Creole: My Open Door to Love in Haiti

My prayer for this trip to Haiti was for God to transform me into a vessel of love…that each person who crossed paths with me in Haiti would feel Jesus’ love with much intensity. 

Packed down with two 50lb bags of various supplies and gifts for Pastor Nahum and his family I traveled from Texas to Haiti not having much clue as to what I would do.  I just knew the opportunity presented itself, my heart desired to go, and my passion is to love the Haitian people...faith carried me.

Mama and Papa Nahum with sisters Kathryn, Rebeka, and Nadege

I don’t think I have ever laughed as much as I laughed during this last trip I had to Haiti. 

By God’s grace, He inspired me to begin learning the Creole language about 4 days before I left.  God knew the combination of my boldness along with my very weak ability to speak Creole would be the key to bringing joy and laughter to the country of Haiti.  It would be the key to opening the doors between myself and a people who would have spent several days becoming very nauseated of simply smiling and waving at me otherwise.   

I carried my little English/Haitian Creole dictionary with me everywhere I went during my time with Papa Nahum and his family.  The orphan children would laugh at my sad attempts to communicate.  Then with purpose and determination, they would correct my Creole.  No doubt they had their hands full and a large mission before them dealing with me, but victory was accomplished.  Whenever I grasped a word they would let out loud cheers.  As I picked up entire phrases and could go back and forth with them for two or three phrases at a time, they went crazy. 

How could I not learn Creole when I’m surrounded by the very people God holds so dear to His heart cheering me on with adoring support? 

Creole with the children...SO FUN!!

 

Praise God, I was able to interact with everyone.  I just carried my little Creole book with me everywhere and if I forgot it in the house and one of the orphans or people from the village came up to me to talk and I didn’t have it, either one of the children would run and get it for me or I would go get it.  With all the Creole I was learning, I’m confident if I taught them any English it was through my gross repetition of the phrase, “let me check my book.”  Surely they can all say that in English:)   

My Creole book will forever be a sweet memory to me from this Haiti trip.  This book was considerably worn from the tedious use it endured. 

I would have it sitting with me under the tent, that was their kitchen, as I cooked alongside mama and the children.  She would say something to me and I would stop cleaning the potatoes and reach for my book with the dirt from the potatoes I had been cleaning on my fingers.  As I flipped to the page that would give me the ability to interact with her,  I left dirt stained outer edges on the pages reminding me of this sweet time and laughter I had with Mama in the kitchen. 

It was hard to get Mama Nahum to let me help in the kitchen...she always wanted me to be sitting down:)

Papa Nahum’s older children are learning English and so when I didn’t have my book, many times I saw them using it to study.   

Oh, I so wanted to bring my book home with me as a keepsake.  The thought of having this book with my name written in red ink on the inside flap along with all of the charm it now held as it passed through the hands of so many people I love was very tempting.  However, the thought of having this treasure left in the hands of the very ones I love so much brought me even greater joy.  So, I left the book and now today I write about it as a reminder and when I go back I will take another one.  The book was an open door for me to love my Haitian family the way I wanted to.  Thank you, Jesus (Mersi Jezi)!!  

My sweet sister, Kathryn, who I was so blessed to share this trip with is holding the treasured book I have written about.

One of my most used Creole phrases was:   Souple pale Creole dousma!  This means, please speak Creole slowly.

We did a lot of joking and laughing in Creole.  I often said silly things to them I knew were not true and then finished it off with much animation and body language saying, “M' ba blag,” which means, I’m just joking.  We had some really good times!! 

My prayer is that through my experience I will somehow be able to articulate this extraordinarily sensitive rendering of a place and a people and through it all God will move the hardest hearts.  I desire to correctly portray Haitians as an intelligent, inventive, courageous, generous and dignified people and thus give the Haitians the respect they are due.

I never imagined myself as a missionary or whatever you call it I'm doing in Haiti.  Honestly I’m not a big fan of titles…I would say I have just taken a leap of faith with the heart to love the body of Christ…for me, this has led me to Papa Nahum and his ministry and adopting the twins from Haiti.  I said yes to Jesus and the reward of this obedience comes served on a beautiful platter set right before my eyes as the blessing to walk, play, talk, eat, pray, sing, and worship with my family in Haiti...completely indescribable!

I experienced so many moments I will forever treasure on this Haiti trip and over the next few weeks  as I have time to reflect and pray about everything God did, I will write about all of them...there are things that blew my mind...that's how awesome our God is!  You can't make this stuff up!  Praise God!! 

It seems like I was either laughing or crying the whole time I was there…most of the tears cried where tears of being overwhelmed by the presence of God through worshiping and praying with the people of Haiti…it was so good!  There were some sad tears on the last day but only because to leave these people that God himself has brought me into relationship with, is painful to the flesh.  Even today I fight back some tears as I feel torn between two homes.  Mwen manke fanmi an Ayiti mwen anpil.  Mwen tris.      

The only thing that brings me relief from the sadness of leaving Haiti is knowing I will be back again, and that while I’m here, Trey and I are in this together and there are many things for us to do to serve the LORD on behalf of our family in Haiti.  God calls us to be the voice of the poor, needy, and orphan. We will be seeking avenues for making contacts and fund raising in hopes to help Papa Nahum provide the basic needs of food and shelter for the orphans he cares for.  No child should go without food and not have a bed with a roof over their heads…

The orphans only have tents to sleep in at night...when they are tired during the hot days they have no place to take naps because the tents are too hot.

...these are real people with real needs and not only that, they are children of God who we are called to look after as the body of Christ.   “Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”(Galatians 6:10). 

My prayer is that God will stir your heart to see this need and join me to defend the needs of the weak.  I will be giving more details of Pastor Nahum’s ministry and vision soon and providing opportunities for you to become a part of being a voice to change the lives of some of the most desperate needs of the Haitian people.  Pastor Nahum is the real deal…a man of God who fears the Lord and lives his life with honesty, integrity, and according to the Word.  He is a river of Jesus’ love. 

Papa Nahum preaching a Wednesday night service

     

I believe nothing is impossible with God and if you want to be used He will use you.

When we realize the lack of satisfaction and emptiness of spending our lives for ourselves and turn our heart to God and obey His word, we will then spend ourselves on behalf of the poor and oppressed.  This is the place where we find true blessings, hope, joy, peace, and purpose as we walk out the Gospel of Christ Jesus.    

I say to the LORD, “use me.”

I don’t know what lies ahead.  What I do know is God has put Haiti on our hearts and linked us forever with Haiti in a very personal way.  I don’t feel worthy of such an honor.  So, with much fear and trembling Trey and I continue to seek God together and in faith, step by step, we walk down the narrow path prepared before us.  

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  Matthew 25:40