My long awaited return to Haiti was finally here. It had been a year since I had been there. I was heading down to a Christianville Board Meeting and then spending some time at a couple of churches and an orphanage in the mountains. Finally, I was going to preach at the La Salle church on Sunday.
This trip, this country, this mission is special to me because this is where God changed the direction of my life as a sophomore in college. I went with a group from Milligan College to work at Christianville over our Christmas break. I remember Port au Prince being hot, busy and dirty. As we got out to Christianville it was still hot but much more beautiful then the city. We had a great 10 days of work and ministry. At the time I didn't realize that it would take me 20 plus years to return.
Several years ago God opened the door for me to join the Board of Directors for Christianville. My first Board meeting was at Christianville. It was so different when I finally returned. Health clinics, elementary, high school and college kids, a guest house, a growing farm that included fish ponds.... My how things had changed.
This was my third Board meeting at Christianville. The economic situation in the states had affected Christianville as much as other missions around the world and in our own country. This was going to be a challenging meeting but a good time to be with those on site who serve there day after day after day.
We arrived on Wednesday afternoon. The duration of the trip from Port to Gressier took us toward dinner time. We finally arrived at Christianville and joined up with other Board members who had arrived earlier in the day. Our evening was spent in fellowship and sharing about issues that faced Christianville. Then it was time for bed. It's a challenge to sleep away from home, especially in third world countries. Dogs bark throughout the night and then the roosters begin crowing way before daylight.
The next morning after breakfast we began our Board Meeting. The morning was spent with some folks who were a part of the history of Christianville. They helped us understand more about the past as we were getting ready to address the future. After lunch we began hear reports from the various ministries that make up Christianville. This continued into the next morning then after lunch we had to tackle some tough issues and make some tough decisions. We went into the night so we could finish up. The two days had been long and tough but productive. We closed our meeting time with prayer.
Early Saturday several of the Board members packed up and headed home. Those of us who were staying a few more days walked to the village just beyond Christianville. Two boys took us to their home to meet their family. It was good to see where they lived and to meet their mom, dad, brothers, sisters.... After our walk about we returned to Christianville for lunch.
That afternoon we loaded up in the truck and headed up into the mountains. We visited two churches. The first church is basically an open air church. The pastor is legally blind. His assistant brought him out to meet with us. We shared for a bit and then had prayer with him. The second church is further up in the mountains. The bottom floor is complete but the second floor is still under construction. They build as they have the money to do so. One of the church leaders and his kids showed us around. We concluded our time with them in prayer as well. After the church visits we returned to Christianville for dinner. As usual, the food was delicious.
The next morning I had the opportunity to preach at the La Salle church which is right next to Christianville. After a great time of worship I shared with them from Acts 2.
That afternoon we decided to visit an orphanage up in the mountains. The way there was quite bumpy and at times we were not sure we were on the right path. Recent storms made it a bit of a challenge to navigate the landscape. We arrived at the orphanage as the light of day of dimming. We brought with us a sack of rice and a sack of beans. Amy and Doug had gotten word that the orphanage was running out of food. Everyone was excited to see us and see that we brought food along. They showed us all around the orphanage and the church. We had a great time. Now it was dark and time to return to Christianville. It was hard to believe that this was my last night at Christianville.
The next morning after breakfast we left Christianville for the airport. Our trip to the airport went well so we were there a bit early. After getting checked in we were able to go upstairs to relax and grab a bite to eat. We visited for a bit and then headed downstairs to board the plane. The flights to Miami and Jacksonville were good. The layover in Miami was long so we had plenty of time to eat dinner, drink coffee and talk more about Christianville and the challenges that face it.
My late arrival in Jacksonville meant a very late arrival in Gainesville. I was glad the drive home was uneventful and that I was able to crawl into my own bed. I slept great. No dogs barking. No roosters crowing. It was good to be home.
The plan is to return to Christianville next October to meet again. I am praying that we will see good fruit growing as a result of decisions that were made. Please keep Christianville, Haiti and the kids in your prayers.
