Saved souls from the ghettoes of Haiti

Haiti, the world’s first black-led republic, celebrated the bicentenary of independence from the French in 2004. But it continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world and a byword for violence, instability and dictatorship.

HAITI — Reaching the fringe communities is the Haitian Bible Society’s initiative to take God’s Word to people in the country’s ghettoes, with help from volunteers in churches and other groups. So far some 15,000 Haitian New Testaments have been distributed – many of them in December when Bible Sunday was celebrated. Since that day an elderly woman and a young man have each testified as to how their lives have been changed by an encounter with God through his Word.

The woman’s testimony

It was late in the evening. I was lying on my cot with my granddaughter next to me when I heard a knock at my door. It had been raining all day and the alleyways of the slum were filled with debris. To my surprise, when I opened the door I saw Mista, a young girl who lives with a man called ‘Ti Paste’ which means ‘the Little Preacher’. Her little arms were stacked with about a dozen New Testaments. “Here!” she said. “Take these and may God bless you!” “Where is ‘Ti Paste’?” I asked her. “He is sick and sent me instead,” she replied. “He has had this New Testament to give to you since last Sunday, but because he hasn’t been feeling too good he couldn’t do it in person. And as he knows that Bible Celebration Day is near he did not want you to miss that celebration or to be without the Word of God.” With that she was gone – on to deliver the next copy of the New Testament. It took me a while to sleep that night, with the thought in my mind of how this young girl, dedicated to the task of filling in for her master, had brought comfort and joy to my home. I was also worried about the future of my granddaughter: what kind of environment was she growing up in? Would she be all right? Then a comforting thought occurred to me: she will have that bright young girl Mista as her guide – and the words of Jesus, too, provided I allow her that chance by accepting Jesus as my Saviour. So here I am this morning, ladies and gentlemen! Accept me as one of yours and help me to flourish in the teaching of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus.

The young man’s testimony

A street scene in Cité Soleil, one of the poorest areas of Port-au-Soleil, Haiti [photo: UBS/Larry Jerden WR409/19 HAI01DJ-21C]

Two weeks ago I was on my way home. It was late in the evening and I was carrying a couple of bags of food home to my sisters. As I walked along the almost empty streets, suddenly there was a burst of gunfire and bullets started flying around. This is a regular event most evenings in our neighbourhood. Armed men made it a sport to provoke some of the United Nations guards posted around the area. Naturally, the guards responded, and soon a gun battle was going on. Before I had time to duck behind a garbage container, I felt a stinging on the left side of my chest, and looking down I saw a small hole in my shirt pocket. In momentary panic, I thought I was dying. Realising a few seconds later that I was still conscious, I felt the left side of my shirt and pulled out a pocket-sized Bible – actually a New Testament – that I had been given by a man I had met earlier that day. “Take this and have a good read,” he had told me. “Trust me – it will save your life!” When I got home and told my mom what had just happened she was so grateful for the second chance I had been given that she asked me to promise to her to testify about it in our church, so that everyone listening could have my testimony as an example of what God can do for you when you give your all to him. Before, I was just ‘a regular Christian’. Now, I make it my duty to be a beacon for the spreading of the Gospel. Magda Victor, General Secretary of the Haitian Bible Society, adds: “These testimonies are refreshing for our spirits. They give meaning to our faith and propel us to work harder so that the Word of God shines through us in our everyday life. We are convinced that were it not for the elderly lady’s encounter with the young girl and the young man’s experience in the street, those two souls would not have been in church that day to share their testimonies and to challenge us to give God’s Word to those who can not afford it. If further funding is available, we will extend the project.

This story refers to project 77503.(WR 409/19 - 03.07) [2 photos]