This is Rich Mears reporting live from the beautiful Artibonite valley in Haiti. The match started with a little rain, but now the rain has stopped and the players are happy to play under heavy cloud cover, but no rain.
Ambassadors Football Club opened the scoring against an all-star team from Borel put together by coach Wadnec Milford of the New Generation Football School. Ricardo Pierre-Louis scored on a nice pass into the box by his teammate.
Shortly afterward he scored another goal on a nice individual effort. Ricardo is a former player on the Haitian National Team where he scored many international goals.
At half time we shared a short Gospel message and we have handed out about 500 brochures and collected about 100 cards to follow up with.
It is now the second half and both teams have had many chances, but no goals. The players are playing hard, each trying to show their skills to an enthusiastic crowd.
After the match we hold a drawing with those who have filled out response cards, and Ricardo Pierre-Louis is going to share his testimony. Afterwards Pastor Clement will give a short Gospel presentation again before we do a drawing for 2 soccer balls.
I estimate there are about 700 fans here at the match and they all are appreciating this great international match!
I will post some picture as soon as I can!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Preparations for AFC and our biggest Training ever!
From May 13 to the 21st, a team of 22 college soccer players and coaches will be coming to Haiti to play 3 evangelistic matches and also help train over 100 of our leaders from all over the country.
Yesterday, in preparation for this training, we packed up 25 boxes of Christian books to be distributed to each of our 100 teams. It took a team of 4-6 of us almost 7 hours to sort, count and pack up these books!
These boxes contain 18 copies for each team of the Bible study books we will be using with our players this year:
1) Confessions of the Faith (a booklet that explains basic doctrines)
2) How to walk on the Path to Life (This explains the road we all take to salvation in Christ)
3) Good News concerning Jesus (A Bible study based on the Gospel of Mark)
4) Growing in the Christian Life (The basics of starting our new life in Christ)
In addition, they contain books that our Chaplains can use for their own spiritual growth and some story books they can read to the players like "Pilgrims Progress" and "Greasy the Robber" a testimony of how God a saved a band of robbers in Russia.
In all we packed over 8,000 books to help our leaders and players grow in Christ!
We also worked on translating our training curriculum from English to French and Creole. There is a joke, but I think it is really true: Did you know that French is the language of heaven? No, really, How do you know that? Because French is so hard that only in heaven will they really speak and write it perfectly." Do you remember how the Bible talks about "jots and tittles".
"Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (KJV)
Well, French has lots accent marks and spelling in French is a nightmare!
So that's why I really respect Carol as a French teacher!
In any event, our faithful helper, Paules, had the job of translating and editing our French and Creole documents.
So please pray for us as we continue to make preparations. There is still equipment to pack, Evangelism materials to put together, and lots of things to buy, like food and drink for over 130 people!
Yesterday, in preparation for this training, we packed up 25 boxes of Christian books to be distributed to each of our 100 teams. It took a team of 4-6 of us almost 7 hours to sort, count and pack up these books!
These boxes contain 18 copies for each team of the Bible study books we will be using with our players this year:
1) Confessions of the Faith (a booklet that explains basic doctrines)
2) How to walk on the Path to Life (This explains the road we all take to salvation in Christ)
3) Good News concerning Jesus (A Bible study based on the Gospel of Mark)
4) Growing in the Christian Life (The basics of starting our new life in Christ)
In addition, they contain books that our Chaplains can use for their own spiritual growth and some story books they can read to the players like "Pilgrims Progress" and "Greasy the Robber" a testimony of how God a saved a band of robbers in Russia.
In all we packed over 8,000 books to help our leaders and players grow in Christ!
We also worked on translating our training curriculum from English to French and Creole. There is a joke, but I think it is really true: Did you know that French is the language of heaven? No, really, How do you know that? Because French is so hard that only in heaven will they really speak and write it perfectly." Do you remember how the Bible talks about "jots and tittles".
"Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (KJV)
Well, French has lots accent marks and spelling in French is a nightmare!
So that's why I really respect Carol as a French teacher!
In any event, our faithful helper, Paules, had the job of translating and editing our French and Creole documents.
So please pray for us as we continue to make preparations. There is still equipment to pack, Evangelism materials to put together, and lots of things to buy, like food and drink for over 130 people!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A live report from our first "Genesis Goat Project" training
I'm not into Twitter, but this is the closest thing to it!
I am reporting live from our first pilot project on "How to teach children to raise goats" with Dr. Kelly Crowdis. Dr. Kelly is speaking Creole with an accent, but that doesn't prevent those attending the conference from absorbing the training and asking lots of questions. There are 34 Ambassadors Football Haiti leaders here from two towns. In a few months, each will receive a pregnant goat if they pass a test and start training AFH players how to raise goats. Then, after our young players have been trained, they in turn will receive goats with the ultimate goal of helping each child and AFH leader start raising goats for their own benefit as well as to help create a sustainable source of income for AFH in Haiti.
Most people in Haiti know something about goats, since almost everyone loves to eat goat meat here. Also, many of those attending have already worked with goats at some time in their lives, so we are not starting from scratch with them.
This morning we talked about the best foods for goats. Then we are talked about how to take care of the goats - whether to let them roam free, tie them with a cord, or put them in a goat pen. We talked about the advantages and disadvantages of these different ways to care to the goats and prevent theft and disease.
Then we had a testimony from Franso, a young man who started in Dr. Kelly’s goat project when he was 16. Now he is 19 and has a “flock” of 10 goats after having sold a few to pay for his school this year. He described how at first he did not pass the exam so that he could get a goat of his own. But he kept going to the class and eventually passed with 85%! Then, with the help of his Christian teachers, he made the decision to trust in Christ. After that decision, he decided to give a goat as an offering to his local church – sounds like the Old Testament, doesn't it! He has even purchased a cow as a way of creating a savings account for when he wants to get married. All this activity is based on Biblical principles he learned from raising goats and attending his local church!
Right now Pastor Nesly is talking about John chapter 10 where Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. He is saying how many of the heroes of the faith like Abraham and the patriarchs and Moses were shepherds before God gave them great responsabilities.
So please pray for the success of this project. We have made a good start, but now those we trained today must put what they learned into practice!
I am reporting live from our first pilot project on "How to teach children to raise goats" with Dr. Kelly Crowdis. Dr. Kelly is speaking Creole with an accent, but that doesn't prevent those attending the conference from absorbing the training and asking lots of questions. There are 34 Ambassadors Football Haiti leaders here from two towns. In a few months, each will receive a pregnant goat if they pass a test and start training AFH players how to raise goats. Then, after our young players have been trained, they in turn will receive goats with the ultimate goal of helping each child and AFH leader start raising goats for their own benefit as well as to help create a sustainable source of income for AFH in Haiti.
