Saturday, December 31, 2022

#FreeHaiti: This is How We Know What Love is...

A little over a year ago, I wrote on the topic of #FreeHaiti, a post called There is no Fear in Love, which discussed something that had come up in the Christian Haitian community in response to kidnappings in Port-au-Prince, specifically in churches. It was my third reflection on the #FreeHaitiMovement, making this my fourth. Should a Christian come armed to church and prepare to fight? I leaned toward yes, and argued that this is the way to stop such ridiculousness - to stand up to it. Kidnappings, for example, can only take place if people who have knowledge about such things keep quiet. 

I also argued that there is a literal, ongoing war, both spiritual and physical in Haiti. Although I'm a Christian, I don't believe that evangelizing in the traditional sense is what I am called to do. The evangelization I believe most strongly in is:

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." - 1 Peter 3:15

In summary, love actively and gently share your faith when questioned. The biggest way I have felt compelled to love Haitians is to live in solidarity and dedicate myself, through Project Esperanza, to providing education and opportunity. More on the faith that drives Project Esperanza here: https://esperanzameanshope.org/our-faith-2/ 

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Adventures of Son Son - Part 2

A lot has happened in the past year and unfortunately, the situation in Haiti has deteriorated even more. I get a lump in my throat every time I read about the soaring numbers of Haitians being intercepted by U.S. Coast Guard and sent back to Haiti. Can you imagine how desperate someone must be to get in one of those crowded boats and take to the sea, often being unable to swim?! Schools have not even opened for the 2022-2023 school year due to gang violence and chaos. 

I am encouraged by news such as a mayor in the town of Miragoane who led the people to take to the streets and refuse the entry of gangs, attempting to spread their territory (https://www.facebook.com/groups/199558963717/permalink/10159892632793718/). I wish I had a way to empower such leaders and I hope they continue to hold strong. 

If you aren't aware, gang activity in Haiti is apparently funded by powerful elites who equip vulnerable young men to carry out their dirty work and bring them big bucks. Kidnapping is a large business and gang members are highly armed. The average citizen's best bet for defense is a machete. Meanwhile, here in the Dominican Republic, the easiest refuge for Haitians as the two countries share an island, deportations have drastically increased as well

There was one story shared earlier this month that exemplifies Jesus Christ in a powerful way. It shows the depth of the war at hand and the privilege that all of us who have not had to be in such a war have. I hope that sharing the account inspires action. 

Stories emerged of a gang burning people and houses in a town called Cabaret. I didn't dwell on them as such stories of terrorism, murders and displacements are unfortunately common. However, one American woman named Kimberly who works in this area shared some insight. 

This young man named Jefté used to serve people who were displaced by gang activity. Here is a picture she sent of him preparing a pot of food for a group of victims of gang violence in his area. 


She reports that one gang came to believe that he had snitched on them, telling the police of their whearabouts. As a result, this picture shows what they did to him. 


You may not be used to seeing gasoline in a jug like that, but it's often hauled around that way here, and that is what that is. The gang members burnt him alive, then went after others. 

I apologize if sharing this causes you prolonged emotional distress. It did to me. I thought of trying to remove myself from such news. But can his wife and baby remove themselves? Can the mothers whose sons' throats were cut in front of them for not joining gangs remove themselves? 

What struck me most about this photo, after I got over my initial sorrow, was that he is not in a state of panic. If I had to describe his expression, I would say stern and defiant. Did he not know what these gangs were capable of? Of course he did. Why didn't he lie low? It reminds me of this verse: 

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." - 1 Peter 2:23

Of course Jesus had the power to retaliate, whereas this man did not, but I do believe that the Holy Spirit that moved him to serve the victims of gang violence and perhaps speak up about their whereabouts removed his fear and called him to entrust himself to God, who judges justly. It also reminds me of Stephen, a disciple who was stoned to death for speaking the truth, not long after Jesus' death. He too did not fear or panic, but entrusted himself to God. 

And so I come to one of my favorite verses in the Bible. We're told to love. In fact, Jesus says it's the Greatest Commandment. But the world has many definitions of love. What exactly is love? 

