Bonjou Redemption Church!
Today we visited the Agape School founded by the Agape House orphanage. We did the same science experiments with these children as we did yesterday with the Love for Haiti School. We were delighted by the children’s enthusiasm and spunk. They began the day by worshipping with us and dancing for the Lord, their continuous joy and triumph amidst their prior hardship encouraged us. After a full morning filled with chemical reactions, colored prisms and balloon races, we found ourselves covered in sprite and nerds, beaming with laughter. What a beautiful way to start the day!
Our next task for today was to talk to the beaders in the Mowi Beading program. They were very pleased to hear they will be paid 5 Goudes (1 Haitian dollar) instead of 4 Goudes per bead. Some even cried out “Merci Jezi.” The beaders struggle to understand why their jewelry is not being sold more in the United States. They see Americans and know we have money to give. Its difficult and heart breaking to explain we are doing the best we can to sell beads. Despite this, they were gracious and excited to see the supplies the church gathered for them. The cardboard and magazines were gone within 30 seconds. Varnish was handed out and the beaders were ready to continue making their next set of beads.
As we sat inside the community center and watched the beading meeting, we could not help but notice the faces and hands clinging to the fence. So many people in the fishing village desire to be a part of the Beading Program but due to lack of purchases in the United States the program is unable to take on more beaders. Following the meeting we arrived back at the Byxbe’s, rested and began to prepare for the Beading Dinner tonight. Excited to serve the beaders and show them Christ’s love we drove to the church and began to set up our dinner of rice, beans, chicken, sauce, cookies and drinks. At the meeting we had announced to the beaders that we would be taking their pictures for the website and also giving them a copy. We were amazed as the outside of the church began to fill with the beaders, all dressed in their finest clothes. They were proud of their job and of what they had accomplished over the course of the year (one woman had even paid off her house)! We prayed over the beaders, thanking them for their work and then started to serve them dinner. Seeing their smiling, shocked faces as we overfilled their plates with rice, beans and chicken overwhelmed our hearts.
We cannot ignore what we have seen, we cannot close our eyes to the need of our brothers in sisters in Christ. God has called us to something much bigger, a story more profound than we could have ever dreamed. We are responsible for the widowed and the orphaned, for the sick and hungry. How can we not give our lives to serve when we follow a savior that calls us into the darkest depths? Christ gave all. We must follow.
We will never forget their looks of appreciation as we simply did what God called us to do. Many came back through the line to get just one plate to bring home to their children. We served until the pots were scraped clean. Looking up from our pots we noticed that a line had begun to form; the beaders were waiting to hug us and thank us for serving them. With their arms filled with gift bags, lotion and seconds they fiercely hugged us with gratitude. Many tears fell from some of our faces, some for the first time realizing what it truly means when Jesus says to love the least of these.
We cannot ignore what we have seen, we cannot close our eyes to the need of our brothers in sisters in Christ. God has called us to something much bigger, a story more profound than we could have ever dreamed. We are responsible for the widowed and the orphaned, for the sick and hungry. How can we not give our lives to serve when we follow a savior that calls us into the darkest depths? Christ gave all. We must follow.
Please join us in praying over the Beading Program.
Love,
The Haiti Team