Most people in Haiti know something about goats, since almost everyone loves to eat goat meat here. Also, many of those attending have already worked with goats at some time in their lives, so we are not starting from scratch with them.
This morning we talked about the best foods for goats. Then we are talked about how to take care of the goats - whether to let them roam free, tie them with a cord, or put them in a goat pen. We talked about the advantages and disadvantages of these different ways to care to the goats and prevent theft and disease.
Then we had a testimony from Franso, a young man who started in Dr. Kelly’s goat project when he was 16. Now he is 19 and has a “flock” of 10 goats after having sold a few to pay for his school this year. He described how at first he did not pass the exam so that he could get a goat of his own. But he kept going to the class and eventually passed with 85%! Then, with the help of his Christian teachers, he made the decision to trust in Christ. After that decision, he decided to give a goat as an offering to his local church – sounds like the Old Testament, doesn't it! He has even purchased a cow as a way of creating a savings account for when he wants to get married. All this activity is based on Biblical principles he learned from raising goats and attending his local church!
Right now Pastor Nesly is talking about John chapter 10 where Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. He is saying how many of the heroes of the faith like Abraham and the patriarchs and Moses were shepherds before God gave them great responsabilities.
So please pray for the success of this project. We have made a good start, but now those we trained today must put what they learned into practice!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Got Goat?
Got Goat?
Today (April 12, 2013), we visited the community of Merge near Port-au-Prince to see first-hand how some children there are successfully raising goats after being involved in a goat project for 2-3 years.
Next weekend (April 20th) we are partnering with the same organization that trained these young shepherds to train leaders from about 40 of our teams.
We interviewed 3 girls and 2 boys and were very impressed by their Christian character and work ethic. By raising goats and being responsible for another living thing, they all had learned some valuable spiritual and life lessons.
The first young lady we talked to was Sabrina. She was one of the first students to be involved in the project in 2009. Today she has 5 goats and has sold another one to help her pay for her schooling. She takes care of her goats every day and even brings them into her house when it rains. When we talked about Psalm 23 where David says God is his Shepherd, she said she feels like by raising goats, she lacks nothing because as long as she takes good care of her goats, she will always have a renewable source of income.
The second student was Christela who was 15. She now has a small herd of 9 goats and has also sold 3. She was also one of the original students to start the project in 2009. When I asked her what she had learned spiritually from raising her goats she quoted John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” She almost cried as she talked about how much she loves her goats and the sacrifices she is willing to make for their well-being.
After that we talked to Valentine, a 12 year old who was 10 when she started in the program. She has had a rough time, with 5 goats dying during that time (4 were very young and the other was hit by a car). But now she has 5 goats and is still working hard. Her family does not own any land, so it is difficult for her to find foot for her goats, but the people running the project have planted a community garden where she can get some food for her goats on a regular basis.
Ralph is a precocious 11 year old who interviewed me in English when I first arrived. He has only been involved in the program for one year, but has already given back on goat to the project and now has another one.
The last boy we interviewed was Billydew. He has built a goat pen near his house to protect his goat, and is very excited because she is pregnant!
Jacques and Isabel Jourdan joined me on this trip. They are from the French Alps and have worked as shepherds so I was anxious to show them this project. They were happy that the goats were healthy and the children seemed to be doing a good job. But of course Haiti is a far cry from the Alps!
In all we were very encouraged by what we saw and hope that our leaders and players will benefit from learning how to raise goats and will work hard to succeed both spiritually and as shepherds – after all, they have the example of the greatest shepherd ever to follow: Jesus!
Today (April 12, 2013), we visited the community of Merge near Port-au-Prince to see first-hand how some children there are successfully raising goats after being involved in a goat project for 2-3 years.
Next weekend (April 20th) we are partnering with the same organization that trained these young shepherds to train leaders from about 40 of our teams.
We interviewed 3 girls and 2 boys and were very impressed by their Christian character and work ethic. By raising goats and being responsible for another living thing, they all had learned some valuable spiritual and life lessons.
The first young lady we talked to was Sabrina. She was one of the first students to be involved in the project in 2009. Today she has 5 goats and has sold another one to help her pay for her schooling. She takes care of her goats every day and even brings them into her house when it rains. When we talked about Psalm 23 where David says God is his Shepherd, she said she feels like by raising goats, she lacks nothing because as long as she takes good care of her goats, she will always have a renewable source of income.
The second student was Christela who was 15. She now has a small herd of 9 goats and has also sold 3. She was also one of the original students to start the project in 2009. When I asked her what she had learned spiritually from raising her goats she quoted John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” She almost cried as she talked about how much she loves her goats and the sacrifices she is willing to make for their well-being.
After that we talked to Valentine, a 12 year old who was 10 when she started in the program. She has had a rough time, with 5 goats dying during that time (4 were very young and the other was hit by a car). But now she has 5 goats and is still working hard. Her family does not own any land, so it is difficult for her to find foot for her goats, but the people running the project have planted a community garden where she can get some food for her goats on a regular basis.
Ralph is a precocious 11 year old who interviewed me in English when I first arrived. He has only been involved in the program for one year, but has already given back on goat to the project and now has another one.
The last boy we interviewed was Billydew. He has built a goat pen near his house to protect his goat, and is very excited because she is pregnant!
Jacques and Isabel Jourdan joined me on this trip. They are from the French Alps and have worked as shepherds so I was anxious to show them this project. They were happy that the goats were healthy and the children seemed to be doing a good job. But of course Haiti is a far cry from the Alps!
In all we were very encouraged by what we saw and hope that our leaders and players will benefit from learning how to raise goats and will work hard to succeed both spiritually and as shepherds – after all, they have the example of the greatest shepherd ever to follow: Jesus!
A Strategy that yielded surprising result
A Strategy that yielded surprising result!
One of the strategies we are using in Haiti is to tell as many pastors and school directors in Haiti about how they can use soccer as a tool for evangelism. This is important because we are trying to build a movement in Haiti that will start growing on its own as Christian leaders see the value of sports in Christian education and also for evangelism. To this end I was thrilled when one of the leaders of the Conservative Baptist Church in Haiti invited me to speak to a group of about 150 pastors about a month ago. I only shared for 10 minutes, but apparently God was moving in the hearts of a few pastors who heard my message.