In 1st Corinthians we learn that love is patient, kind, does not boast, etc. In 1st John 3:16, it specifically says, "This is how we know what love is". Probably every churched person and even many of the unchurched know the verse John 3:16 which teaches us about our salvation, our ticket to heaven. But who knows 1st John 3:16, which teaches us the key to doing what we are called to do? 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." 

Verse 17 and beyond goes on to say more wonderful things, but I don't want to go on too long. Love is sacrifice. Jesus exemplified it for us. Disney movies have reiterated it time and time again throughout the decades. Every successful social movement has been rooted in the same concept of people putting their lives on the line in order to show society that something isn't right. This was embodied by Jesus. This is how we know what love is.

So as we search for the solution for the problems that face Haiti and other parts of the world or our own households, the answer isn't actually a secret. Should I buy something I don't need at all or should I use a little money to help someone who is desperate? Should I ignore my child's cry for help or should I make a little more effort to listen and connect? Should I spend hours watching a dirty movie or should I spend that time educating myself on really important things? Love calls us to sacrifice our desires and possessions for the good of our brothers and sisters. 

"Well, it probably won't work anyway," you might be thinking. 

Let's go back to 1st Corinthians' definition of love. 1st Corinthians 13:8 says, "Love never fails." 

Is that just cliche? Something people say to feel good? 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."-2 Timothy: 16, 17

As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

-Isaiah 55:10, 11

Happy New Year. May we learn to love more than ever in 2023. And if you want to learn more about Jesus in a super personal way, go to Angel.com and watch The Chosen! Season 3 is out!!! 




Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Gun Violence & God: Let's Make a Deal

 On Monday, we learned that Tuesday would be the last day for two students in the afternoon English program at my kids' school. Their paperwork is ready and their Dominican mom is taking them to live in the U.S., where their stepfather is from. I asked where in the U.S. they were headed and they told me Texas. Another student says he'll be moving to Queens this summer and not returning for the next school year. 

My kids felt a bit sad at this news and pondered about how so many want to move to the U.S., unlike us. Yenilove said, "Sure, there's lots of pollution here and lots of things are better there, but there's also lots of po po po over there." She held her hand like a gun when she said po po po. I told her that was a good point. 

On Tuesday, after English, we sat waiting for our van's tire to be fixed before we could go home from school. My friend Crystal sent me a whatsapp message, asking if I had seen the news of the shooting in Texas. I had not. I quickly did a search and learned that 14 students and a teacher had been killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. We were shocked to see that so quickly following Yenilove's comment, there was such an event in the very state the boys are moving to. As I read up, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, I see news sources now report 19 children and two adults have passed. 

I realize that sleep won't be possible for me tonight until I pour my thoughts out here. I've written about this topic many times in different posts and shared that I was on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007 when it made history in that horrible way. There's an idea I've been pondering quite a bit over the past year or year and a half that I'd like to share. 

Observing U.S. politics from afar, it's obvious how polarized things are. As a Christian, I strongly believe that there are issues that the right supports that best align with the Christian faith and there are issues that the left supports that best align with the Christian faith. I feel the same is true in many ways for those who don't identify as Christian, but simply hold the Christian value that we should love one another. 

And therefore, I think it's way past time that everyone gives in a little. I think it's time to make a political compromise. My suggestion is that the right submits to tighter gun laws, whereas the left submits to some public school curriculum changes concerning God. I truly believe that U.S. public schools currently represent an atheistic worldview and to truly comply with the First Amendment, should take an agnostic worldview. 

I truly believe that executing such a compromise would be an active attempt to change the climate that breeds these tragedies. As far as gun laws are concerned, I don't know what to say about it, other than it's just flat out sick that people would be so unwilling to give in. Many good people defend this stubborrness and excuse it because it's coming from the political party they identify with. I think it's a prime example of groupthink and everyone who has ever found themselves justifying the unwillingness to make changes in gun laws in any way should do some deep reflection. We should take an honest and thorough look at policies in other countries around the world and take serious action, for Pete sake. 

About God in schools, I'll try to be concise as I've written some long-winded posts on this topic already. However, I think it demands more attention than gun laws as it's a more complicated topic. 

