Haiti - Day 2

Sunday - December 30, 2012

We awoke at 6 am to a wonderful breakfast and then headed out to Pastor Ceynor's church.  This is the church that Grey Stone has helped so much with.  He used to be referred to as "the rooftop church", but that building was damaged in the earthquake so he had to move locations.  Below is a picture from his current location looking out over the hillside and his former location was out there somewhere.  He pointed out where, but I never fully understood where he was talking about.

Pastor Ceynor is a wonderful man of God.  I liked him immediately!!  It was very cool listening to this Hatian congregation singing in a different language.  They had an electric guitar and drums and a very expressive worship leader!  I wish now that I'd taken some video of the worship service - note to self:  Do this next time you go!!     It was also VERY LOUD.   I found out later; however, that the reason is so that the message is heard all over the mountainside for those that are unable to physically attend.  And not to mention, those that would not attend are also hearing the message!!  I sang 2 songs for them and Randall preached.

I thought I had a picture of me as well, but can't find it. - sorry!


At the end of the service Pastor Ceynor had 3 ladies and an older couple come up front for Randall to pray specifically for.  At the time we did not know the individual stories of these folks, but after the service when Pastor Ceynor was showing us the school area, he told us about the ladies.  They were all involved in prostitution.  They told Pastor Ceynor that they cannot be baptized because of this sin in their lives, but they cannot stop either.  One of the ladies in particular is basically a prostitute slave to a married man.  He pays her $100 a week (I believe) and that is how she feeds her family which consists of herself and several siblings.  If she were to break it off with this man, she would have to uproot her family and move very far away because he might kill her.  In trying to put his heartache into English words for us he said "I have tears in my heart."  What an incredible description of heartache.  I cannot fathom the magnitude of desperation that is to prostitute yourself just to put food on the table.

Every single person in that congregation came by to shake our hands, hug us, and even the children kissed our cheeks to let us know they were glad we were there.   I felt very welcome!   While Pastor Ceynor was showing us around the church property, which consisted of a couple of homes and a school, a couple of the ladies that lived in one of the homes came over and was rubbing my hair.  They did the same to Allyson's as well.  I think the liked the softness and the feel of it.  It was hilarious!!  I would never walk up to a stranger from another country and just start rubbing their head!!  I didn't mind - I just thought it very funny!!!  I wish someone had taken a picture of that!

Pastor Ceynor just hugged me in a big 'ole bear hug and told me how much my singing had blessed him.   I could sing for him all the time!   Below are some more pictures around Pastor Ceynor's church:

This afternoon we went to the Phillipine UN place.  I'm not exactly sure of the name of it.  The military folks there had just arrived a few days before and will be there for 6 - 9 months.  Pastor Lenny (whom we did not get to meet because he was out of the country) is a Phillipino pastor in Haiti.  He and Jim Hambrick work with the folks at the UN location.  We went and led a worship service for them.  I sang again and Dan Curry, our college/young adult pastor, preached.  They all speak English, so this was more "normal" for us.

The funny thing was that they all wanted to have their picture taken with us - - but not all of us - just the ladies - and Pastor Dan.  Ha!  Then outside Allyson, Amanda, and Cassie were posing to have their picture taken and each of the Phillipino guys wanted to jump in - individually - and have their picture taken with them. It was hilarious!!  Allyson said who knows where their pictures are going to end up!!  All over Facebook!!  Ha!

We went back to Jim and Debbie's for dinner and games.  NOTE:  Dan is funny when he is tired!  Enough said.