I followed up on this meeting by offering a 2-hour seminar on sports evangelism at STEP, one of the best theological seminaries in Haiti on April 11th.
I used text-messages to inform those pastors and seminary students who gave me their phone numbers about the training and much to my surprise, four pastors from 4 different Conservative Baptist churches came to the seminar from an area called Anse Rouge. We had passed through this area last week on our trip to the North-Ouest department of Haiti and it is a very rough and remote area! They paid their own way to come and they said they were glad they did because they really learned a lot at the seminar. Afterwards we talked for 30 minutes about how to implement the strategy in their area and I offered to train 6 of their leaders at a training we are going to have in May. (More on this later!)
In addition 2 other pastors came from that one meeting as well along with about 25 STEP students.
So we praise God that we were able to help these Christian leaders think about different ways to present the Gospel to people in their communities!
One of the strategies we are using in Haiti is to tell as many pastors and school directors in Haiti about how they can use soccer as a tool for evangelism. This is important because we are trying to build a movement in Haiti that will start growing on its own as Christian leaders see the value of sports in Christian education and also for evangelism. To this end I was thrilled when one of the leaders of the Conservative Baptist Church in Haiti invited me to speak to a group of about 150 pastors about a month ago. I only shared for 10 minutes, but apparently God was moving in the hearts of a few pastors who heard my message.
I followed up on this meeting by offering a 2-hour seminar on sports evangelism at STEP, one of the best theological seminaries in Haiti on April 11th.
I used text-messages to inform those pastors and seminary students who gave me their phone numbers about the training and much to my surprise, four pastors from 4 different Conservative Baptist churches came to the seminar from an area called Anse Rouge. We had passed through this area last week on our trip to the North-Ouest department of Haiti and it is a very rough and remote area! They paid their own way to come and they said they were glad they did because they really learned a lot at the seminar. Afterwards we talked for 30 minutes about how to implement the strategy in their area and I offered to train 6 of their leaders at a training we are going to have in May. (More on this later!)
In addition 2 other pastors came from that one meeting as well along with about 25 STEP students.
So we praise God that we were able to help these Christian leaders think about different ways to present the Gospel to people in their communities!
Twins make a pick-up game lots of fun!
Twins make a pick-up game lots of fun!
While visiting the House of Hope, an orphanage for children with long-term disabilities and diseases, and also 10 earthquake orphans, I brought them a soccer ball to play with and joined them in a game. Immediately two young boys volunteered to play with me on my team. It turned out that they were twins: Bensley and Bensly! They were great fun to play with as they could anticipate each other’s movements very well and make passes almost without thinking. We won our first two games, and of course I have to brag about the nice move and shot I made that resulted in a goal!
I also made the directors of the orphanage happy because I brought them a case of Christian story books to share with their 87 children.
In all I distributed over 10 cases of Christian books to the schools and churches we work with.
While visiting the House of Hope, an orphanage for children with long-term disabilities and diseases, and also 10 earthquake orphans, I brought them a soccer ball to play with and joined them in a game. Immediately two young boys volunteered to play with me on my team. It turned out that they were twins: Bensley and Bensly! They were great fun to play with as they could anticipate each other’s movements very well and make passes almost without thinking. We won our first two games, and of course I have to brag about the nice move and shot I made that resulted in a goal!
I also made the directors of the orphanage happy because I brought them a case of Christian story books to share with their 87 children.
In all I distributed over 10 cases of Christian books to the schools and churches we work with.
Trip to North-West Haiti went well!
Trip to North-West Haiti went well!
In spite of my Toyota truck taking more punishment than they show on a Ford truck commercial, we made the long treck from Port-au-Prince to the North west department of Haiti without incident. The trip was so rough that it took chunks out of our heavy-duty truck tires.
But it was worth every minute of bone-jarring travel to meet our players and talk with our leaders about what God is doing through our teams. In total there are now 8 girls and 5 boys in the Haitian talent development program of the Haitian Soccer Federation that formerly were part of our teams. In addition, we were able to distribute Christian literature to encourage our chaplains in their work with our players and also give out badly needed equipment. Some of our teams did not even have balls. (This is always a need, so please collect as many soccer balls for us as you can!)
Some of our leaders have been volunteering with us since our first training in December of 2008. They continue in the work because they see God working in the lives of their players and in their schools through Ambassadors Football Haiti’s programs.
In addition to encouraging our leaders, another purpose of the trip was to take pictures of the players and have the schools, churches, AFH volunteers, players and parents be aware of our strategy and have them sign a document that makes them aware of how we want to help spread the Gospel together with them in their communities.
By the time the project is done, we will have taken more than 1,800 pictures of players and volunteers.
In spite of my Toyota truck taking more punishment than they show on a Ford truck commercial, we made the long treck from Port-au-Prince to the North west department of Haiti without incident. The trip was so rough that it took chunks out of our heavy-duty truck tires.
But it was worth every minute of bone-jarring travel to meet our players and talk with our leaders about what God is doing through our teams. In total there are now 8 girls and 5 boys in the Haitian talent development program of the Haitian Soccer Federation that formerly were part of our teams. In addition, we were able to distribute Christian literature to encourage our chaplains in their work with our players and also give out badly needed equipment. Some of our teams did not even have balls. (This is always a need, so please collect as many soccer balls for us as you can!)
Some of our leaders have been volunteering with us since our first training in December of 2008. They continue in the work because they see God working in the lives of their players and in their schools through Ambassadors Football Haiti’s programs.
In addition to encouraging our leaders, another purpose of the trip was to take pictures of the players and have the schools, churches, AFH volunteers, players and parents be aware of our strategy and have them sign a document that makes them aware of how we want to help spread the Gospel together with them in their communities.
By the time the project is done, we will have taken more than 1,800 pictures of players and volunteers.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Meet our Leaders from Jean Rabel in Northwest Haiti
On April 2nd I met with the Regional Committee of 5 members representing 20 school teams in the area around the town of Jean Rabel in Northwest Haiti. Although we traveled some of the roughest roads in Haiti in order to get to this area, the scenery was spectacular.
But what was even more spectacular is the heart these leaders have for reaching youth for Christ through soccer evangelism. Even though we haven't been able to host a tournament in the area for over 2 years, they were still enthusiastic and wanting to work with their school teams.
The following day we visited one of the most remote beaches in Haiti: Mole St. Nicolas. We have one team in this beach town, but encouraged this one team invite 3 other local teams to form a zone because they are so far away from our other teams.
We took pictures of our players at three of our schools in the area and found them all very enthusiastic.
