Today we went to the local Haitian church...and, well... WOW! What an experience!!!! We certainly stood out amongst the locals, and got tons of smiles and some strange looks and whispers from some of the kids. They were so welcoming when we first arrived! They took our names and sat us together in an empty row. The pastor introduced us by name as a visitors and we stood up. It was embarrassing and who knows what they were actually saying about us :-)
The service lasted 3 hours and there was never a dull moment (the locals can come and go, but as whites we are always walking on eggshells and didnt want to be disrespectful). We sat shoulder to shoulder...everyone was singing as loud as they could and danced around!. I was completely mesmorized by the old lady in front of me; She was old even by our standards (the average age for a Haitian to live to is about 55). She was so small and gray but so full of life - Her hands were up the whole time and she danced with friends around her yelling 'Merci Savior' -Thank you God.
Two men came over explaining that they were not interpreters but they wanted to help us. They sat in between us and kept us in the loop as to what was going on.
Our translator asked lots of questions about America. He explained his dream was to come to the states and do research. He had learned about Michigan once - so was very interested in that state. At one point he wanted me to name all the state capitals, give populations for the states and how the US compared to other countries. He turned serious when he asked questions related to service... whether or not I had been baptized and if I was ready to follow Jesus anywhere.
It was an amazing experience!
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