The following was written by Bill Moxon after his trip to Haiti with MGM last month. For those of you who don't know Bill and Darla, they have a long history with Manna and spent close to 8 years living and working in Haiti, along with their three daughters. To try to sum up their work in this paragraph would not do them justice, but the relationships they built in Lagosette continue to bless the work there today.
Dear friends,
On one of the first mornings of my recent trip to Haiti, God’s Spirit grabbed my attention with a phrase from the 149th Psalm. It says, “He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” That promise became the theme of my 2 week mini-mission to Haiti.
Working in Haiti, especially during these post earthquake days, is like riding a roller coaster. You are careening around with a sense that you are utterly helpless, out of control, and completely at the “mercy” of Someone... and you’ve no choice but to trust and hang on. I must have seen hundreds if not thousands of UN and relief agency vehicles clamoring all over the capitol city. The traffic jams are crazy. I am happy to see this desperate land receiving so much attention right now, and yet...I guess I’ve lived long enough in Haiti to know that even if billions of dollars can be raised and thousands of humanitarian experts consulted- we would only make a bigger mess of things- unless God is in the middle of it. And that is part of why that scripture was so sustaining to me. God is our focus. Our hope is first and foremost on Him. I’m sure He can use the UN and so many other agencies, but we must keep our eyes on Him.
It was hard to keep my focus on God in the midst of the heat and busy-ness of helping Haiti. I was busy with many things- wall demolition, road reconstruction, food distribution, orphan re-location, church visitation, work team transportation, and shopping for reconstruction materials and camp supplies...and yet it was sometimes hard to find a sense of accomplishment or progress. I soon remembered and dusted off an old skill that I had developed when we lived here before- just live in this moment. Do my best with whatever I have and enjoy whomever I’m with. I made some new friends and got caught up with others. The feeling crept up on me that I could get used to this place again.
So soon my time was up! My heart and mind were swirling and churning as the bus carried me away from Haiti and towards the airport in the Dominican Republic. I knew that I needed to write-- to simply list out the scattered points of chaos that had filled my journey over the runtogetherdays. The bumpy ride didn’t hinder my handwriting as I unpacked my burdened brain. Four pages later I had a sense that though the memories were recorded I was no closer to sorting anything out. Had I accomplished anything? Had I learned anything? And what was I to do now?
I would be hostage on this stuffy bus for several more hours so I continued to brood over my list. Then that quiet promise came back to mind from Psalm 149, “He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” Surely I had not seen any fulfillment to that scripture already? Or had I? The earthquake was certainly a terrible affliction on a land already so broken. I saw the rubble and I saw the wounded. Many of us foreigners worried that the Haitian Christian’s faith would also be shaken. But I should have known better. For many generations Haitians have struggled with oppression, violence, and shortages...and yet for some, these hardships refine their faith in God. I saw the lines of people waiting in hot and dusty sunlight in hope for a bag of United Nations food. I talked late into the night with a middle-aged pastor who was sleeping in a nylon camping tent with 8 members of his extended family. He had once served as a proud guard with Baby Doc Duvalier’s soldiers. Now he was responsible for his little congregation but wondering how he could afford to rebuild his damaged home. But he did not seem panicked or stressed out, as I would be! They were hard pressed to find more extra chairs each Sunday as more and more people were coming to join their services. My tent was set up near his and each evening I could hear him lead his family in quiet hymns to God.
I set my pen down as we neared the border of the Dominican Republic, still musing over Psalm 149. The border that Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic has always been a wild place. I observed the throngs of people rushing back and forth, trying to make a little money on the goods that they are exchanging. But I marveled again at the Haitians meek submission at the Dominican border guards’ verbal and physical abuse as they command control of the scurrying crowds. Was God showing me His afflicted ones? Humility is such a precious commodity in God’s Kingdom economy!
Finally returning to my list, I reflected on the most astonishing expression of faith that I had witnessed during my mission. The Haitian government had called for 5 days of nationwide prayer and fasting. You must remember that there are all kinds of experts, teams, schemes and programs all converging on Haiti at this time. There are thousands of Haitian government, UN and NGO vehicles clogging the streets, in addition to the usual taxis, buses and freight trucks. There is a lot going on and a lot to be done. How could Haitian believers afford to ignore all this foreign aid and attention? I remembered driving around on that first morning of the fast- the foreigners’ vehicles were still zooming around, but I could find very few businesses open and almost no Haitian taxis or buses. The streets were almost empty but most every church was full of singing, praying believers. I couldn’t help but wonder if we would even get a fraction of their crowds if our leaders called our country for prayer.
This bus ride was the fourth day of the fast, yet even many miles away from the earthquake’s epicenter I could not detect diminishing faith or hope in the God who alone can beautify this afflicted nation with salvation. As my bus droned on I finally put my list away and closed my eyes as peace and gratitude flooded my heart.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Moxon
