We have been busy with Lifetree groups this last three weeks.  Just before all the craziness began, the Heartline driver, Nick, finished his time with us.  He moved out to a small village called Ravine Seche.  It’s a small fishing village right next to the Caribbean.

You may remember this village from Melissa’s blog titled, Ever seen someone show up at the dentist wearing only a shirt?  The dental clinic we helped with was put on back in June 2012 at this same location.

Nick is now renting a house originally built by “Food for the Poor” in Ravine Seche.   A bunch of us, myself on moto, rode out to see him off.  I stayed the first couple nights in the village.

Nick and I got started by attaching the propane tank to the back of Nick’s motorcycle and headed down to get it refilled.  The plan was to make dinner but Darline, the house owner, ended up giving us some rice and beans for us to eat.  Wohoo :-D.

Here is his new diggs in pictures:

 

So why is Nick moving out to this place?  He is going to learn Creole.  Along with learning Creole he will be acquiring (almost by osmosis) the Haitian culture.  He plans on spending 2-3 months living in this village.  After getting a good foundation in Creole he plans to begin a street kid ministry in downtown Port Au Prince – si dye vle.

While I was out there, we had a good time just figuring out how he would live, eat, and do life.

It was a quick introduction to village life when we heard,

“Bang! Bang!”

I was thinking, it couldn’t be a gun… ahh, after a moment… rocks!!  I ran outside the house immediately seeing some young kids looking pretty angry and picking up rocks.  Following the kids, I see a fight going on in the street outside the house.  A couple guys were going at it, both angry and trying to hit each other with sticks, another guy trying hold them apart, and a topless lady right in the fray, yelling and doing who knows what?

This is village life!

The other strange thing that came with the house were these hanging cactus things in both rooms:

After asking a Haitian, I find out that these are some voodoo pieces that help keep witches and other flying spiritual beings from landing on your house.  It is protection to make them desire to venture to someone else’s house before yours.

This is village life

I really got a taste of village life when trying to go to the bathroom.  It’s basically a pit toilet.  Next to the toilet is where you can take a bucket shower.  I have done pit toilets before camping, etc. but this time I opened the lid and a bunch of cockroaches where underneath.  I took a cups of water and tried to wash them down the pit :-D.  After that I was able to use the abode.

Village life, right?!

It’s good to feel uncomfortable… right… maybe…?!

As followers of Jesus we are meant to be in uncomfortable situations.  Say we are in a situation that calls us to have blind faith.  That can be pretty uncomfortable!  I think of Daniel in the lion’s den, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

It’s easy getting along with someone when they get along with you.  As follower’s we are called to love even if they don’t love back.  Talk about uncomfortable, conflicting with someone who dislikes you, and maybe even someone who hates you.  In spite of that we are called to love back.

What situations have you been in that are uncomfortable?  What did you learn from it?