“When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.” Acts 27:39-44
I went to Haiti as a Communication Liaison LCMS Missionary from March 2001 through December 2003. After the chaos from the end of President Aristide’s term, I went back a few times a year with either a Medical Mission team or a Trinity HOPE mission team. I don’t know how many times that I heard team members describe Haiti looking like a “war zone”. After the deadly earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince in January 2010, the news media from around the world spent a few weeks there, astonished at the living conditions. It wasn’t like their homeland; needed to be fixed. A few weeks ago, the following comment appeared in my search for news from Haiti.
Sylvie Bertrand, the UNODC regional representative said, “It’s time for people in Haiti to live peacefully; for their kids to go back to school, for them to be able to eat every day.” And that means, she says, ensuring that “national authorities are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready to face and curb down the level of violence.” Fourteen years after the earthquake destroyed much in PAP, the gangs have brought chaos and it again looks and feels like a “war zone”.
The Apostle Paul had survived the storm and shipwreck on the Adriatic Sea. Our brothers and sisters in the faith have been through a really long storm and may now be leaving the shipwreck. All of us who are, or have gone through a storm need to be connected to our Heavenly Father and other believers. No one here or in Haiti has been promised a magical escape clause. We can’t be passive. Seek His guidance and wait and be ready to move forward.
It may mean some hard, dangerous and unpleasant work. It may require humbling yourself before God and others. Sometimes the reality is that life isn’t easy or fair. Satan loves that; blame somebody. Seek God’s favor and direction. Sometimes, reality in this fallen world of ours means some type of a mature response. Trust God, as He did for Paul, to bring us to shore.
There will be a time possibly, in the months ahead, when all the Christian schools in PAP will be open and meals will again be served. Ms Bertrand, that is God pleasing and it will happen. The reality is, in this fallen world, the inevitable winds of adversity will always blow somewhere until the gates of Paradise are opened to all of His children.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay