Hello from Pasbwadom! 

Haiti is in the news these days, and Port-au-Prince is decaying still. The rest of the country is going about life as best we can. 

A.J. is a man I knew as a student at the WFL school years and years ago. He moved to Port over 20 years ago. He lived up the hillside, and whenever I asked him about his neighborhood, he'd assure me that the gang activity didn't affect him near his house. He was well aware of every intersection and road that he should avoid in the city. At one point, thieves stole a vehicle of his right out from under a cousin who was driving it for him. Still, he stayed in Port.

This week, he called to say he is back in Pasbwadom. He fled with his family and whatever they could fit into a vehicle. He paid big money to get past the gangs. At least he is safe now...though displaced.


I learned this week that a friend of a friend is making plans to leave Port and come live in Pasbwadom as well. He now sees armed gang members walking by his front gate. His kids are scared. They hope to be able to come out to the safe countryside and somehow make a life. 


We have seen a helicopter or two out here in our area. Americans and other nationalities are leaving in huge numbers. Private companies are carrying people...for a price.  The main airport remains closed. 

Hopelessness is something Haitians have dealt with forever.  They don't seem phased by it at this point. Bad news comes in like a river, and people shrug it off and go on with living today. 

More and more people are hungry out here. I think it may get worse soon. 

I frankly don't want to think about escaping to "safety" and "easy life". I don't even talk about that with people here. There is no "escape" for them. There is no path. 

Pray for Haitians. Pray also for those who choose to be here now. There are many of us.

Good Friday is the perfect day to reflect on choices like these. How much should we do to help another person? How much should we give to be alongside a person in real need? How much does love cost? 

For me, Calvary is clear.     

Christ on the Cross changes everything. He humbly gave away His life, and said : "Follow me."

Every step I have taken to follow Him, has been a positive step in my life. Every step away from Him has been a regret.

In a society that has "moved on" from Christ, He still invites you...to live...really live...with Him.  



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Upfront, let me say I am no expert on Haiti. I don't travel around Haiti. I don't have a well-rounded view of the nation and its situation. I have lived in one community for 30 years. I do have a decent concept of life in rural Haiti because of that. 

Haiti is plagued by currents and forces that work behind the scenes. That, if you are an American, may sound familiar. People who reach the greatest levels of power in Haiti often seem to be 'placed' there by someone else. Right now, there are so many currents flowing in and around the city of Port that it is impossible to determine up from down. The government sat on the assassination of Haiti's president for years. Foreigners set up a replacement, but years passed without the word election being mentioned seriously. Why? Because of gang violence. Then, you hear that the government leaders spending years in power are the very ones supplying the gangs. When the population of Haiti cornered one gang, and cut them off from supplies, a helicopter dropped supplies for them. Gangs don't operate helicopters.

So, we now have a former policeman who is a top gang leader. His gangs, and gangs opposed to him, strangle the country by blocking all traffic into and out of the city. Another former policeman has returned from American prisons and is trying to lead a movement as well. Who knows what motivates him, but he did successfully push out Aristide years ago. He's back now. Then, politicians are jockeying for position also, and accuse each other of being aligned with the gangs. They also cozy up to international organizations that can likely get them into positions of power. On the outside of all of that, are regular Haitians who want to go to market and by food for the week. They can't. Supplies are limited. Money is scarce. Prices are inflated by three-digit percentages. 

It is a hopeless situation. Now, the Prime Minister has gone. Gangs, who claimed they would lay down arms and open up the country when he stepped down, show no signs of doing that. They have tasted ultimate power. Will they ever give it up? It is not hard to imagine that any government set up by "international friends of Haiti" will be merely a shadow. Real power will remain with the groups who have the least amount of conscience.

As an American, I watch the last few election cycles in the USA, and I ponder the path that my own country has chosen. We seem to be sailing headlong toward chaos in the streets. We vote for it. We remove forces that keep society in order. Haiti has been ingesting that reality for years now. Everyone can see how bad it is, but we continue to sprint toward it. Why?
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A Haitian expression can explain it. "Li pa senp." Haitians will use the phrase to explain an event that is more than it seems to be. An accident can kill a young person, and there will be rumors it was the work of a witchdoctor. "Li pa senp." It means there is more to the story. The "more" part is demonic forces. 

Satan and his legions are working to destroy every nation on earth. It can come from outside or from within...or both. Societies that tumble are a playground for God's enemy. He can never win against God. But his pleasure is to wreak havoc in the lives of God's most precious treasure...you and me. 

As 2024 rolls through, seek God. He can open eyes to see what has never before been seen. He can open ears to hear what has never been noticed. 

A living relationship with God does not make hunger and pain go away. It doesn't bring back what is lost. It does give you strength to endure. 

God is good.  

Really good.

​We may need Him more and more. So, better to get started on knowing Him right now. 




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