While there we could not resist taking a dip in the ocean since the town has one or the nicest beaches in Haiti!
The town also boasts 4 forts built after the Haitian revolution to protect Haiti from a French attack, several of which are well-preserved.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Trip to Northwest Haiti
From April 1st to 7th Rich and his assistant, Midi Osner will be visiting leaders from about 40 of Ambassadors Football Haiti's school teams in the Northwest of Haiti. The purpose of the trip is to encourage the regional committee leaders responsible for the teams, collect completed ministry agreements from volunteers and players who make up the teams, and also take their pictures for badges. All this is to prepare the teams for evangelistic soccer tournaments we hope to start later this year.
In addition, we will be distributing soccer equipment and Christian literature for the Bible studies with the players. We also give literature to the school directors we work with so they can give them out to the entire school.
So please pray for safe travel, good meetings and for the Holy Spirit to work through us to touch hearts and minds on this trip.
Forging a River in Northern Haiti and Distributing books
In addition, we will be distributing soccer equipment and Christian literature for the Bible studies with the players. We also give literature to the school directors we work with so they can give them out to the entire school.
So please pray for safe travel, good meetings and for the Holy Spirit to work through us to touch hearts and minds on this trip.
Forging a River in Northern Haiti and Distributing books
A Classical Resurrection Day
A Classical Resurrection Day
Rich volunteered to lead worship on Easter Sunday and because of his love for classical music, decided to pick traditional hymns interspersed with selections from Handal’s “Messiah”. The morning will start out with somber songs commemorating Christ’s crucifixion and evolve into a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection ending with the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah. Flowers given in memorial of loved ones will decorate the sanctuary for the Glory of God and visually complement the sounds of beautiful, God honoring music.
As Hebrews 10:22 reminds us: “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection this is possible!
Rich volunteered to lead worship on Easter Sunday and because of his love for classical music, decided to pick traditional hymns interspersed with selections from Handal’s “Messiah”. The morning will start out with somber songs commemorating Christ’s crucifixion and evolve into a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection ending with the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah. Flowers given in memorial of loved ones will decorate the sanctuary for the Glory of God and visually complement the sounds of beautiful, God honoring music.
As Hebrews 10:22 reminds us: “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection this is possible!
Rara Bands in Haiti on Good Friday
Rara Bands in Haiti
Good Friday in Haiti is a day of dancing in the streets for those who practice Voodoo. While it is not clear why there is such joy on the day Christians set aside to remember the crucifixion of Christ, it sometimes seems that voodooists are celebrating Satan’s supposed victory over Christ on the cross.
These street celebrations are led by a “Rara” band. “Originating in Haïti, rara is a form of festival music used for street processions, typically during Easter Week. The music centers on a set of cylindrical bamboo trumpets called vaksen (which may also be made of metal pipes), but also features drums, maracas, güiras or güiros (a percussion instrument), and metal bells, as well as sometimes also cylindrical metal trumpets which are made from recycled metal, often coffee cans.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rara)
To see a 3 minute youtube on Rara you can check out: http://festivalfilmjakmel.com/raymond/?p=4
As a musician, I find Rara music very repetitive with a strong beat. There is no melody or words and it seems to mesmerize those who are dancing.
Some Haitians say that a man and his wife can get so caught up in Rara, that they may not see each other until the next day. Many in the Rara bands use the revelry to drink home-made boot-leg liquor called “Clarin”, and so don’t remember much of what they did while dancing in the streets.
While dancing in Rara bands can provide temporary relief from the daily cares that seem overwhelming, Haitians who have trusted in Christ realize that only the resurrected Jesus can change the hearts of people in Haiti and help their country find true peace.
However, by Easter morning all the Rara bands are done and Christians have a chance to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in peace, not his death.
Good Friday in Haiti is a day of dancing in the streets for those who practice Voodoo. While it is not clear why there is such joy on the day Christians set aside to remember the crucifixion of Christ, it sometimes seems that voodooists are celebrating Satan’s supposed victory over Christ on the cross.
These street celebrations are led by a “Rara” band. “Originating in Haïti, rara is a form of festival music used for street processions, typically during Easter Week. The music centers on a set of cylindrical bamboo trumpets called vaksen (which may also be made of metal pipes), but also features drums, maracas, güiras or güiros (a percussion instrument), and metal bells, as well as sometimes also cylindrical metal trumpets which are made from recycled metal, often coffee cans.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rara)
To see a 3 minute youtube on Rara you can check out: http://festivalfilmjakmel.com/raymond/?p=4
As a musician, I find Rara music very repetitive with a strong beat. There is no melody or words and it seems to mesmerize those who are dancing.
Some Haitians say that a man and his wife can get so caught up in Rara, that they may not see each other until the next day. Many in the Rara bands use the revelry to drink home-made boot-leg liquor called “Clarin”, and so don’t remember much of what they did while dancing in the streets.
While dancing in Rara bands can provide temporary relief from the daily cares that seem overwhelming, Haitians who have trusted in Christ realize that only the resurrected Jesus can change the hearts of people in Haiti and help their country find true peace.
However, by Easter morning all the Rara bands are done and Christians have a chance to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in peace, not his death.
Joy in Substitution
Joy in Substitution
A couple of Sundays ago, Carol was asked to substitute teach for the middle school Sunday morning class at Quisqueya Chapel, the English-speaking church we attend sometimes.
She arrived early and soon a student walked in. Figuring that this was a divine appointment, Carol asked the young man how he became a Christian. He replied: “ I've been a Christian since I was a baby.” So Carol gently asked him questions to help him understand that being born into a Christian family does not make one a “Christian”.
The conversation continued one-on-one until a few other students showed up. But the value of a few minutes of challenging discussion of spiritual things cannot be underestimated in the life of this young man.
Although he didn't indicate he trusted in Christ that morning, he definitely learned some spiritual truth that will guide him to the right decision when he is ready.
A couple of Sundays ago, Carol was asked to substitute teach for the middle school Sunday morning class at Quisqueya Chapel, the English-speaking church we attend sometimes.
She arrived early and soon a student walked in. Figuring that this was a divine appointment, Carol asked the young man how he became a Christian. He replied: “ I've been a Christian since I was a baby.” So Carol gently asked him questions to help him understand that being born into a Christian family does not make one a “Christian”.
The conversation continued one-on-one until a few other students showed up. But the value of a few minutes of challenging discussion of spiritual things cannot be underestimated in the life of this young man.
