.submitted by Will VanWyngarden on a current mission trip with PFH/HELP mission to Pignon
Today was a day of many highlights. The hustle and bustle of the work we had done thus far was
over, and we had our day of Sabbath rest.
However, today was more jam-packed with moments of emotional impact than
any day thus far. It would not be
an exaggeration to say that it was one of the most important of my life.
Before I get into the day’s activities, I must describe a moment
of levity from the previous night.
It just happened to be Daylight Savings Time, so we knew we had to turn
our clocks back. However, the concept is new in
Haiti. It hasn’t been around for
very long and it often takes a few days for it to take effect. We knew we had to be at church at 7:30
a.m., but we were unsure as to whether the church would start at the old 7:30
or the new! There was lively
discussion as to when we should wake up, when we should go to church, or
whether we would be late or early.
We still hadn’t decided by Sunday morning, but we found out that
Daylight Savings Time would be observed and we got to church on time.
We went to church with Zeke and Baby, two locals who are involved
with the organization. We knew
going in that we would be at a loss as to what was going on, as the service
would be in Creole. Zeke
would provide some translating, but he wouldn’t be able to do a complete
play-by-play. But the pastor
announced they would have a guest minister. A tall black man stood up and said “Good Morning” in perfect
English! He then told the
congregation that he was from Tennessee!
So we got to hear a sermon in English. That was certainly a blessing.
But the biggest blessing was the message he gave. He spoke of how our actions and our
lives reflect Jesus in us. We
represent Christ to the world. And
that is what we are trying to do in our time here in Haiti. We had been discussing that topic in
our evening times. At the end of
the sermon, the American pastor told us that he had not intended on preaching
that sermon this morning. God was
certainly at work!
It was an amazing feeling to sing familiar songs like “Beautiful
Savior,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
Though we weren’t singing in the same language, we were singing the same
words, praising God together, a perfect picture of eternity. The music also brought some much-needed
familiarity, even though they were accompanied by a band consisting of three
trombones, two trumpets, and a clarinet in addition to the piano! We also were privileged to take
Communion with them. Again, the
Church universal was evident this morning as we enjoyed the Lord’s Supper with
the Haitian people. It also may be
the only time I take Communion with oyster crackers as the bread and Coke as
the wine!
After lunch a few of us hiked up the mountain to the Pignon
sign. It is visible from our
compound and about halfway up the peak.
The view from the sign was incredible. The town sprawled out before us and we had a breath-taking
view of the countryside.
After our walk we got a chance to see the orphanage. 40 kids were housed there, on a
beautiful campus with many nice, new buildings. The children there were full of such joy. They loved to play with us; however, it
is safe to say that we enjoyed playing with them more. This orphanage visit was the highlight
of my week thus far.
We then walked to Zeke and Baby’s house for supper. You must understand how honored they
felt to have us in their home. But
the pleasure was truly ours. It
was humbling to hear them say how much they loved us and were honored by our
presence. It is unusual for white
people to venture into a Haitian home.
But we were truly blessed by the experience. Zeke and Baby went to some expense to provide a meal for us
and they were gracious hosts.
Again, it was truly an amazing picture of our heavenly goal. There will be no need for interpreters,
for we will all understand each other.
Today I think we all experienced a little bit of heaven.q
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