Church

May 23
“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear; even if earthquakes come…” (Psalm 46:1-2)
This was the first verse read at church today.
When we arrived in Chambrun, the church was already packed. Under the huge red and white tent, row after row of benches were full of men, women, and children ready for church. We took seats near the back of the tent and Pastor Pierre took the stage.
The service was loud and rambunctious. Celebrating God was the order of the day. Because the service was in Creole, I did not understand a lot of the service. But the word “hallelujah” I recognized—and I heard it often—sung, shouted, spoken, and prayed.
Praise songs were a reason to dance. Hands were to the sky, feet moving, bodies swaying to the island music. I recognized a few songs like “Crown Him with Many Crowns” and “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” But I knew them only by the choruses—in the song itself they broke loose in island verses and notes.
The children kept staring at us. One little girl kept touching my arm to see if white skin felt different than black skin. Another girl touched my hair.
I noticed that so many of the children and families had a water bottle that was given to them by GAiN Germany. With the temperatures soaring towards 100 and the high humidity, water is absolutely necessary. I needed to drink during the service to keep from fainting. I watched as families and children shared their water bottles with those who had none. So each bottle actually helped five or more people just during that church service! What a gift!
At the end of the service, Pastor Pierre brought out a gift for the children—crackers. The GAiN team along with the Nehemiah’s Vision team handed out the food to all the children at the service. Even a little food is a great gift!