Back Home!

I arrived safely back home on Friday night, June 27. It sounded good when the passport official said, "Welcome home!"

This was the best trip to Haiti for me yet. I've only been three times, but the first two seemed like "get acquainted" trips. This time I accomplished the two tasks I had set out for myself, or were set out for me: to help paint one of the kids' houses and to preach in a local church.

One of the things that became more evident than ever before is the need for the walls between churches to come down. Pwoje Espwa is not a Catholic project, even though Fr. Marc is a Catholic priest. Certainly the Spirit of Jesus is evident at Espwa. But there is no proselytism going on. The church I preached in is evangelical. There was no pressure there either. But both Espwa and the evangelical church bring the gospel of Jesus Christ in uncompromising and clear ways.

There are many reasons for the suffering in Haiti. I would never claim to understand it all. There are spiritual, social, economic, cultural and historical elements to the difficulties in Haiti. There is no one answer to the problems of Haiti. And yet there is one answer: love in Jesus Christ. Love that is grounded in faith. I heard someone say that those who make it for the long haul have faith; the purely humanitarian worker will burn out more easily. Faith looks beyond all the reasons given for Haiti's difficulties and says, "Trust in God, live the gospel - be faithful."

I have come to love the Haitian people. My time with the little church in Guillioux brought me closer to the people than in the other two trips. I pray that God will keep us in relationship through the months until I am able to return.

By the way, I heard through the grapevine that there is someone in Florida who actually reads this blog. Thanks!