“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:23-24
On this last day of September, I want to share a few questions that I’ve been asked by several people this month. Are the Haitian kids back in school? Has it gotten any safer in Haiti? Do Haitian people really eat cats and dogs?
This week, there will prayerfully be 265 Haitian schools with Trinity HOPE feeding programs starting the new school year. Just over 62,000 children will prayerfully be back in school learning about Jesus Christ; reading, writing, arithmetic, science, French and being fed a nutritious lunch. Those children, teachers and parents will be shouting ‘Beni soit L’Eternal’ and we will be saying ‘Praise the Lord!’
Safety in Haiti changes from day to day, depending on where you happen to live in the country. The United Nations is considering sending a full peacekeeping force to replace the International Police force that is there now. It will be more costly but it will increase the size and duration of the force to remove the gang violence and chaos from Haiti. The local Haitians do not like foreign intervention on their soil but hopefully, if it can bring about a sustainable sense of order to their country and elections can be held soon and the country of Haiti can resume it’s challenge towards becoming a self-dependent country in the Caribbean’ that is a God pleasing plan.
Eating dogs and cats. I lived in Haiti for 33 months and I could probably count on one hand how many cats I saw while traveling throughout the country. I heard the vodou priest sacrificing live dogs and most likely eating the meat not used for the calling of evil spirits. Is it possible that illegal aliens from ANY foreign culture, living in our country are terribly hungry and the only food that they can find are the neighborhood pets; possibly. I was told by a friend in the Navy that they eat dogs in the Far East. I have read that locals eat horse meat in Europe. Would the media in our country be upset if people in McLean County Illinois were eating dirt cakes? In August of 2001, I witnessed Pierre, the groundskeeper at the Haiti Lutheran office, pan fry a rat that he had trapped and an ear of corn, and he offered to share it with me and sadly, I told him that I wasn’t hungry. I was hungry but not after I saw the contents of his skillet. My point is, when the empty pain in your stomach burns so hot for so long, you will eat whatever it takes to ease the pain; bugs, horses, dirt cakes, dogs and even a cat. Give thanks you have food in your house and are able to help feed children attending schools in Haiti. Please don’t judge people. The attached photo was my breakfast at a Hotel in Delmas; piece of bread, banana, spaghetti and mystery meat sauce and a cup of coffee. I was hungry and it came with the room.
I chose the verse from Matthew today to make a point of saying to the voices in this learned world; get behind me satan! Too many voices in our fallen world are telling us to listen to and believe them when they tell us it’s all about ‘me’ and I ‘deserve’ this and that. No, it’s not about me and No, I don’t deserve to have things my way. When we are faced with the words of this fallen world, look to Jesus. How do their words compare with what our Savior told us? Listen to Jesus. It's time to turn from selfishness, lies, arguments and strife as you embrace the way of the Cross. Stay in His Word. Remain connected to Jesus. Jesus is your Number One. Not us. Not the media. Stay focused on Christ.
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