Author: Elliott Tenpenny

January 12, a catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck just west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It leveled many buildings and killed about 200,000 people (this number is widely debated).  Haiti was already an impoverished nation, but the earthquake was yet another blow to  its people in a long and sordid history.

Now years later, Haiti still appears to have barely started its recovery despite billions pledged in foreign aid. Grand visions proved to be pipe-dreams. Most rubble remains. Current reconstruction efforts are inadequate to meet enormous needs. So many Haitian homes were destroyed in the disaster that temporary tent cities set up in Port-au-Prince have begun to appear permanent — more than 550,000 people still live in dirty and dangerous encampments.  Reports of 7,000 deaths from cholera and over half a million infected are estimates; some evidence suggests the true figures may be double or more.

Much has been made in the media recently of the problems in Haiti. Some would point out the problems with the international aid community. A recent columnist said “Today’s Haiti looks like the earthquake happened months ago, not years. Virtually no funding actually went directly to Haiti. It was diverted to private contractors, other nations, international agencies and predatory NGOs.”

This is harsh criticism, but it may be deserved or even earned by some aid groups. However, we know that Haitian people’s greatest need is not housing, not clean water, not even lack of access to healthcare (which we care deeply about), but their greatest need is our greatest need, it is my greatest need – Jesus.

One victim of the earthquake told Associated Foreign Press, “My hope is God, not the leaders of this country”. That is the correct perspective. The hope of the Haitian people and of all people everywhere is in a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ.

That’s why we at Aid For Haiti (AFH) are involved in Haiti. When I was there in a small mountain village recently, I was reminded how much I like doing medical clinics and deeply enjoy building relationships with some our friends there, but my utmost desire is to see people come to know Jesus on a personal level and walk in truth with Him. Medicine for us, is a tool, to be used in the Master’s hand.

So please pray for us this year at AFH as we seek to exalt the Lord Jesus more effectively in our work with our friends and partners in Haiti. Pray that the Lord would give us wisdom and vision as we plan clinics, surgery trips, and church elder/pastor training sessions. Pray that people would see their need of a Savior and turn to Jesus. Pray the Lord would use us as empty vessels that would be filled by Him.

You see that’s what we are about at AFH…it’s All For Him.

For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand. -1 Chronicles 29:14b

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“They returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by teaching “it is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God”

-Acts 14:21-22

Many of the men who have the responsibility of preaching and teaching in the local churches possess fervor for the Lord, but they do not have biblical resources or training opportunities. As a result, they are sometimes ill-equipped to serve the needs of the Body. To this end, we provide week long training sessions to these pastors. These training sessions are provided at no cost to our Haitian brothers (other than their own travel and time). If you have an interest in helping make these events possible, consider the following: For $15, you can pay for a Haitian pastor to be further trained in God’s word for one day, including two of his meals and creole printed study guides and bibles as well.  Would you join us in helping educate and equip some of the pastors and elders of Haitian churches? Please pray about how God could use you to help affect believers throughout Haiti. Please contact us if you or your church is interested in helping train these pastors in Haiti.

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Most Haitians are Roman Catholic, while a growing number claim to be Protestant (estimates range from 20 to 30 percent).  But surveys have found the vast majority of Haitians – regardless of religious affiliation – hold at least some Voodoo beliefs.

Voodoo (also Voudou) can be loosely defined as a patchwork of spiritual beliefs, practices and superstitions imported by African slaves more than two centuries ago and melded with parts of Catholicism.  Compared to most major world religions, it is loosely structured and often improvised by its practitioners. It is also not well understood.

Voodoo most often takes the form of animism (the belief that everything in nature has souls or spirits) and syncretism (a blending of animism with other religious faiths such as Christianity).  Voodoo is practiced in varying degrees.  Some Haitians are thoroughly secular.  Others only nominally believe in superstitions and “wives’ tales” with Voodoo roots.  And still others practice it zealously – particularly Voodoo priests, priestesses, and witch doctors.

As with any religion, Voodoo is also subject to manipulation by its leaders, who sometimes use it to gain power, abuse others, and fatten their wallets.

We believe that any religion that does not acknowledge Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world ultimately leads us astray.  As such, Voodoo spiritual beliefs are a real and powerful obstacle to a close relationship with God. We also believe that Christ has overcome the world – including Voodoo – and that He invites everyone to believe in Him.

Voodoo and Haitian History

As the story goes, the Haitian revolution kicked off on a night in 1791 at a place called Bois Caiman.  A group of slaves, led by a Voodoo priest named Boukman, met together and vowed to overthrow their white oppressors.  According to accounts, someone sacrificed a pig and the assembled group drank the pig’s blood.  Eight days later, the uprising began.

