The 'Ministry of Presence' in Haiti

Every eye turned to look at the people in our vehicle as we slowly rumbled along the winding dirt and gravel road to Sous Savanne, the small village in Haiti where Hope Force has been working. They were quick to smile in response when we waved. "Bonjour!" As we pulled up next to the compound where two "Houses of Hope" were being painted, several kids ran to greet us -- one two-and-a-half year old girl bounding over so full of joy she could hardly contain herself.

On day one of painting, the man and woman who lived in the first house seemed a little bit ill at ease. But as the days went by, their compound was bustling with volunteers, neighbors, community leaders and kids who all helped them paint their home. (The home owners participate in painting so that they have "ownership" right from the beginning.)

Although no one was directly "preaching" to them, they closely observed joyful Christian fellowship between folks from around the world and heard community leaders Joseph and Badin patiently teaching Marc phrases such as "Jesus loves you" in Creole (they were amused by Marc's attempts at pronunciation.)

Badin himself still lives with his wife and two little girls in a wood-framed shelter with tarps for walls. But he served his neighbors daily, strengthening relationships with members of the Sous Savanne community.

In between home visits, HFI staffer Marianne Lako, Christine (also from MTI) and I played games nearby under the trees, made colored bead bracelets with the kids and sang with them over and over in Creole. By day four, the man from the first house came out to the road to greet the guys and the woman benefiting from the new home, Lusianna, was all smiles. They are accepted, cared for and loved -- and they feel it.

We walked through the village every day, visiting families in their shelter-homes. They graciously hurried chairs outside for us. One man even climbed his coconut tree to provide us all with a fresh snack.

Every day we checked in on one woman who had recently given birth to twins. The first day she was pretty grumpy. A six-year-old boy sat inside, barely moving, wearing only an inside out, backwards polo shirt. He never made a peep and never smiled. A naked two-year-old girl made her way around greeting everyone. Every day we encouraged this mom of seven children. Christine and Marianne advised her and commented on the blessedness of having neighbors who came to help her.

After a day or two, we noticed the shelter was tidy, the mom more cheerful. On Wednesday Christine brought shorts and t-shirts for the two young children, and a necklace and tiny doll for the little girl. By the fourth day the mom and dad came out of the home smiling to greet us, and the kids ran after us with big smiles. They are accepted, cared for, loved -- and they feel it.

It is so easy to fall in love with these beautiful people. It was rewarding to form relationships and bring expressions of God's love to them. His love has no language barrier. It was a full week, but what blessed me most was seeing the people respond to being treated with the great value God has placed on each life.

At the beginning of our journey we wondered, can "ministry of presence" happen in just four or five days? Could one week make a difference? We know now that just being there helps build bridges that can bring people closer to the God who loves them. Working together on a project unites members of the community and strengthens the ties with their leaders who love God and want to honor Him within their village culture.

During our visit, HFI staffers Rene and Marianne made it so easy for us. They graciously guided us through the trip, and we enjoyed their company very much. They live in Haiti and have established a presence in Sous Savanne. They are clearly both loved and respected there. It was a pleasure to join in the ongoing work, and we plan to return.

It has been a month since we returned, but we still think of our new friends in Sous Savanne every day and are praying and seeking for God's increased provision for "our village."