Although he didn't indicate he trusted in Christ that morning, he definitely learned some spiritual truth that will guide him to the right decision when he is ready.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Visits with two regional committees representing 28 teams:
Visits with two regional committees representing 28 teams:
From March 7th to 10th, 2013 I visited with the Ambassadors Football Haiti’s two Regional Committees located in the Artibonite Department (think “state”) of Haiti.
First I visited the four teams we have in Archaie, where the “Betsy Ross” of Haiti came from, and where the first Haitian flag was sown. This committee did a great job with their first tournament last August and said they were thrilled that 60 people had trusted Christ as a result of this tournament. However, they reminded me that I had promised some Bibles for them to use in follow up. Now, thanks to some recent funds that came in, I can provide them with these Bibles.
The second visit was with our Regional Committee of Lower Artibonite in the town of Verrettes. This meeting went for a couple of hours as we talked about the challenges they faced and different ideas of how to resolve them. In the end we all left tired, but encouraged that we had a good meeting.
The following day we passed through Gonaives and picked up the president of the Regional Committee of Upper Artibonite named Nesly Gustave. He served as our guide as we travelled to Gros Mornes where we have 4 schools involved in the AFH program. The road to Gros Mornes is very bad, so it took us a little longer than expected, and unfortunately we got there late and couldn’t meet with all the schools we had hoped. In the end, we only met with one team and took their pictures for their ID cards. Nesly is going to have to go back on those rough roads to take the pictures of the other teams and collect their administrative forms.
Saturday we got up early to do a special training with our 8 teams in Gonaives. Players from 7 out of the 8 teams showed up little by little. When we got to the field we found half of it taken up by construction material and equipment. It seems like wherever you go in Haiti, roads are under construction! In addition, there were other teams training on the field. But next to the field was a park that had walkways that were actually just perfect for the drills I wanted to do that day, so God provided! We got some chalk and outlined the squares we needed for the training on the walkways, and at one point had 5 squares of 4 players going at one time. I showed the other coaches present how to do the drills and then had them supervise the players. When more players came, we sent the first group to a lesson about the dangers of dirty water and then related that to the importance of keeping their spiritual lives clean as well. Then when all seven teams we showed up we added a third activity because the team practicing on the field challenged us to a friendly game. They ended up beating us 2-1, but our players held their own! At the end we got all of the players together so I could tell them the story of how I was shot in Port-au-Prince and remind them that “today is the day of salvation” as we never know when our life will end.
After that, we visited an orphanage that is on the same grounds as a school that is in our program. I showed the boys a few things they could work on to improve their soccer, and also showed one of the girls a few things. They gave hugs and then we had to run.
Then I had lunch with 4 of the 5 members of the Regional Committee members. We talked about how the teams were going and also about how each team needed to take more responsibility for their finances. This lead to a discussion of different ways the teams could raise money locally like asking the players to contribute a small amount each practice, charging admissions to games, and asking local businesses for contributions. We also talked about how we can help players who show potential to get into programs that can help them possibly become professional players.
Our final trip that day was to the town of Ennery, the birthplace of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the “George Washington” of Haiti. There are four AFH teams there, and three of them showed up to have their pictures taken for identity cards. While they were waiting I had lots of time share my life story: The loss of my Father at age 11, how I started to play soccer, how I started Ambassadors Football Haiti, and how I was shot. Throughout the story I mixed in Bible verses and spiritual lessons. I also taught them a worship song I had translated from French to Creole. The words in English are “Jesus gives peace, Joy and love”. I had to change one word because the French work for “love” – “L’amour” sounds too much like “lamò” in creole which means “death” – it wouldn’t do for children to sing “Jesus gives death”!
So in one day I figure I spoke in Creole to about 180 of our players. Plus, I gave 200 nice evangelistic soccer booklets to the players on the team we played against. So I am praying that God’s Word will touch the hearts of all who heard me on this trip!
From March 7th to 10th, 2013 I visited with the Ambassadors Football Haiti’s two Regional Committees located in the Artibonite Department (think “state”) of Haiti.
First I visited the four teams we have in Archaie, where the “Betsy Ross” of Haiti came from, and where the first Haitian flag was sown. This committee did a great job with their first tournament last August and said they were thrilled that 60 people had trusted Christ as a result of this tournament. However, they reminded me that I had promised some Bibles for them to use in follow up. Now, thanks to some recent funds that came in, I can provide them with these Bibles.
The second visit was with our Regional Committee of Lower Artibonite in the town of Verrettes. This meeting went for a couple of hours as we talked about the challenges they faced and different ideas of how to resolve them. In the end we all left tired, but encouraged that we had a good meeting.
The following day we passed through Gonaives and picked up the president of the Regional Committee of Upper Artibonite named Nesly Gustave. He served as our guide as we travelled to Gros Mornes where we have 4 schools involved in the AFH program. The road to Gros Mornes is very bad, so it took us a little longer than expected, and unfortunately we got there late and couldn’t meet with all the schools we had hoped. In the end, we only met with one team and took their pictures for their ID cards. Nesly is going to have to go back on those rough roads to take the pictures of the other teams and collect their administrative forms.
Saturday we got up early to do a special training with our 8 teams in Gonaives. Players from 7 out of the 8 teams showed up little by little. When we got to the field we found half of it taken up by construction material and equipment. It seems like wherever you go in Haiti, roads are under construction! In addition, there were other teams training on the field. But next to the field was a park that had walkways that were actually just perfect for the drills I wanted to do that day, so God provided! We got some chalk and outlined the squares we needed for the training on the walkways, and at one point had 5 squares of 4 players going at one time. I showed the other coaches present how to do the drills and then had them supervise the players. When more players came, we sent the first group to a lesson about the dangers of dirty water and then related that to the importance of keeping their spiritual lives clean as well. Then when all seven teams we showed up we added a third activity because the team practicing on the field challenged us to a friendly game. They ended up beating us 2-1, but our players held their own! At the end we got all of the players together so I could tell them the story of how I was shot in Port-au-Prince and remind them that “today is the day of salvation” as we never know when our life will end.
After that, we visited an orphanage that is on the same grounds as a school that is in our program. I showed the boys a few things they could work on to improve their soccer, and also showed one of the girls a few things. They gave hugs and then we had to run.
Then I had lunch with 4 of the 5 members of the Regional Committee members. We talked about how the teams were going and also about how each team needed to take more responsibility for their finances. This lead to a discussion of different ways the teams could raise money locally like asking the players to contribute a small amount each practice, charging admissions to games, and asking local businesses for contributions. We also talked about how we can help players who show potential to get into programs that can help them possibly become professional players.