It is often said that during this ceremony, Haiti’s soon-to-be leaders made a pact with Satan, dedicating the land to him for 200 years in exchange for victory.

This story is taken as fact by many Christians, both Haitian and non-Haitian, and is often given in response to the question, “Why is Haiti so poor?”  The details of the Bois Caiman meeting are, in fact, challenging to either prove or disprove, because very little historical account exists surrounding the gathering. Historians and scholars have not found any written record of a satanic pact being made, but many today continue to hold these beliefs

The French were defeated after more than a decade of struggle.  When Haiti’s founding fathers drafted various versions of the nation’s constitution, it included no language about Satan or even Voodoo.  The Constitution of 1807 established religious freedom but made Roman Catholicism Haiti’s official religion – stating that no other religion (including Voodoo) could be practiced in public. Many scholars believe, however, that the declaration of Catholicism as the official religion was largely a political move by then President Toussaint L’Ouverture to appease various European powers.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, many Protestant missionaries came to the country.

In a controversial move in 2003, Haiti’s Catholic president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, made Voodoo an official religion in the country, giving certain Voodoo ceremonies such as marriage equal standing with Christian ones. Many historians believe that Aristide’s decision, like L’Ouverture’s before him, was also largely to curry political favor.

Proponents of the Bois Caiman devil-pact theory say Haiti has lost God’s blessing, as evidenced by Haiti’s status as the Western Hemisphere’s most-destitute and least-stable country. Critics of the theory say it ignores historical factors of Haiti’s poverty, such as discriminatory foreign policies, unfair trade practices, and a tradition of corrupt and oppressive rulers. Whatever the true case may be, the truth is that the God who created the universe offers hope and redemption that no other religion can, through his Son Jesus Christ.

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The Lord blessed us with a wonderful week of training for pastors, elders, and evangelical teachers. We were invited about a year ago to conduct a week of Bible study in this area by a brother from Minnesota who had family living in this region. AFH made two investigative trips there last fall and this spring to pray and discern if it was God’s will that we go. Over 200 men showed a strong interest and a place was found to hold the week long Bible Seminar. Because the place was small and primitive, I asked the local leaders to choose only select men from their churches to come and to keep the number to about 75.

We gathered together tents, tarps, rice, beans, plates, cups, kettles, cooks, solar powered PA and projector, emergency medical kits, water filter equipment, and all the other provisions for 8 days in the remote mountain valley. We travelled 4 ½ hours northwest of Gonaives by Land Cruiser on Saturday in torrential rains. Sunday after morning worship and preaching we began with registration and orientation. About 85 men were in attendance each day from 8:00 to 4:30.

Each day we had four 1½ hour long sessions. The first class was on “How to Study the Bible Accurately and Effectively”. The focus was study without any study aids; using only prayer, the help of the Holy Spirit, the Bible, note paper and pen, and an eager mind. We taught them to ask good questions, how to use the immediate and larger context of Scripture in understanding any text and how to find and follow the major themes of the Bible. As we introduced each study method, we would take a passage and learn by doing. God seemed to really bless this class. As the men would come to understand each lesson, they would occasionally erupt with joy and shouting at the discovery they just made. Hopefully they will never forget the treasures that can be uncovered in God’s Word with a clean heart within, the Holy Spirit upon them, the Bible open before them and pen and paper in their hand.

The second class was on “Finding Christ in the Old Testament.” This class focused on the great themes of salvation as introduced through Old Testament types. The men were thrilled to have the Old Testament to come alive. Many Haitian believers are not clear at all on what the Bible teaches concerning salvation by faith in Christ alone.

In the afternoon, we taught on “Particular Needs in the Haitian Church.” We tried to very clearly speak to the men about their life testimony and purity in the church. They have a huge problem of mixing Christianity and voodoo. Many, many times we find this true and yet not a great concern to them. The pastors thought that these teachings were ‘STRONG MEDICINE.’ The final class of the day was the “questions and answers” period followed with small group prayer times. Each evening there were public evangelistic meetings. We had good attendance and attention each evening.

Please continue to pray that God would bless the Word that was preached and that the men would take seriously their responsibility to preach and live the Word before their people. We have another Pastor/Teacher Seminar scheduled for next month for about 90 men in Fond Doux in southern Haiti. We also are planning a Pastor/Teacher Seminar sometime in October or November in Potino. This area is not accessible by truck. We have helped provide medical care in this area for years and are excited about Bible training here as well.