Crusade in the 5th Section

The long dusty ride forced us to look gangsta, even if it wasn't our style =) Here is Rachel, the new personal secretary for Terry Snow (now that Lucy is on outreach with the DTS and making plans to start the new base in Port au Prince with her husband, come September).



Once again, we enjoyed seeing the lush green rice fields and the many livestock grazing by the side of the road. This brown jersey made Lindsay especially happy, as it reminded her of home (dairy farm in PA).


The typical construction of homes in the 5th section. Mud and grass. This one fared better than most during the rains and floods of Hurricane Hanna. The only homes that survived without much damage were the cement block homes that were built during the presidency of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. But they were so expensive, that few families were able to afford them...


A Rah-Rah that we encountered on our drive into the crusade on Sunday night. Rah-Rah season lasts the entire Lenten season, and is basically a mockery of the Christian story of Jesus' death and resurrection. The word "rah-rah" has no meaning of its own, but is just a sound to represent jeering and laughter. These Rah-Rahs are not very well attended in St. Marc anymore, but in the more rural areas, where voodoo has a stronger presence, they were unavoidable. Especially on the weekend before Easter.

We were a little concerned for our safety as we slowly made our way through this crowd. It didn't help that our driver was a 'blan' ... They yelled and spit at us, kicking the side of the bus and pounding against the windows with their fists. But we simply moved ourselves towards the inside aisle of the bus, played it cool, and silently prayed for God's protection. And He provided it. This was the last Rah-Rah that we dealt with all week.



Playing soccer with kids from the 5th section. On this particular day, Clayton (a short-term staffer from Illionois) and Kai Gephart were playing with these guys for over two hours! By the time the local women had finished cooking their dinner of rice and beans, they had worked up quite the appetite =)




This little tent set-tup was 'home base' for the SOE (School of Evangelism) from Tyler, Texas and our DTS students during the week of the crusade. They came here to eat meals in the shade, and some of them slept on bunk beds (from our dorm) that were set up under a tarp nearby. The DTS students slept on the actual trailer that was used as a stage during the evening crusades. Definitely roughing it ... but all in all, it was a great week!



One of the SOE students teaching some sign language to the children.

The wood you see was for the construction of a church/school - the first one ever built in Luben 4! That was the primary work project during the day, and then, every night, the crusades were held down the road a little ways in an open field.



This is a picture of the community leader of Luben 4, and his family. They are very warm and welcoming, and they fell in love with Clayton! He worked alongside Rodney for many long days in the weeks leading up to this crusade, so they got to know him very well.



They even named their baby after him! Little Clayton =) Just a few weeks ago, Clayton returned home to the states to be with his family and his fiance, but he will not be forgotten in the 5th section for years to come!



This is where the teams bathed ;) I was kind of thankful to having teaching duties every day, so that I could enjoy the crusades in the evenings, but could still go home to the comfort of my shower and mosquito netting!



Along the road, people lined up to watch the lights and stage go up. By evening, the crowd grew even more. But, in typical Haitian style, most people showed up well after the event had started. I guess they were waiting for the music to start ...


This was TV for the neighborhood kids each night ;)



Clayton, me (Laura), Lindsay, and Rachel chilling and waiting for the crusade to begin



Esther shows off her beautiful feet after a few minutes of walking through the dusty fields ...



The DTS, heading off in our YWAM truck to grab some dinner before they got on stage for the evening of worship, drama, and testimonies.



The crowds, the lights ... each evening was a little different, but they were all very special. Terry invited every section to share something each night - a song, a drama, etc. The group that won the loudest applause each night won a soccerball for their community =)


One of the singing groups that performed. I wish I had some audio on here ... there is nothing like the rhythm and spirit of Haitian music. I'm definitely gonna miss it when I go home to Lancaster County this summer!