I believe if you really, objectively examine the theory of macroevolution as an explanation for the origin of man, you will see that it does not have enough value to justify the controversy it causes. We teach kids the scientific method, which requires observation, altering variables, and running an experiment several times before the experimenter's eyes before drawing conclusions. Yet in the same class we call science, we find it necessary to teach about a theory that can only rely on observations such as fossil records and radiocarbon dating, that are undubitably unreliable and unconclusive, to explain something as important as the origin of man, which no one can actually observe. I didn't used to feel so strongly about it, but the more I look into it, the more I am convincted that it's flat out wrong. 

If you really ponder the actual scientific benefits that the theory of macroevolution has brought us, you have to ask why it is deemed necessary to teach in K-12 science class. Has it saved any lives? Weren't people breeding animals for select traits long before Darwin observed those bird beaks and started making racist theories that black people were creatures evolving between apes and white people? Yes, if you read his original work, it's quite racist. Such issues should not be brushed under the rug when you look at ongoing white supremacy as portrayed in the Buffalo, NY shooting that was just 10 days before this one. 

Now look at the risks of teaching the theory of macroevolution in K-12. It flat out negates the existence of God, opposes the religious texts of the world's two largest religions, which make up over half of the world's population, and untruthfully claims to have scientific proof to do so. Maybe that would be something necessary for people to reckon with if it had more scientific basis itself, but the truth is, it doesn't. Do you see anyone arguing about gravity? About how reproduction works? About photosythesis? Cell structures? No. Why can't we stick to such certain and non-controversial things in science class?  

I'll share a little story that causes our students and teachers to gasp when they hear it. In this country, most public and private school days are typically opened with prayer. God is referred to in a reverent way in everyday, common language. It's not considered church language, but it's society's language. 

"See you tomorrow, God willing."

"I'm fine, thanks to God." 

"Go with God."

"Stay with God."

The last two are ways of saying good-bye. Of course it's a much more homogenous country than the US, and I understand why there are certain practices in the US to protect everyone's freedom of religion, but again, I think the best way to protect everyone's freedom of religion is for public schools to take an agnostic approach, rather than an atheistic one. Agnosticism says, "we don't know". Atheism says, "we can prove that God does not exist, we have done this on our own, and we can do this on our own". In reality, as everyone who has gone through a 12 step program to fight addiction knows, we can't do this on our own. I don't think it's the best mental health strategy to suggest anything otherwise. 

So here is my story. When I was in first grade, my teacher was calling on each student to share a word that had to do with Christmas. She wrote each word on the board. I listened to my classmates who talked about presents and Santa Claus, surprised that no one had mentioned that it was Jesus' birthday yet. I looked forward to sharing my thought, knowing it was the correct answer! 

When it was my turn, I said, "Jesus' birthday". She stopped, paused for a moment, said nothing, wrote nothing on the board, and called on the next student. I remember my heart sunk as I knew I had the right answer, but the teacher didn't seem to like it. She didn't like it so much that she didn't include it on the board with the thoughts of all my classmates. 

That was my first lesson in, "We don't talk about Jesus or God at school." Again, I understand the reason behind it. My teacher was a government agent doing her job as she was instructed to. But I think it's an irrational approach and we can do better. Christmas literally is to celebrate Jesus' birthday. If we can't talk about that at all in school, then we better exclude Christmas altogether. Do you know the history behind Valentine's Day? St. Patrick's Day? They have such beautiful stories, rooted in strong faith. The most academic thing we could do is to learn about them in school when we celebrate them. 

Why do we say we are in the year 2022? Why did time start 2022 years ago? Is that not an important topic to learn about? I don't think it goes much further in public school than explaining what the acronyms B.C. and A.D. stand for. We just exclude that whole topic that was important enough to mark the start of time as we know it, and find it important to put a picture of Charles Darwin and drawings of macroevolution in textbooks? That just doesn't make sense. 

Perhaps I'm going on too long with this. Check out Michael Denton. He's an agnostic biochemist and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. He's a proponent of intelligent design and has been writing about the topic for decades. I think his work is a great start for anyone looking for an objective, non-religious, scientific discussion on the matter, should you think that macroevolution is accepted among all scientists, only challenged by those who feel it debunks their religion. 

Shouldn't we teach that in science, we admit what we don't know? I think presumptuous science is a dangerous thing. 

For a little gun humor, I'll close with something that happened tonight that had our whole family rolling in laughter. Let me preface by saying that we have a neighbor who shoots his gun into the air most nights to keep away thieves, he says. 

