said : "Follow me." Every step I have taken to follow Him, has been a positive step in my life. Every step away from Him has been a regret. In a society that has "moved on" from Christ, He still invites you...to live...really live...with Him. Upfront, let me say I am no expert on Haiti. I don't travel around Haiti. I don't have a well-rounded view of the nation and its situation. I have lived in one community for 30 years. I do have a decent concept of life in rural Haiti because of that.
Haiti is plagued by currents and forces that work behind the scenes. That, if you are an American, may sound familiar. People who reach the greatest levels of power in Haiti often seem to be 'placed' there by someone else. Right now, there are so many currents flowing in and around the city of Port that it is impossible to determine up from down. The government sat on the assassination of Haiti's president for years. Foreigners set up a replacement, but years passed without the word election being mentioned seriously. Why? Because of gang violence. Then, you hear that the government leaders spending years in power are the very ones supplying the gangs. When the population of Haiti cornered one gang, and cut them off from supplies, a helicopter dropped supplies for them. Gangs don't operate helicopters. So, we now have a former policeman who is a top gang leader. His gangs, and gangs opposed to him, strangle the country by blocking all traffic into and out of the city. Another former policeman has returned from American prisons and is trying to lead a movement as well. Who knows what motivates him, but he did successfully push out Aristide years ago. He's back now. Then, politicians are jockeying for position also, and accuse each other of being aligned with the gangs. They also cozy up to international organizations that can likely get them into positions of power. On the outside of all of that, are regular Haitians who want to go to market and by food for the week. They can't. Supplies are limited. Money is scarce. Prices are inflated by three-digit percentages. It is a hopeless situation. Now, the Prime Minister has gone. Gangs, who claimed they would lay down arms and open up the country when he stepped down, show no signs of doing that. They have tasted ultimate power. Will they ever give it up? It is not hard to imagine that any government set up by "international friends of Haiti" will be merely a shadow. Real power will remain with the groups who have the least amount of conscience. As an American, I watch the last few election cycles in the USA, and I ponder the path that my own country has chosen. We seem to be sailing headlong toward chaos in the streets. We vote for it. We remove forces that keep society in order. Haiti has been ingesting that reality for years now. Everyone can see how bad it is, but we continue to sprint toward it. Why? . A Haitian expression can explain it. "Li pa senp." Haitians will use the phrase to explain an event that is more than it seems to be. An accident can kill a young person, and there will be rumors it was the work of a witchdoctor. "Li pa senp." It means there is more to the story. The "more" part is demonic forces. Satan and his legions are working to destroy every nation on earth. It can come from outside or from within...or both. Societies that tumble are a playground for God's enemy. He can never win against God. But his pleasure is to wreak havoc in the lives of God's most precious treasure...you and me. As 2024 rolls through, seek God. He can open eyes to see what has never before been seen. He can open ears to hear what has never been noticed. A living relationship with God does not make hunger and pain go away. It doesn't bring back what is lost. It does give you strength to endure. God is good. Really good. We may need Him more and more. So, better to get started on knowing Him right now. On December 31st, the ASAPH Brass Band played for a Sunday morning service in the Fondeblan area.
Hosting the band was Pastor Fisher Raymond. He is the composer and singer of LAVI MWEN PA YON AKSIDAN, a song that I arranged for the ASAPH Brass Band. The band played our arrangement for him, along with a couple of other popular worship songs. It was a great opportunity to be with a man whose songs have millions of views on YouTube. My compliments to the ASAPH Brass Band committee and assistant director Teddy M. for their work in preparing the band and making the trip a reality. Every mission has a budget. Part of ministry is growing income in order to provide more ministry. ASAPH has been blessed with 11 years of faithful support from area congregations and individuals. Buildings were built. Equipment was acquired. So many events have taken place over these years because of support from ASAPH sponsors.
As we look to 2024, we are making some tough decisions about things we can reduce in order to "keep the lights on." It is always difficult to choose an activity to eliminate. We are well aware of needs all over the world these days, near and far. And so, we will faithfully do the best we can to continue the critical ministries of ASAPH in accordance with the support we do receive. We trust God to equip us for the things HE chooses. If you are able, make a contribution or two this coming year. Every dollar opens another door. ASAPH leaders are developing and growing into ministry. Let's water these little plants as they begin to produce fruit for tomorrow. God bless you as you consider the possibilities. There aren't a ton of brass bands in Haiti, but they do exist. Funeral parlors usually have a brass band available to them. Salvation Army congregations often have a brass band as well. But the ASAPH Brass Band is unique in that we like to play arrangements of popular Christian songs...songs that people are hearing on the radio. One such song was LAVI MWEN PA YON AKSIDAN. I don't remember how it was introduced to me, but I arranged it for our band to play. It was a favorite everywhere we played it. The song was written and performed by Fisher Raymond, a Haitian pastor and singer. The lyrics boldly claim that our lives are not an accident...we are God's plan. No hair can fall without His approval! It is a powerful message for people living each day in desperate poverty. The ASAPH Brass Band chose to play that song when we attended that annual Baptist Convention years ago. It was our 5 minutes of fame, recorded by professional cameras and microphones. Fisher Raymond apparently viewed the video at some point. He contacted a member of the band, and invited the group to play his song at a special anniversary service he will be attending in the mountain community of Fondeblan. That event was scheduled for November 26th. Rain changed their plans, however. The new date is in December. The ASAPH Brass Band is preparing the original song as well as a brand new song that I arranged for the occasion, a second song written and recorded by Fisher Raymond. This is an exciting opportunity. We hope the new date works, and that we are afforded the opportunity to bless a composer/artist by interpreting his own song. The new song talks about God's eyes being on every little part of Haiti. His eye is indeed on a little community we call Pasbwadom ! God is good ! Look for these on YOU TUBE : Fisher Raymond - Lavi Mwen Pa Yon Aksidan Lavi mwen pa yon aksidan " Fisher Raymond" ( music évangélique Haïtenne 2023 ) Haitian Gospel - YouTube Fisher Raymond - Je Bondye Sou Ou Ayiti Je Bondye Sou Ou "Fisher Raymond" (Official video 2023) Music Chrétiens - YouTube When I designed the ASAPH Teaching Center (12 years ago), it never dawned on me that we should have an official office space. I built my own office into my bedroom area...the 16' x 16' cement room that also serves as hurricane shelter. As the ministry has grown and more and more leaders are "working" here at ASAPH, it became clear we should have an office space.