Our final trip that day was to the town of Ennery, the birthplace of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the “George Washington” of Haiti. There are four AFH teams there, and three of them showed up to have their pictures taken for identity cards. While they were waiting I had lots of time share my life story: The loss of my Father at age 11, how I started to play soccer, how I started Ambassadors Football Haiti, and how I was shot. Throughout the story I mixed in Bible verses and spiritual lessons. I also taught them a worship song I had translated from French to Creole. The words in English are “Jesus gives peace, Joy and love”. I had to change one word because the French work for “love” – “L’amour” sounds too much like “lamò” in creole which means “death” – it wouldn’t do for children to sing “Jesus gives death”!
So in one day I figure I spoke in Creole to about 180 of our players. Plus, I gave 200 nice evangelistic soccer booklets to the players on the team we played against. So I am praying that God’s Word will touch the hearts of all who heard me on this trip!
Haitian Hospitality
Haitian Hospitality
In many cultures, hospitality is highly valued and respected. This was definitely the case this weekend when Nesly Gustave invited me and my Haitian driver, Midi Osner to stay at their house for two nights while we visited the 16 Ambassadors teams in the Gonaives area.
You may remember that in 2008 and again in 2009, Gonaives was flooded and mud filled many houses up to 6 feet. This was the case with Nesly’s house, where you can still see the marks on the wall where the water rose. The water flooded so fast that they could not escape their house and were forced to sleep on the roof under driving rain for two days. The following day all they had to pay ten times the normal price for some crackers and water because the flood had carried away everything in the town.
Their house did stand in the flood, but it took them over 2 months to clean out all the mud and muck and let it dry out. Today the house has 2 small bedrooms, and a small living room which doubles as a bedroom. This is where my friend and I slept. It also has a storage room which serves as part of the kitchen, since most of the cooking is done outside. One nice new addition to the house since I last visited was a new cement-floored outhouse which doubles as place to take bucket-showers. It was clean and had a good ventilation system. The other wonderful thing was they had a new outdoor pump that provided good water for bathing. It was fun for me to learn how to pump water by hand while the children laughed, but I’m sure it gets old pumping water after a while!
All this supports a family of 10 children, with 4 still living at home. The rest are married and out of the house, and one lives in the US with his wife and child. Nesly’s mother told me she had 12 children, but her last one died as a baby, and another died around the time he was learning to walk. She proudly told me that all of them had attended school, but Nesly had gone the farthest and is studying to be a lawyer.
She told me that she came from a family of 12 children also, but now only five are still living, which makes sense since the life expectancy in Haiti is still under 50. She and her husband have been married for 24 years, and seem to have raised children who get along well together as adults and love each other. These are blessings that money cannot buy!
She was an excellent cook as well, and I can honestly say that I lacked nothing while there: food, drink, water, shelter and a clean bed with a mosquito net! The Bible tells us we should be content with these basics. It wasn’t the Hilton, but as Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.”
On Sunday morning Nesly’s Mom took her granddaughter to church hopefully introducing another generation to Christ and setting the foundation for another loving Haitian Christian home.
In many cultures, hospitality is highly valued and respected. This was definitely the case this weekend when Nesly Gustave invited me and my Haitian driver, Midi Osner to stay at their house for two nights while we visited the 16 Ambassadors teams in the Gonaives area.
You may remember that in 2008 and again in 2009, Gonaives was flooded and mud filled many houses up to 6 feet. This was the case with Nesly’s house, where you can still see the marks on the wall where the water rose. The water flooded so fast that they could not escape their house and were forced to sleep on the roof under driving rain for two days. The following day all they had to pay ten times the normal price for some crackers and water because the flood had carried away everything in the town.
Their house did stand in the flood, but it took them over 2 months to clean out all the mud and muck and let it dry out. Today the house has 2 small bedrooms, and a small living room which doubles as a bedroom. This is where my friend and I slept. It also has a storage room which serves as part of the kitchen, since most of the cooking is done outside. One nice new addition to the house since I last visited was a new cement-floored outhouse which doubles as place to take bucket-showers. It was clean and had a good ventilation system. The other wonderful thing was they had a new outdoor pump that provided good water for bathing. It was fun for me to learn how to pump water by hand while the children laughed, but I’m sure it gets old pumping water after a while!
All this supports a family of 10 children, with 4 still living at home. The rest are married and out of the house, and one lives in the US with his wife and child. Nesly’s mother told me she had 12 children, but her last one died as a baby, and another died around the time he was learning to walk. She proudly told me that all of them had attended school, but Nesly had gone the farthest and is studying to be a lawyer.
She told me that she came from a family of 12 children also, but now only five are still living, which makes sense since the life expectancy in Haiti is still under 50. She and her husband have been married for 24 years, and seem to have raised children who get along well together as adults and love each other. These are blessings that money cannot buy!
She was an excellent cook as well, and I can honestly say that I lacked nothing while there: food, drink, water, shelter and a clean bed with a mosquito net! The Bible tells us we should be content with these basics. It wasn’t the Hilton, but as Proverbs 17:1 says, “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.”
On Sunday morning Nesly’s Mom took her granddaughter to church hopefully introducing another generation to Christ and setting the foundation for another loving Haitian Christian home.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Haitian Children love stories!
Haitian Children love stories!
In the past few days I have had a chance to several stories about my life in Haiti and also that illustrate the Gospel to two groups of primary school children.
At one school, I told the story of a little boy who begged his Father to buy him a soccer ball. After a long time, the Father was able to sell a goat and buy the boy a soccer ball. The boy loved the ball and enjoyed many days of playing soccer with his friends. But one day, after playing a hard game, he was very tired and went to sleep next to a window with the ball lying on his chest. A thief took the ball while he was sleeping and when the boy woke up, he realized it had been stolen. A few days later, his mother asked him to go buy matches at a store and while walking down the street, he saw his soccer for sale in a store. He ran home and told his Father, but he said the only way to get the ball back was to buy it back. So the Father did this because he loved his son.
Then I told them the story of creation and how Satan tricked Adam and Eve into sinning and how they lost their beautiful garden home. (Just like the boy lost his soccer ball). Then I drew a parallel between how God send Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins, just like the Father in the story bought back the soccer ball for his son.
At another school, I meet the 18 young players who make up our team and was able to tell them the story of how God preserved my life after I was shot, and also got to show them the bullet holes in my truck.
I challenged both of these groups to examine their hearts and make sure they have a relationship with God through Christ, because we never know when we are going to die!