Six of us sat on one bed. It's a queen sized bed and we all were squooshed in, hanging out and talking. Gabriel, who is five, raised his hands, lifted his head slightly, and called, "Everyone! Everyone!" Somehow he got us all to be quiet and attentive. He then commanded, "Hear my fart." 

We all waited to see what he would produce. No sound came from him, but a gunshot sounded in the distance. We couldn't contain ourselves. Wevli, who has special needs, came running in from the other room to join in on the fun, laughing and hooting, but he didn't actually know what had happened. This made us laugh even harder. 

It'll be interesting to see what happens after this second case of elementary school children have been killed at the hands of a gunman, 10 years after the first incident. Are we ready to make sacrifices? We can all probably give in a little.  





Friday, February 4, 2022

Out of the Mouth of Babes

One morning during Christmas break, my 10-year-old Maraya went with me on a sea glass experience. We have two experiences on AirBnB and a sea glass hunt and jewelry making is one of them. I meet guests at the giant Puerto Plata sign on the Malecon (boardwalk) and we go to a secluded spot that has lots of sea glass. After they have found what they want, we go to the art shop and make jewelry. We stop on the way for some juice. When the art shop is fully set up, we’ll serve the juice there and have other treats for sale, but that’s still in the works.

It was a special occasion that Maraya and I went together. Normally going on outings with me includes watching her brother Gabriel, who is 4 years old, and she prefers to stay home if she has the option. But today, it was just Maraya and I.

She knew that she had $50 of Christmas money from her grandmother, (Gabby), and as we drove to the shop to get the baskets and clean up a bit before meeting the guests, she pondered how she would spend it. She had previously talked about buying clothes, but the first thing she said on the topic that morning was, “How much does it cost to do one of those things for your students?”

“Sponsor a student?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she replied.

I told her it cost $150. Did she want to sponsor a student?

“Yeah, but I don’t have enough money.”

My heart melted. I exclaimed, letting her know how nice that was of her and how proud I was of her. We then continued chatting as I drove.

I couldn’t contain the tears.

“Are you crying?” she asked.

“No!” I replied as if I didn’t know what she was talking about and turned my head toward the window a bit. But I just couldn’t get it together and hide the tears by the time we got to the shop. She caught me in my blubbering. I’m a bit of a sap! I couldn’t get over the fact that this was the largest amount of money she has ever had control over, and that was what she thought to do with it.

I spent years of frustration, not understanding why people make the decisions they do, regarding how they manage their finances. I don’t wish to toot my own horn, but I am highly convicted to live without much of what others live with and invest my time and resources in service, benefitting those less fortunate than myself. It’s not something that I do once a month, on Sundays, or what have you, but it’s my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I see that this confuses and perhaps frightens some people. At the least, it seems to make many uncomfortable. When I say people, I am mostly referring to folks from the U.S. and the developed world. Many appreciate the work of Project Esperanza and my dedication to it, but when they see how deeply it is ingrained into my life and how I live in what they would consider poverty, they often draw back.

It took me years to let go of that frustration and perhaps judgment and just accept that everyone has their own choice. My frustration will not necessarily affect the choices of others. While there is extreme value in sharing resources and I wish everyone had a generous attitude and could know the joy of investing in the inherent untapped potential that is human beings that are withheld opportunity, there is also value in building an organization from the ground up with limited resources, and God’s hand has been over Project Esperanza in that way since its beginning.

In conclusion, I’ll quote myself from February 2011 when Maraya was in my tummy. I wrote a blog post called Consumerism vs.Practicality and ended by saying,

“While our future plans are not set in stone, I conclude that I can bring better formal education to my kids here in the Dominican Republic, but the consumerism… in the U.S. seems to pose a serious threat to practical education, which, I think, holds just as much value as formal education. So, while I am ever so grateful for the opportunities I have received and continue to receive as a U.S. citizen and I tear up at the pledge of allegiance and the singing of the national anthem, at this point, I have little desire to go back to live full time in the U.S. I would rather use my blessed life to bless others where blessings are much scarcer.”

I was using blessings and wealth interchangeably there, but those are very dangerous waters, as wealth can bring about distractions that keep us from enjoying the sweetest of blessings in life. However, I do think that the power that comes from wealth is a huge blessing, and one that should be managed with much consideration. As someone from Arizona who recently came on an experience here with us said, “We [Americans] were all born on second base. We need to give back.”

