Mardi Gras 2007

Earlier last week was Mardi Gras both in the US and here in Haiti. I found the photos in this post online. The first one is an AP wire photo from www.foxnews.com and was taken in New Orleans. The other 2 were taken in Port-au-Prince in 2006 and are from a Haitian website -- www.sakapfet.com. I was amazed when I saw this photo. The costume looks so much like the ones we see here on the Plateau during Mardi Gras (see the “skirts” in the second photo). And the object in the guy's right hand resembles the rattle in the hand of the woman in the last photo – a tool used in Voodoo rites to help summon the spirits.
In fact, the voodoo aspect of Mardi Gras can been very clearly seen in Haiti. The woman in the third photo is dressed as Erzulie one of the Voodoo spirits. The designs on her skirt and on the float at her feet are veve's -- the symbols that represent her and that are used to summon her. There were many such depictions and uses of veve's on the floats and marchers in the photos I saw on the web site.

And it is of this that I am reminded every Mardi Gras – the conflict between Voodoo and Christianity for the hearts and souls of Haitians. Voodoo acknowledges and serves a pantheon of lesser spirits who run the universe for God (who is too remote and too busy). These spirits must be fed (animals sacrificed to them) so they can have the strength to run the universe. The spirits are thought to be neither good nor bad and to be responsible for all the good and bad things that happen in people's lives.
Many people say that Voodoo is an innocuous belief system or a quaint cultural heritage. I can not agree. The people in the area of Haiti that HAFF serves fear the spirits. It is thought that good things come to the person who pleases the spirits and bad things to those who displease them. But the spirits neither love nor care for any person. And the spirits are not to be trusted. People can pay the spirits to do things to others for them. It is almost universally believed that people can buy healing, protection and even curses or harm from the spirits. So the people not only fear the spirits, they also fear their neighbors, friends and even family who might have them cursed or harmed or even poisoned. That is a hard way to live never really trusting anyone or anything.

The only hope for change in the situation is for a radical change of heart to come to believe that God Himself does love and care for people, is involved in our lives and that He is completely trustworthy. Only then can people truly trust one another enough to work together in peace. Please pray for the HAFF staff – both Haitian and American – as we strive to spread this message of peace. 

HAFF Staff 2006-2007 and Our Jobs

Here, with a bit of help from digital editing, is the HAFF staff for this year! Left to right is Dr Jerry Pennington (I pasted him in from another photo!), Barb Van Schoyck, me, Rachel, Carla, Colin and Becky Wilson and Greg Van Schoyck. Many people must be wondering what we all do here to keep HAFF running and to accomplish HAFF's mission. Well, in addition to sharing Christ in any and all situations, here is what we all are doing. This year. Next year, who knows!!!

Greg Van Schoyck will continue to serve on the Management Team (MT) with me and eventually, Colin. As a member of the MT, he will help oversee photocopies being made, formal education (BTI), and security. In addition he will oversee transportation , infrastructure and maintenance, school lunch, and brick making. He will help with payroll, reconciling trip reports, taking photographs of HAFF events, and organizing store rooms. He will be responsible for Haitian government and legal work, Haiti tax payments, mission study team coordination, mission study team curriculum development, showing the Jesus Film, financial and donor development, public relations, his family's milk program, and home visitations.
This is Barb Van Schoyck's first year not teaching. She will be responsible for human resources, the Zandolit gift shop (see earlier blog), the Young Leaders for God Class, any future expansion of the Non-Formal programs, organizing school field trips, and her Bible study with the ladies of Riske. With Greg she will be responsible for mission study team curriculum development, showing the Jesus Film, financial and donor development, public relations, their family's milk program, and home visitations. She will advise the scholarship committee and serve as she has time and she will be the liaison between the school personnel and the MT. Finally, she will oversee school devotions, Primary School Teacher Training Project and the Godly Woman Class.

This is also my first year not teaching. I will continue to serve on the MT with Greg and eventually Colin. As a member of the MT, I will oversee photocopies being made, formal education (BTI), and security. I will train Colin to eventually assume the HAFF field bookkeeping duties, and the MFI billing. I will help with payroll, reconciling trip reports, and taking photographs of HAFF events. I will type all meeting minutes and send them to the board president and vice president, plan the meals for the mission study teams and supervise the marketing, I will head the scholarship committee, run the eyeglass clinic and do home visitations.

Colin will eventually join Greg and Connie on the MT. He will assume from Connie the HAFF bookkeeping responsibilities, he will do the MFI billing, help with payroll, reconciling trip reports, Haiti tax payments, and organizing store rooms. He will do home visitations. With Greg he will oversee transportation, infrastructure and maintenance and making bricks. With his wife Carla he will oversee the Ag Extension Project, Project Healthy Family and HAFF farm activities.
Carla will work with Greg on the Haitian government and legal work and with Barb on human resources and organizing school trips. She will help take photographs of HAFF events and organize store rooms. She will work on a new sign for HAFF's front gate and do home visitations. She will oversee the school lunch program, the school library, the Medical Clinic, and with Colin will oversee the Ag Extension Project, Project Healthy Family and HAFF Farm activities.
Dr Jerry in addition to his dental work will help oversee infrastructure and maintenance. He will help organize store rooms, show the Jesus Film, do Home Visitations and continue his preaching in the area churches.