In the past few days I have had a chance to several stories about my life in Haiti and also that illustrate the Gospel to two groups of primary school children.
At one school, I told the story of a little boy who begged his Father to buy him a soccer ball. After a long time, the Father was able to sell a goat and buy the boy a soccer ball. The boy loved the ball and enjoyed many days of playing soccer with his friends. But one day, after playing a hard game, he was very tired and went to sleep next to a window with the ball lying on his chest. A thief took the ball while he was sleeping and when the boy woke up, he realized it had been stolen. A few days later, his mother asked him to go buy matches at a store and while walking down the street, he saw his soccer for sale in a store. He ran home and told his Father, but he said the only way to get the ball back was to buy it back. So the Father did this because he loved his son.
Then I told them the story of creation and how Satan tricked Adam and Eve into sinning and how they lost their beautiful garden home. (Just like the boy lost his soccer ball). Then I drew a parallel between how God send Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins, just like the Father in the story bought back the soccer ball for his son.
At another school, I meet the 18 young players who make up our team and was able to tell them the story of how God preserved my life after I was shot, and also got to show them the bullet holes in my truck.
I challenged both of these groups to examine their hearts and make sure they have a relationship with God through Christ, because we never know when we are going to die!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
A Surprise Visit!
A Surprise Visit!
One of the things I like about Haiti is that you never know who is going to show up at your door. The other day I had an appointment with Watneck, one of our long-time leaders. He told me he was coming with a few of his players who he was bringing into Port-au-Prince for tryouts with some first division professional teams.
Imagine my surprise when he shows up at my gate with 8 big, strapping (and hungry) players. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the numbers, However, my first thought was “What an opportunity this is to share Christ with these young men, and some life-experiences I have had that could help them as they launch their professional soccer career”!
So after I put on some water to boil for a big pot of spaghetti, I had them sit down and started to talk to them about how important it is to live a balanced life and not neglect our spiritual lives for the sake of soccer. I asked the 8 who had trusted in Christ, and only 3 out of the 8 said they had. So I had a chance to share the Gospel with the group using the testimonies of several Brazilian soccer players who are Christians. I also told them that you never know when you might die, and showed them my gun-shot wound. Then we talked about some of the trials they will face as professional athletes living among competitive players who will try anything to get ahead and win.
I decided to give each one of them a nice Leather-bound New Testament in Haitian Creole and as I handed out the first one, the young man named Jean Marie took the Bible and said “Merci”. Then I read Ephesians 2:8-9 and asked them what we have to do to receive God’s free gift of salvation. I reminded them of how Jean Marie had received the gift of the Bible. He took the Bible from me, and said “Thank you”. This is one very important thing to understand about receiving God’s free gifts. Of course I went on to talk about the importance of repentance, and asking forgiveness and many other concepts that are important to know in order to have a sincere, saving faith. But one essential is simply believing and receiving God’s good gifts.
Finally, I had them play a game. I handed them 5 Haitian bank notes and told them one of them was counterfeit. After they found the one that was false, I told them how police who are trained to detect counterfeit notes are not shown notes that are false, but only bank notes that genuine. Once they know what the genuine notes look like in detail, it is easy to spot false ones. In the same way I told them they need to study God’s Word so they know the truth so well, they will not easily be deceived by all the temptations a professional athlete might face.
Watneck then mentioned that his players had no equipment: no cleats, socks, shin guards, shorts, or jerseys. So I looked in my soccer depot to see what I could come up with. Imagine going to professional tryouts with no equipment! Of course professional athletes in Haiti are lucky to make enough to just support their immediate families, and the chances are pretty slim that many of these players will make it to the big leagues, but we want to do all we can to prepare them for life now, and after their careers are over.
I also helped him type up some letters he needed for a woman’s soccer tournament he wanted to do next week since March 8th is International Women’s Day.
I ended up spending most of the day with this group of young men who have so much potential, but who will struggle without a spiritual compass in their lives.
One of the things I like about Haiti is that you never know who is going to show up at your door. The other day I had an appointment with Watneck, one of our long-time leaders. He told me he was coming with a few of his players who he was bringing into Port-au-Prince for tryouts with some first division professional teams.
Imagine my surprise when he shows up at my gate with 8 big, strapping (and hungry) players. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the numbers, However, my first thought was “What an opportunity this is to share Christ with these young men, and some life-experiences I have had that could help them as they launch their professional soccer career”!
So after I put on some water to boil for a big pot of spaghetti, I had them sit down and started to talk to them about how important it is to live a balanced life and not neglect our spiritual lives for the sake of soccer. I asked the 8 who had trusted in Christ, and only 3 out of the 8 said they had. So I had a chance to share the Gospel with the group using the testimonies of several Brazilian soccer players who are Christians. I also told them that you never know when you might die, and showed them my gun-shot wound. Then we talked about some of the trials they will face as professional athletes living among competitive players who will try anything to get ahead and win.
I decided to give each one of them a nice Leather-bound New Testament in Haitian Creole and as I handed out the first one, the young man named Jean Marie took the Bible and said “Merci”. Then I read Ephesians 2:8-9 and asked them what we have to do to receive God’s free gift of salvation. I reminded them of how Jean Marie had received the gift of the Bible. He took the Bible from me, and said “Thank you”. This is one very important thing to understand about receiving God’s free gifts. Of course I went on to talk about the importance of repentance, and asking forgiveness and many other concepts that are important to know in order to have a sincere, saving faith. But one essential is simply believing and receiving God’s good gifts.
Finally, I had them play a game. I handed them 5 Haitian bank notes and told them one of them was counterfeit. After they found the one that was false, I told them how police who are trained to detect counterfeit notes are not shown notes that are false, but only bank notes that genuine. Once they know what the genuine notes look like in detail, it is easy to spot false ones. In the same way I told them they need to study God’s Word so they know the truth so well, they will not easily be deceived by all the temptations a professional athlete might face.
Watneck then mentioned that his players had no equipment: no cleats, socks, shin guards, shorts, or jerseys. So I looked in my soccer depot to see what I could come up with. Imagine going to professional tryouts with no equipment! Of course professional athletes in Haiti are lucky to make enough to just support their immediate families, and the chances are pretty slim that many of these players will make it to the big leagues, but we want to do all we can to prepare them for life now, and after their careers are over.
I also helped him type up some letters he needed for a woman’s soccer tournament he wanted to do next week since March 8th is International Women’s Day.