“I assure you,” he said, unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

-          Matthew 18:3

To learn more about sponsoring a student, read here.


Maraya's sea glass earrings she made that day.



 

 

 

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

#FreeHaiti Movement - There is no Fear in Love

From Adventures of SonSon - Part 2

I’ve been planning to write more about the idea of #FreeHaiti for months. My last post was in May. Around that time I started caring for a baby during the nights, started a new remote job, and in September, school went back to normal. That ended my blogging spree. But it’s time to post this. 


So much has happened in Haiti since I last posted. The president was assassinated in July, there was an earthquake in August which we felt all the way here, there was a heartbreaking immigration crisis with Haitians at the U.S.-Mexico border, and now the kidnapping crisis in Haiti has been brought to the world’s attention as 16 Americans and one Canadian are being held hostage after being kidnapped weeks ago. (Update: I have had this in draft for a bit and two hostages have now been released.)


I want to address the current state of Haiti while touching on the remaining topics discussed in the #FreeHaiti group, which are believed to be holding Haiti down. I mentioned before that I appreciate many of the group members’ thoughts, but there does seem to be a pro-voodoo, anti-Christianity sentiment that I definitely don’t agree with. However, it has brought some things to my attention and I have entered into some good dialogue about it. 


The remaining topics from what I outlined in the original post include foreign interference in Haitian government, US/UN occupation, and corruption. Again, religion is also a topic that I have since observed mentioned a lot in the group. Let me start with religion. 


The basic sentiment regarding religion that I’ve heard from the Free Haiti Movement Facebook group is that Christianity is the religion of Haiti’s oppressors. Ezili Danto is the person who coined the #FreeHaiti Movement and I think she’s actually a mambo, which is a voodoo priestess. I asked my friend and one of our employees about her thoughts on the notion that Christianity is the religion of Haiti’s oppressors, or their God is the God of their oppressors, and here is what she said:




When I first moved here, I thought it would be cool to interview a voodoo priest. I was interested in learning more about it. The youth in our program warned strongly against that. They expressed unanimous fear and made it clear that they had a history of knowledge about the harm these people could inflict. I shared this in another post, but Willy’s interview provides a strong example. 





I’ve had lots of experiences throughout my 15 years here and have many stories I could share. But my thoughts were even more solidified when I recently read a book about the infamous dictator of Haiti, Francois Duvalier. From what the book says, he seemed to start out as a smart young man and doctor who grew up witnessing rapid changes in government leadership, a U.S. occupation, and was a patriot who truly wanted the best for his country. 


However, voodoo was peppered throughout the story. Duvalier was committed to it. When he entered the presidential election, the book says that he sacrificed his good friend and driver in a voodoo ceremony in an attempt to secure the presidency!!! 


Before Duvalier was a candidate in a presidential election, he was highly involved in politics. He spent time in hiding as he was hunted by Magloire, the president before him in the 1950s. A neighboring family helped him while he was hiding. The man was a fellow politician named Clement Jumelle. After Duvalier became president, Jumelle went into hiding because Duvalier became suspicious of him, despite all Jumelle had done for Duvalier, believing that all other politicians would try to take him out. Jumelle eventually came out of hiding to seek medical treatment as he was very sick. He died shortly after. The book describes the funeral preceding and how it was interrupted by Duvalier’s men. As they led the casket down the street, his men intervened, took the body, and apparently went on to take Jumelle's heart for a voodoo ceremony!


Let it be known that the author seemed quite objective and was a Haitian resident, originally from New Zealand. He was the great uncle of one of my Creole students, whom I read the book with in Creole. Reading the book reminded me of the Star Wars movie where you painfully watch young Annikan Skywalker, with all the potential in the world, make decisions out of fear and follow evil influences until he turns into the horrible Darth Vader. Observing the transformation is difficult. You just want to take the young man aside and put him on the right track. It's truly a tragic transformation.