In December, Jason Stoltzfus (from Lancaster) installed a plywood wall right down the middle of my cement room. Now ASAPH has a front porch and a tiny office. The back of the room will still serve as my own office and bedroom. Each afternoon, activities begin around 2:00 and continue until 5:00 or so...rehearsals, lessons, meetings, etc. Each activity has a leader, but there is now also an adult in the office as a resource for both leaders and students. WEC is serving as ASAPH's Administrative Assistant...backing me up in every role I play in Haiti. WEC's wife Shelterline (who studied administration in college) is serving as ASAPH's Administrative Secretary...taking care of many financial tasks, personnel tasks, and record keeping. As we move in to 2024, we will equip the new office space and develop it as a headquarters for the ministry. The Teaching Center will be available for...teaching. These improvements can only happen with support from people like you! Thanks for being involved in ASAPH Teaching Ministry. This summer, we began a new program at ASAPH - - a leadership training program. We gathered all of the young people who are teaching music, the soccer coaches, the committee members and anyone else in charge of an activity, and we studied leadership.
It was a great beginning, and it was well received. We are studying the book of Nehemiah, a great resource for leaders. We also discuss leadership qualities we love and hate. We also take a moment to organize and arrange things so that the ministry has a definite structure. Asaph, in the Bible, was a Levite. He was a musician, and taught God's message as a prophet. He also left a bunch of descendants, either offspring or students. They continued the work that he learned from King David...for generations. The new ASAPH leadership training courses will prepare a new generation of Asaph's. To God be the glory. It's a question I often get when I share picture and stories from Haiti. It is easy to list the problems and give detailed examples that are both amusing and touching.
It's easy also to envision little things that might help someone or some group for a certain amount of time. Out in the country, we enjoy relative peace. The capital city is a combat zone most days. We have none of that. Our rural community by the ocean is calm and quiet. But, the unrest in the city does effect us. Everyone has relatives in Port-au-Prince. Supplies come from Port-au-Prince. Official documents and errands require a trip to that city. So, when that city is shut down, life is paralyzed in little ways no matter what part of the island you inhabit. No real progress can take place until there is some amount of peace and stability in the capital city. Haiti hasn't even talked about elections since the assassination in July a couple of years ago. Can yet another international intervention help ? Not likely. Would any other country be likely to intervene? Not likely at all. Would Haitians accept an international force? Probably not. There seems to be no route forward. We wait and pray, I guess. We live as best we can with what we have been delt. Imagine this situation being the situation of...not your friend...but of your nation and every single person you know well. Haiti is akin to hopelessness. Still, the light of the Gospel remains. We are only down here for a short time. For some of us, it is an easy period. For some, it is turmoil. Either way, may we remember that eternity is coming. That...for many...is a source of hope. It’s May, and it’s raining. May is the reliable month for rain in Haiti. October sometimes gets us wet. December also. Hurricanes sometimes douse us with water as well in the late summer and early fall, but May is almost always good for rain.
We have had a few rainy evenings this month already, and a few morning showers. We had a downpour or two along the way as well. A soccer game was rained out. We had not, however, enjoyed a day of rain…until today. It is Saturday afternoon, and we have not seen blue sky today. Rain changes Haiti. It changes the people. People smile and giggle more easily when it is raining, especially in the countryside. They smile because forcing food from the ground is easier when it rains. Life slows down (even more) during rainy days. School stops. Services stop. Without raincoats and cars, and with roads that become mud, people move around much less. Rain changes plants also. Grass is already growing where there was nothing. Trees are a different color. Haiti can be a lush place…when it rains. Rain changes transportation, too. You don’t want to have a medical emergency when roads are muddy. A hospital trip can become a nightmare. Motorcycles become even more dangerous than normal. Vehicles without 4-wheel-drive are risky on dirt roads in the rain…especially mountain roads. Bikes are set aside for the most part as well. We are thankful for rain, as we are thankful for sunshine. God’s plan is both good and glorious. |
Andy StumpMissionary in Haiti. Archives
March 2024
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