I wanted to share a little bit about our trip to Haiti this past summer!
I had no idea what to expect on this trip just that Emily and I would be teaching Vacation Bible School to about 100 children in a small village just outside of Petite Goave called Morne Tapion.
We broke down the book of Esther into 4 days and had a craft for the boys & a craft for the girls specific for that day to go along with the lesson.
The place where all of this went down was at a school in the village. They wereon vacation (summer break) so the school was used as a gathering place to teach VBS, hold medical clinic for adults in the village, feed the kids and for CPA to lead a Women's Bible study.
The plan was the teach the kids the lesson combined with a translator and then split with Emily taking the girls & me with the boys for crafts. Our first craft were crowns!
It was extremely challenging to communicate with these kids due to our lack of French/Creole & only having 1 translator.We did a lot of holding things up and showing them what to do. They are super smart :)
The boys Day 1.
There were a LOT of kids the first day!
Day 1 I noticed there was a significant amount of small children and a handful of older ones. Older meaning 12+. There was one in particular that was in the back of the room. His name is Ydson, pronounced "Edson." He was quiet but participated. He wasn't loud or seeking attention. He had a gentle disposition and was willing to help me with the smaller ones if I asked him. I was drawn to him & wanted to know more about his story when time allowed.
After craft time we did recreation and passed out some small light up footballs and got out the bubble guns. They loved it!
And a local climb up a coconut tree with his machete and cut off the top for us to drink some fresh coconut juice! It was warm and sweet!
Day 3 was the day in our lesson we prepared to share the Gospel. Our craft that day were salvation bracelets.
The challenge with so many children is that it's hard to do things with few hands. Emily and I laid in the bed the night before and begged the Lord for wisdom in just logistically and simply presenting the Gospel and executing the craft so that it would be as effective as possible. Knowing the Holy Spirit is Who draws the salvation but wanting the lesson do be done the best way possible with as much organization as we could.
Up until Day 3 we had gathered all of the children in one room, boys & girls for the Bible teaching and Em took the girls and I took the boys for craft but by Day 3 there were SO MANY more kids.
We ended up after the lesson taking a small group, around 40, into a separate room with Emily and I & a translator and doing the craft and then bringing in another set of kids. It worked perfectly and we praised Him for the insight He gave! We were able to easily communicate the Gospel and each color of the salvation bracelet & what they symbolized! They repeated to us what each meant and we really felt they understood!
Towards the end of the craft we asked if anyone in the room had accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and several of them raised their hands, including Ydson! I was thrilled and relieved all at the same time!! I turned my back from them and just thanked the Lord for Ydson's salvation! I have no idea why I had this reaction. I guess bc I had been wondering if he was saved but just couldn't get to him to talk! My thoughts immediately went to discipleship, accountability, mentorship, what's his prayer life like, has he been baptized. Does he have a Bible? Who is pouring in to young man's life and teaching him God's Word?! I longed for some time with him to talk!!
They asked for soccer balls during recreation and we didn't have any with us so when we went to market that afternoon we bought them boys some soccer balls!
Emily snapped some pictures of Ydson and I playing keep away with some of the other boys!
One afternoon we had some down time and I asked one of the boys, name Regal who knew English if he would be willing to translate for me bc I really wanted to sit down with Ydson and know more about him. I wanted to know how long he had been saved, if he was an orphan or lived at home with his parents. I just wanted to talk with him. He said sure. Turns out, Regal the translator & Ydson are cousins.
So we pulled up a couple of chairs and Ydson was looking at me like I was a crazy blanc (white) and I could tell he wasn't sure what was going on . I told Regal our translator to tell him that I was a momma of 3 boys, the oldest being 13 & that the Lord had fashioned my heart for boys and I that is why I was drawn to him. I begin to show him pictures of my husband and children on my phone and after a few minutes he felt comfortable enough to ask me a few questions.
He wanted to know what school was like in the States so I told him what an average day looked like for Cameron and what his activities consisted of. He wanted to know about soccer and sports so I told him about Roger coaching with the church soccer and that my boys played.
Then I asked him some questions.
He told me the date he was saved and said he had not been baptized. He is not an orphan and lives with his family. His father is a masonary and his mother makes and sells things. He is 17 and in the 7th grade and loves school. He has 3 sisters and 1 brother and they were all there.
As we were talking a young woman came up and pulled up a chair and sat down. She had been there all week and was a familiar face. She began asking Regal, the translator, questions to me. Was I married, did I have children, how old were they. After she learned that we have all boys she said "You need a girl!" I pointed to my stomach and told her that I couldn't have children any longer and she grabbed my arm with the look of sadness on her face. After a few minutes of trying to explain that we were adopting she finally understood. I told her that we were open to a boy or a girl.
She asked me what would I name her if we had a girl and I told her LILY.
Regal, our translator, busted out laughing.
I asked him what he was laughing at and this was his response as he pointed to Ydson....
"That is his nickname in the village; Lily. They have called him that his whole life."
Ydson's nickame in the village is Lily.
What.in.the.WORLD.
I stood up and tried to find Emily with my eyes since she was the ONLY one there who would get why in the WORLD I was sitting there with tears streaming down my face. I couldn't find her so I sat there in the center of all of those faces staring at me and all I could say was "Jezi" which means Jesus.
Please don't read this and think that I think of this as some sort of sign because I don't.
I really don't. I do think, I KNOW, the Lord is intimately involved in a every detail of our lives though and that little moment in the village on the side of a mountain in Haiti that day was no happen stance.
The very last day was my favorite time with Ydson. From the moment I found out he was saved I wanted to talk with Him about the Lord and see what his relationship with Christ looked like. Before we left I took out my Bible and Ydson, Regal and myself stood there and talked about God's Word. He thumbed through the pages like he had never seen one before, looking at the front and back, scanning the pages with his hands. Come to find out he doesn't-well didn't- own one.
He does now! And so does Regal.
Regal to the left & Ydson to the right.
"This book is more important than any other book you have, Ydson.Treasure this Book & read it everyday." We talked that day about creation, fruit of the Spirit, Proverbs, lust, purity, him leading his brothers & sisters. I wished so badly we could have talked for several hours but we only little time left. Since then, I've prayed some of the same prayers for Ydson that I have my own boys.
To say that I'm excited to see him again and hear all about what God has done in his life over this past year is an understatement. I'm OVER THE MOON excited!!
If it's the Lords will, we will return to Haiti this July and Roger and Cameron will go with us! I left burdened for discipleship with those older kids. (Esp the boys) They are the next generation growing up in that village. They are the next leaders! Roger is preparing several lessons to teach them while we are there. You can be in prayer for that!
Lily in Haiti.... who would've guessed it? :)
May the things of Earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory & grace,
Kim