It was understandable that Duvalier was paranoid. He grew up in Port-au-Prince watching president after president overthrown. I even know some Haitians who think he was a good leader. There was much more order when he was president. But on the other hand, I have a friend whose father was an educated man and involved in politics. He was forced to flee Haiti during Duvalier’s regime. Unfortunately, rather than being able to work together with fellow leaders as he seemed to intend early on, he saw them all as enemies, which depleted the country of leadership.  The key word is fear. The result is extreme self preservation and upliftment at the expense of others without any disregard.


Another part of the book I found disturbing was the fact that the U.S. supported Duvalier with huge sums of money even after they knew of the atrocities he was committing. I shared a few atrocities above, but the book became hard to stomach with all of the horrible stories. The U.S. supported him because he agreed to be their ally against Cuba and communism. I believe a key word here as well is fear. 


True Christianity, the teachings of Jesus Christ, replaces fear with love, even when it means sacrificing one’s self. The Bible commands us not to fear hundreds of times throughout it. 


“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” - 1 John 4:18


"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." -1 John 3:16


I now arrive at a current situation some have been talking about, regarding how Christians in Port-au-Prince should react to the kidnappings that have plagued the capital of Haiti more than ever before, from what I understand. I wrote about some experiences I’ve had this past year with the matter here. If you aren’t aware, churches and church leaders have been targeted by kidnappers. Kidnappings have taken place during church services, on camera, etc. This has gotten to the point that some churches have decided not to open. Others have told their congregation to bring weapons to church and to prepare to fight, should they be attacked. 


I recently had a conversation with a Haitian Christian friend about the news that some churches in Port-au-Prince were instructing their church members to come to church with machetes, teaching them to not fear death, but to be ready to fight, and have faith in eternal life that is promised to them in the Bible. She seemed to think that that mindset was one of outliers and radicals. They were not her denomination of Christianity. 


I felt strongly that in this situation, that is exactly how a Christian should behave. She shied away from the conversation when I started getting zealous so I let it go. But when I heard that some churches were preparing in this way, my first thoughts were, “Amen! Men and women of God stand up!” 


In my last post, I wrote about the recent U.S. court decision about Kyle Rittenhouse, the now 18-year-old who shot and killed two protestors a year ago, who was just found not guilty on November 19th. I also mention the death of Ahmaud Arbery who was killed by neighborhood men who decided to take the law into their own hands. Both are examples of arrogant vigilantism mingled with racism, where the killers were highly out of line and should be held accountable. I’m about to suggest the opposite in Haiti. 


In Haiti, unlike the United States which is an extremely organized and controlled country in comparison, the government has been getting its butt kicked by criminals, some from within. At this point, the elected president has been assassinated and who knows when a fair election will be held. Kidnappings are all the norm and families of kidnapping victims scramble to find funds to pay ransoms, thus encouraging the business even more. 


But I know that there are many, many Haitians living in Haiti who are committed to doing the right thing. There are many families that raise their children with a necessary strictness that may be considered abusive in the U.S. but keeps children from falling into the wrong path in Haiti. Whenever we have stayed with my husband’s family in Grisongade, Haiti, I have been amazed by the church bell ringing at 5am in an area with no electricity. As it’s pitch black, people get up out of their beds to go to the church and pray. It’s a dedication that is hard to find in places of more comfort...which is everywhere else I’ve ever been. 


In the same community, the practice of voodoo is near and widespread. It's true that voodoo is not all negative, as many will object, wanting to stay religiously neutral. It does involve healings, but also involves a very large amount of killings, stealing, and trickery. It's hard to celebrate the small percentage of positives when the same person believed to be in charge of the healings is also in charge of inflicting sicknesses.


Some, or perhaps many Haitians, have their feet in both doors. If there’s one thing I have come away with from those visits to Haiti is a tangible feeling of spiritual warfare with very committed warriors on both sides.  


I can’t help but to think that when a kidnapping occurs, others know where the person is being held hostage. Men and women of God stay crippled in fear, wanting to keep themselves and their families out of the line of fire. But by doing so, they've allowed the fire to linger and grow. Or they take their families and flee to the Dominican Republic which is not to blame either. 


I’m certainly a fan of stricter gun control laws in the U.S. I am a fan of the Civil Rights Movement and non-violence. However, I do believe there are times to fight. I do believe there are times to put your life on the line, take a stance against people destroying the lives of others, and the only practical way to do that is to be armed and organized in some way. 


