A Haitian Christmas

Well, Haitian's start church early!  (Before it gets too hot) we went to a Baptist church in Masse a part of Cayes, maybe an area of Cayes... ??  they are in the process of building a new church and just took down the walls of the old church and strung up tarps to shield the sun.  It is completely cement like most construction around here.  They are still trying to perfect the tarp system... parts of it fell and parts didn't quite shield the sun... but this is Haiti... :)

This is the church's neighbor

view of pulpit from where I was sitting

We arrived as they were finishing Sunday School.  Pastor Johnny started and talked of the Christmas story and how Joseph and Mary had to trust God.  and the Christ was brought not is a hotel but in a lowly stable with the lowliest people.  There was an old Pastor visiting there and he came to encourage the church there in their building efforts. They just held their conference last week and he told them that all the other churches are praying for them, compared them to those in Nehemiah time who built in spite of the adversity that was around them.   He looked old and barely got around, but he was a powerful speaker!! (Tim interpreted for us as things were spoken.)

At the end of the service there was a dedication of a little girl about 3-4 months old.  They dedicate their children, commit them to the Lord until the child is old enough to make the decision on her own.  They ask the parents if they will raise her in God's ways and then the congregation if they will support this family in this effort... something along those lines... :)
It was pretty amazing sitting in a neighborhood of house upon house, seeing the poverty all around and yet to sing along with the Haitians Count Your Many Blessings name them one by one... after the service Tim told them who their visitors were.  In the prayers through out the services they prayed for the missionaries, for Mr. Tim and his family and asked for a blessing for how they help them. 

After the service they all came and shook our hands.

The cute kids all cleaned up in their best.

After church we came home and I called and we all talked to Leah.  It was good to talk to her.
Then we went out to a missionary's house that has taken over a sports/recreation area.  They are looking to restore it and build new to support a sports area for schools, orphanages ect to bring the kids to have a fun day or short stay.  It is right on the coast where a river empties into the ocean.  they currently have local kids come in, when their kids are back around from college, as a local outreach.  All the different missionary organizations come together for these Holiday gatherings. It was a potluck dinner and ham, everything was good! Hung around there and played volleyball, kayaked of canoed  up the river. Came home and ate again!!  I though people starved in Haiti?!!  Joan had bought some fresh lobster from a fisherman on  Friday so we had boiled and grilled lobster (for the brave shellfish eaters that is...). It was good lobster!! Headed to bed tired again...

These are more for the sound than the video.  Didn't want to be obviously videoing... :) but wanted to share them singing...