I've been there before. It's where a BEM church was once located on the banks of a river. I have had the privilege of baptizing new believers there. Two years ago the building itself was totally immersed by the raging river in a flood from a hurricane.
I now return to a new cement block building with a tin roof, not with powerful preachers, but with compassionate nurses.
We set up and in doing so we are working around a sea of hopeful people, who are waiting to be seen. Nurses consult, listen, look, and advise. Patients are sent up to the altar, usually a place for prayer but now a place to get medicines. It has become a pharmacy. They see me first. My assistant has prepared some juice. It is Piperazine. It will kill the worms in their digestive tract. They contracted those worms by drinking water in which they bathe, wash their clothes, and are baptized.
The juice is a thimble full of purple juice. I invite them to come. "Vini" I say. They come. I lift the juice to their lips. They drink and say thank you. They know it is life saving.
They move on to the pharmacy for medication for their pain, as they go I pray for them. "God go with them, strengthen their bodies. Save their souls."
Its Saturday now and we have moved on to do it all over again, in the name of Jesus. I continue to pray, "Lord take the work of our hands and the meditation of our hearts and may it be pleasing in your sight." Amen.
Your servant,
We drove to the city just to see how much of an impact one day of rain could make. The church in Les Cayes and the school has been transformed to a community center to give shelter to hundreds of families who now have no place to live.
We are safe here at the mission house, a cement block, two story home. We feel very safe and we are getting ready for church tomorrow. Services start at 7am with the French language service and at 10:30am for the English service.
As we made our way back, the rain continued to fall in torrents. When we reached the center of the city everything was under two feet of water. Disabled cars were everywhere. Pedestrians carried children and bundles and one another. I have served in missions in many places but I have never seen anything like I saw today. The rainy season has arrived early in Les Cayes. The displaced people we served who are living in tents at the soccer stadium had to be evacuated. This is just the beginning of what is going to be another agonizing trial for these beautiful people.
Our focus is shifted so easily. The great and tragic story of the Haitian earthquake is still being written. How the chapter entitled "Facing the rainy season in a makeshift shelter" turns out depends on whether or not we are still motivated into action, or lulled into complacency.
May the next deluge be a fresh shower of love and compassion.