Over and over I’ve seen things done in upside down ways because of fear amongst Haitians. Someone gets fired from their job for very good reasons, yet no one else wants to take the job, although they greatly need the opportunity, because they fear that the person who lost their job will inflict harm on them via voodoo out of jealousy. Grown men throw fits like children, only their fits are much more dangerous than those of children, and everyone decides that the best course of action is to give this man what he wants so that he calms down. These are just a few examples that often shape things in the wrong direction. 


Some people hope and pray that the U.S. sends troops to Haiti. The #FreeHaitiMovement takes the stance that that would not be a good thing, and that Haitians can do this on their own. With that, I completely agree. Although it might not look like it right now, I know they can do it. This country has a history of heroism and victims overthrowing their abusers. Its story of independence dignifies humans of color and ancestors of slaves like no other true story that I know of. I strongly believe that if the infrastructure is put in place and the right people are empowered in the right way, the country will thrive. It will thrive and it will astound the world in the same way it has astounded those of us foreigners who have been captivated by it. 


With that being said, I think the only way for this to happen is for those warriors that have been on the battlefield for so long to practice a fearless love, based on faith, and stand up against criminals in whatever way necessary. I don’t know exactly what that looks like and it’s something that is led by the Holy Spirit, but preparing to fight back when under attack certainly makes sense to me! 


I pray that the spirit of fear is driven away from the country. I pray that a fearless love embeds itself deep in the minds and hearts of righteous men and women. I pray that when the time comes to act out of a fearless love, that there is no hesitation, but it’s automatic. May the Holy Spirit go before them. I know that deep down inside, those practicing evil through such things as kidnappings have an underlying need for a good whooping. They need someone to be stronger and more fearless than they are and to show them the way. They are fatherless and completely lost. 


I don’t pray this as someone on the sidelines. I have practiced it. I have physically stepped into dangerous situations and stood my ground and fought on many occasions. I’ll admit I have no proximity with guns, nor have I had to, thankfully, but have experienced fists flying, rocks flying, machetes flying, etc. I do have such experience and a scar on my head to prove it. I don’t come across this mayhem often anymore, but it was quite the norm when things got started with a group of youth straight off the streets, young leadership trying to do what we can, and a pecking order not yet well established. I touch on this a bit here in this post from 11 years ago. 


Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May your kingdom come. 


Saturday, November 20, 2021

Lock Up Kyle for A While

 
I haven't written in several months. Life got busy again. My writing spree was allowed due to kids being home with virtual school, no volunteer groups coming, and not having steady remote work. All of that changed, and more, thankfully, although it was fun learning about current events and developing thoughts during that time. 

Last night I learned about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. I was quite surprised to hear that he was found not guilty on all charges. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised anymore, just continually disturbed. Last February, I wrote a post (here) comparing Rittenhouse (the armed 17-year-old who killed two people at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August 2020), to Brandon Bernard. Brandon Bernard was an African American man who was executed almost a year ago for being affiliated with a killing over 30 years ago when he was 18 years old, despite jurors who convicted him pleading that the decision be reversed. At that point, Rittenhouse had merely been released on bond. Now that he has been acquitted altogether, the contradiction just looks that much bigger. 

Today was one of those days where I couldn't shake my disturbance. The only way to quench it was to read up, and now to write my thoughts. I read many articles on the verdict, watched some videos from the trials, and conversed online with some folks. Perhaps what struck me the hardest was a statement by Anthony Huber's parents. This statement can be found in this article.  

Huber was the second man shot and killed that night. He was unarmed, like the first. He reacted to Rittenhouse shooting the first man, Joseph Rosenbaum, and likely sought to apprehend him and disarm him. I specifically remember my criminal law instructor telling us that self-defense is a very hard defense to establish to justify a killing. We read several cases that proved what he said, with situations like pregnant woman going to jail for killing their abusive husbands while under attack. I see that in Wisconsin it's a bit easier to establish self defense because the burden lies on the prosecution to prove that the killer did not act in self defense, rather than the burden lying on the defense, which is the norm. But even so, the key word is reasonable. The jury has to believe that the defendant acted reasonably both in believing he was in imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury, and that the amount of force he used was what a reasonable person would use. 

