I'm sitting here thinking about many things but most of all how interesting life is and how one circumstance can change lives. This is a story about Haiti and how difficult it is for us to deal with what happens because our hands are tied. We are not Haitian. Believe this story or not, it is happening now.
We've known this family for years. He's our yard man, she's his wife, one daughter goes to El Shaddai, two young boys and another daughter live together in a house, we built for them, on land up the mountain. He is a peasant, cannot read. She has had some schooling, and for all she lacks, she's kind to her children. A three day old neighbor's baby became sick, she gave it some medicine (herbs, nothing from the pharmacy). The baby became sicker, looked like it was dying. The neighbors took her from her house, beat her, took her to the court and the baby to the hospital. While in the court, the baby died. She was taken from the court to the hospital to "give the baby life." You see, this woman is now believed to be a "lugaroo." Lugaroo is the spirit that comes to take a baby's life.
We've heard "lugaroo" for years. When people with new babies hear a noise on the roof, they say it's "lugaroo." This is very frightening to animists. We've learned conversion to Christianity does not take away the fear of lugaroo, for the majority. We've prayed in Christian homes, casting out that spirit and when we pray, they go in the name of Jesus. Only then do they believe in the power of Jesus to handle a spiritual situation. But, few come to ask for prayer help in these situations so the deception goes on.
Back to the story: When she could not bring life to the baby, (and I think she had to give her life in order to do that—and she refused), she was made to carry it to the morgue then immediately taken back to the court and placed in jail. That happened on Friday. We were in Port and didn't hear about it until Friday night. By the time we heard the story, much had been added and right now, we still aren't sure we have details. But on Saturday, the child who is our student, came to the gate. She said she couldn't go home because the neighbors would kill her. She's 12 years old. On Friday, when she left school (and we were getting into the car to go to Port) she let me know she was going home. Here it was Saturday and she was hiding in fear for her life.
As we talked, we got more details. Her mother had been beaten, she was in jail. Her father and the other children were hiding at a brothers house. There was not enough money for all of them to get a tap tap (pick up truck used for public transportation)to the village where they could live and be safe until all this passes. She stayed a while, took a shower, ate a peanut butter sandwich, and took the money we gave her to her father so they could leave St Marc.
I prayed with her about her mother which brought tears because she nor we know what will happen with this woman, who did not murder anyone, but the accusation stands. Jail here means no food, water, provision. She did have a family member bring a little food and water but what about today? Let me explain the hard part of all this. We could not take our El Shaddai student into our home because those who have threatened her life would have found her here and we would pay the consequences, i.e., manifestation, demand for money for the child's funeral, or harm to our whole student body. We cannot take anything to the mother for the same reasons. When it's Haitian against Haitian, the foreigner must stay out of it or the whole ministry could go down the tubes. Do you know how hard that is? We've know this family for nine years! They've never quite measured up to what we'd like to see, but because of the children, we've maintained their job and relationship.
She will appear in court on Monday, we cannot go to speak in her behalf. From there, if the peasants on the mountain have their way, she will be taken to prison. If she's released on Monday, the peasants will kill her (unless she can get out of town quickly). If she goes to prison she'll be there a long time because (like everywhere) it takes money to free someone.
How quickly life can change from ordinary to extraordinary, from mundane and routine to great suffering and tension. Four children's lives have been affected by superstition and rage. Our El Shaddai student will miss the best week of school and may never return, depending on the outcome of this thing. Their one room, tin roof house on the mountain will be torn down by the neighbors.
Any and all response is "this is Haiti" the hard, painful side. As Christians our desire is to help but in Haiti, our hands are tied but we can and will pray! Surely, there is a way to break the demonic back of superstition which prevails even in the church. We will continue to preach the Word and operate in the power of the name of Jesus.
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