Kayla enjoying time with two of the older orphans at Mt. Carmel

Fight the French!

Haiti Trip, Blog 2

Dear Friends,

I brought fellow coworker Jesse Walker (along with his wife, Kayla) with me to Haiti to teach him about the work of Orphan’s Tear firsthand. This was their first time overseas, and first exposure to poverty in the developing world. I appreciated their fresh eyes and prospectives as we traveled, and think you will too, so I asked Jesse to write two blogs about his experience. Below is his first one. I hope you enjoy it!

Elisabeth Walter
Director of Orphan’s Tear

From Jesse:

Fight the French! Kayla (my wife) could not believe her ears. She had just returned from a much-needed restroom visit midway through a 3-1/2-hour Sunday church service—which I learned was pretty standard in Haiti—feeling very confused.

Pastor Geordany (also the director of Mt. Carmel Orphanage) had been preaching while a young man translated for us. His translation was not always clear, but when she heard Fight the French! Make war against the French! Do not let the French have a stronghold in your life, she began wondering what she had missed during her brief break.

Kayla eventually realized that Pastor Geordany was actually preaching about our need to fight the flesh, not the French, and the importance of living by the Spirit. That misunderstanding brought about much laughter later, and reminded us how easy it can be to misunderstand others who speak another language and live in a different culture!

Cultural and language barriers cannot block the love of Jesus Christ that brings us all together as one Body, however, and as we spent time with the children and other believers in Haiti, our lives were enriched and filled with joy. Even though we could not communicate well through words, we all felt the love of Christ through one another.

At left, me hanging out with Wisder, a little boy whose smile brought joy to us all; at right, Laurina found a new friend in Kayla

It truly was life changing to worship with our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ and to witness their sincere passion and love for the Lord. Prayers lifted up to Him flood the air throughout the service, and the presence of God shines through the people’s faces. Even amidst some of the worst poverty in the world, they trust in God. What a pleasure it was to be with them.

For Christ and for the Children,

Jesse Walker
Administrative Assistant for Orphan’s Tear