I ended up spending most of the day with this group of young men who have so much potential, but who will struggle without a spiritual compass in their lives.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Update on Francois' brother
Today (Sunday, Feb 23, 2013)we invited Francois' brother (Tinor) to attend Calvary Chapel in Haiti with us. He came along with Francois' children because Francois had to work Sunday morning.
After church, we invited them all to our house for lunch, and while the children played, I had a Bible study with Tinor. He really soaked up the Word and seemed to understand many spiritual principles and doctrines.
Please continue to pray for his spiritual growth, and that he will be able to find a job.
After church, we invited them all to our house for lunch, and while the children played, I had a Bible study with Tinor. He really soaked up the Word and seemed to understand many spiritual principles and doctrines.
Please continue to pray for his spiritual growth, and that he will be able to find a job.
Valentines banquet at Quisqueya Chapel
Carol and I were responsible for the decorations and set up of a couples banquet on Valentines day. It turned out to be a lot more work than we expected, and I (Rich) had a bad cold that day, but Carol had off from school because of "Carnaval", and so we made it through and actually looked pretty good by the time this picture was taken!
About 30 couples came and enjoyed music by a lovely soprano and accompanist, a Filet Mignon dinner, and flower-shaped cake for dessert! Child care was provided, so Mom and Dad could relax and enjoy a romantic night together!
About 30 couples came and enjoyed music by a lovely soprano and accompanist, a Filet Mignon dinner, and flower-shaped cake for dessert! Child care was provided, so Mom and Dad could relax and enjoy a romantic night together!
A Surprising Discovery!
While in the US in January, my daughter Joy and I pulled out a box of old family pictures and started going through them. I found buried treasure when I came upon a portrait and letter from my Grandfather Panfil’s brother, John B. Panfil.
My Grandfather on my Mother’s side, was named Henry Panfil. He and his brother, John and sister, Stephanie E. (called by her middle name - Elsie), emigrated from Poland as children. Henry was evidently quite bright and one of his school teachers took a shine to him and sponsored his education all the way through law school at the University of Pennsylvania. (Later my Mother became one of the first (and youngest) women to graduate from U of PA’s law school as well, finishing in 1956 at the age of only 24)
As a Catholic Priest, John could never marry, but his sister never married either and became his housekeeper. So when his superiors asked him to go to Mosul, Iraq as a missionary around 1925, they went together.
The letter we found is date May 25, 1926. Here is what it said:
Dear Miss Stott,
We received your letter and are glad of hearing that you are in good health and that Henry has passed his examinations (His Bar exams to become a lawyer).
After our long voyage we finally arrived to Mosul and intend to stay here for a while. Mosul is not a pleasant place to live in. A dirty, dusty oriental city. Plenty of water, the river Tigris flows near the city but its waters are contaminated and muddy. Sand storms, sand flies and flies make your life miserable in Mosul.
Elsie wants to go back – she is very lonesome. Anyhow we intend to go to Persia this summer; it is cooler there.
I am working presently among the Assyrians; their church is the eldest one in Christendom. They have lost their country during the war and were massacred by the Turks and Kurds and are in need of the American help in order to exist. We are trying to revive their old church, their customs and their language.
We visited the other day “Sheiloh Ady” (Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir), temple of the Yazidies (Yazidi), worshippers of the devil! They represent him as a peacock and adore him in secret. God is good, they say we should not fear him; being good he cannot do any wrong to us - but the Devil has power over the world, we are afraid of him, we must respect him and beg him not to molest us. Some begin(believe) in it, anyhow!? And really they fear the devil. They never pronounce his name, “Shaitian” , (Shaytan(Satan)) – and a Christian who would dare to pronounce it is in their presence, is in danger of being killed! Even the words having the letters “Shait” are eliminated from their language! Poor people, detested, persecuted, exterminated by the Muslims and Christians alike, but still attached to their belief!
I am glad that Henry has a place as a lawyer; he has now and open road for success and I think he will succeed. How are the things in Philadelphia? How is the exposition? Write us all about Philadephia and send us occasionally, if you can, some Sunday paper – we have no literature here – and the news are only from the Arabic papers. I am preaching in Syriac already – it is a nice language – the language spoken by our Lord.
Greetings and regards to all our friends,
Sincerely yours,
John B. Panfil
Several things strike me about this letter:
1) My Grand Uncle was a missionary almost 90 years ago to a country the US the invaded after 9/11 and still occupies.
2) He left his comfortable life in Philadelphia and went to “A dirty, dusty oriental city” to comfort the Assyrian Church who was suffering, much like we have ended up leaving Philadelphia to serve the Haitian church and people, many who are still suffering the effects of the earthquake and grinding poverty.
3) His sister went with him to a male-dominated oriental culture. No wonder she was lonely!
4) The false religion he describes is basically the same as Haitian Voodoo: In Creole the name for “God” is “Bondye”, or “Good God”. God is good, and can’t harm us, so he can be ignored. Satan and his “loa” or demons are the ones you have to worry about!
5) He mentions the genocide of the Assyrians in which 750,000 people were forcibly removed from their homeland near Turkey to other surrounding countries, but most died during this “removal”. This genocide started on April 24, 1915. It included the slaughter of 1, 750,000 Aremnians, Among those who died were the grandparents of my Armenian step-Father, William Hadigian. His Father saw his whole family killed by the Turks and then as a teenager he was conscripted into the French Foreign Legion for a time before escaping and making his way to the US on a boat.
6) The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) reached a consensus that "the Ottoman campaign against Christian minorities of the Empire between 1914 and 1923 constituted a genocide against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontian and Anatolian Greeks. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Genocide
Because John B. Panfil’s story was so fascinating, I started to look up his name on the internet, and what did I find! His name is associated with 2 photos on the internet. One of his house, and another of a young man in a kayak-like boat on the Tigris river.
In addition, I found him and his sister’s names in the 1920 and 1940 census, as well as the passenger list of several passenger liners. In addition, I found his name in several newspapers from Syracuse, NY where he spent the rest of his life after returning from Iraq (possibly in 1934).
As Hebrews 12: 1-3 says: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame,and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Rev. John B. Panfil and his sister Elsie, are two of the witnesses that surround us here in Haiti, and set a great example for us to follow!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
So far so good...
Thanks for praying for our friend's brother. So far he really seems to be serious. He's staying away from the Carnaval partying and this morning he met with a Haitian man who is a good discipler and also with Richard. He has been to school when he was younger at least a bit, but he says he can't really read. He has knowledge of some Christian concepts, but we don't know how much. Please keep praying for him and for his former girlfriend.
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