Becky Wilson will help make photocopies, help Barb in Zandolit, help organize store rooms, work with the Van Schoyck's family milk program, and do home visitations.

Rachel: will help take photographs of HAFF events, help Barb in Zandolit, will work with her mother on the new HAFF sign, help organize store rooms, and will do home visitations.

The Van Schoycks, Connie, the Wilsons, and Jerry will share the trips to Cap, implementing the mission study team curriculum, make emergency hospital runs, and recruit new Haitian and American staff. Greg and Connie and Colin will share going to Fon Koze, the alternative bank in Pignon. 

What's a Zandolit?

What is a Zandolit? It is the Creole word for the Haitian Anole -- those little chameleons that run all over the place in Haiti and Florida and eat pesky bugs like mosquitoes. We at HAFF are very fond of our Zandolits. But at HAFF Zandolit has another meaning as well. It is the gift shop HAFF operates to give local vendors a chance to sell their wares to visitors. The shop is named for the chameleons who live there!
This is Barb with two of Zandolit's over 200 vendors. Some of the vendors sell locally produced items. Others purchase items in Cap Haitien or Port-au-Prince and bring them to the shop. It all means lots of items for visitors to choose from and is a source of income for many in the Bohoc/Pignon area. 

Zandolit ready for the team to come and shop!
Since January 2004, HAFF Mission Study Teams have put over $8700 US into the local economy! What a blessing to the community!
 

Dorm Porch Expansion Complete!

The Dorm porch expansion project is mostly done except for some cosmetic details. But the place is extremely useful! I just want to give you a better view of the finished product as it is now ready for HAFF mission study teams to enjoy.

There are 3 photos of the kitchen below and then below that the porch as it is readied for the Iowa City team that was here at the end of January.

The porch is to the left through the open pass through. Look at those glossy cement counter tops! The sinks are in place and the barrel is ready to receive water directly from the well in the corner. The door to the store room is open to the left.
Here is the center island all done with the old charcoal stove to the right. The pass through is to the left. The floor is still tracked with dust and needs to be cleaned.
And look at those lovely sinks! No taps yet, but they drain! No more scattering dirty dish water in the yard! 

Mme Raisius arranges flowers for the rooms to prepare for the team's arrival.
And places one arrangement in the center of the round dining table.
Mme Davide and Mme Ezayi get lunch ready for the team.
While Se Jesula sets the table. All ready for the first team! 

Godly Woman Class Devotions

In the last 2 weeks or so, I have been asked to lead devotions for the 2 Godly Woman classes, Klas Bon Fanm Tout Bon and Klas Bon Jen Fanm Tout Bon.

The Tuesday the team was here I gave the Klas Bon Fanm ladies an adaptation of the Bruce Wilkinson book Secrets of the Vine elucidating John 15: 1-8, the parable of the vine and the branches. Then that same Wednesday, I shared with the Bon Jen Fanm ladies about purity of heart. This coming Thursday I will share with the Bon Jen Fanm class the first part of the Secrets of the Vine study.

These are two themes of the Godly Woman classes – purity and fruit bearing for the Lord. As such, Madame Gesson asked Barb and me to order tee-shirts for all the ladies in the 2 classes with the designs in this blog as the front and back of the tee-shirt. It will be their uniform for the rest of the year and for graduation. The front (with the vine) says “Inside HAFF we teach a Godly Woman class 10 October 2006 till 19 May 2007”. The back (with the hearts) says”Proverb 31:10-31 It is not easy for a person to find a good woman... she has more worth than a ball of gold.” Pray for these women as they go against so much in their culture to keep their hearts pure and to boldly bear fruit for their Lord. 

Devotions and The Young Leaders for God Class

Derold Mompremier, coordinator with Barb Van Schoyck of the Young Leaders class, has gone to University this year. So, there was no new class of Young Leaders this year.

But the 2 previous classes were so insistent that the class was so important, that Barb agreed to do some special seminars with them throughout the year.

This is one that was done recently taking advantage of our former students (including Derold) who are now in University and were home for the holidays.

Then, came the idea to use the Young Leaders for God as the Devotions Team for school! Now, every Friday, Barb meets with members of the Young Leaders classes to study the Bible verses which will be used in devotions for the following week. The Young Leaders then volunteer for various days and various verses for the week to come and then go and prepare devotions for the school based on what they had studied together. They are doing a great job. Pray for them as they minister to their fellow students. 

In Memoriam.... Again.

Once again a well beloved member of the Bohoc/LaJeune community has died suddenly of a stroke. We got word this morning that Mme Jordainie Joseph died either yesterday or this morning in Cap Haitien. She was on her way to the United States with her husband Pastor Jordainie. He is the pastor of the local Body of Christ Church near HAFF in LaJeune.
Madame Jordainie (left) will be greatly missed by many. My cook said this morning, "many of the things I know, I learned from Mme Jordainie." She crafted some of the most exquisite embroidery in the area and taught many of the women in our Godly Women classes the skill. She was a wife and mother without reproach and a true help meet to her husband. Her loss is a sorrow to many. Please pray for her family, friends and church family as they prepare for the funeral. She is in the morgue in Cap Haitien now until the family can be gathered.