The last two nights we have gone to bed to the sound of Creole hymns, and the last two mornings we’ve woken up to the same sound. In the afternoons, the mission compound has been silent, the usual bustle of boys working in the yard and wash women yelling bonjour strangely absent. And since Thursday evening, the stores, the market, and the wharf have all been closed. What’s the reason for these services and this silence?
A few weeks ago, the Church in Haiti asked everyone in the country to pray February 12th, 13th, and 14th, and it seems like the whole country listened. Churches everywhere have been holding services that started early Friday morning and will continue until tomorrow. In Anses-a-Galets, we have been able to hear church services all over town. Even the town square is filled with worshipers who have gathered to sing, pray, and listen to speakers.
Leaders called for this prayer time in response to the desperate post-earthquake needs of this nation. The country still lies in shambles and the violence and anarchy of Haiti’s history seem close at hand, but the Church is reacting against the past and looking forward to a more positive future. Churches here have seen a large number of people turning away from sin and back to God since the events of January 12th. They are continuing to ask people to turn to God and pray that He’d heal this nation.
This kind of declaration is monumental in a country with a heritage of voodoo and ancestor worship. And this Haitian initiated, Haitian led national time of prayer is a testimony to the strength of the third, fourth, and fifth generation Christians in this country. Please pray with the Haitian Church that God would use this time to change the hearts of people of Haiti and that He’d bring His redemption in a place facing so much devastation.