So the jury was instructed to view the situation as a 17-year-old boy like Rittenhouse would. They were asked to view the situation where he was approached and pulled the trigger from that point of view, but they must not have been instructed to view the reasonableness of the creation of the situation itself. Was it reasonable that a 17-year-old be walking around a town he does not live in during emotional protests with a large deadly weapon like that, basically with the intention of protecting property? The situation in itself is extremely unreasonable. 

Perhaps they should've aimed for a lower charge with the killings. It's not that I want the young man locked up for his whole life, but the message this complete acquittal sends is disturbing. 

I also read that the verdict for the Ahmaud Arbery case should be decided and announced this upcoming week. I have investigated that case too. Arbery was not jogging in jogging clothes as some make it seem, (he had cargo shorts on), but was walking and jogging around the neighborhood where his family says he often jogs. He was seen on camera looking briefly into a house under construction. The cameras showed several others peeking in throughout the weeks and months prior. There was no theft, other than some little neighbor boys who took some plywood. The property owner said on the witness stand that he never asked the defendants to protect his home and he barely knows them. Both of these cases are not even in the realm of police brutality, which is trickier because of qualified immunity. The defendants are civilians practicing vigilantism. 

I don't have anything else to say and there's nothing I can do. When that is the case, the only option is to pray, (not that prayer should be a last resort, by any means). 

Lord, God, Jehovah, Yahweh, the Alpha and the Omega, the Begining and the End, please don't let them acquit those men, or at least the one that pulled the trigger. It pains me and I feel the pain of those who suffer from these injustices, this hate, this discrimination and devalution. I feel the pain of the Rittenhouse verdict and I fear the pain of an acquittal in the Arbery case. Please, may justice be served. May the jury's decision reflect your will. May there be healing. May the scales be balanced. May your kingdom come.

Amen. Below is my 4-year-old Gabriel's depiction of God. I guess he sees God as a sun-shaped house-like creature with a smile. 



 

 

Friday, May 14, 2021

#FreeHaiti: NGO Dependency

Adventures of SonSon - Part 2


This is the second post about the #FreeHaiti movement that will be looking at how NGO dependency and the mentality of Haitians is a barrier to their freedom from chains that bind the country. To learn more about the #FreeHaiti movement, check out the first post. I am doing a series of posts to discuss the different problems the Free Haiti Movement has defined as holding Haiti down. 

The other day, I noticed a Facebook post by a former Virginia Tech football player, who I know from tutoring and mentoring athletes throughout my time at VT, a job which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sergio often uses Facebook to speak out about issues. I asked him if I could share his thoughts from the other day in this post to make a comparison to the mentality of Haitians, although the situations are quite different. He agreed. 



His friend Joshua commented below and said: 

"I am glad you're sick of it bro. We need to keep having these conversations so all people can understand. Yes other privileges are prevalent, but none in comparison to white privilege. The big thing is making people aware that it is not an attack on them, they can't help the privilege and no one is negating hard work. 

Yes, let's continue to work hard when doors are closed but let's also continue to have this conversation no matter how sick we are of it. Good post, though. Happy Friday bro." 

Now, I'm not trying to claim that the advancement of African Americans to the country of Haiti are the same, as the situations are very different, but I do want to look at the mentalities that these comments represent. Sergio's words show a victor or fighter mentality. They show independence. He says that challenges only make him stronger and encourages others to have the same mentality. 

His friend Joshua applauds his mentality, but reminds him that even if you are sick of talking about injustice, you should talk about it until it's unnecessary to talk about. Sergio says that "those things will never change, sadly", but Joshua believes that they will if we keep talking about them. Misunderstandings will fade away and better solutions will be implemented.  

I highly appreciate the mindset of both of these men. I believe that Sergio wants to forget that injustice exists or take away its power as a way to plow over it and get beyond it. Joshua wants to point out injustice so that it can't hide or be accepted and thus continue. I talked about this very topic in this post as well. 

So how does this apply to the Haitian mindset and NGO dependency? Ezili Danzo, the founder of the Free Haiti Movement, says "We are enough". This is the strong and independent mindset. This is the victor mindset. It means that they don't need to wait for a foreign country to provide aid and they don't need to automatically make plans to move to a foreign country as soon as the opportunity arises. I have noticed over and over again that our teachers who graduated from high school in Haiti have a strong pride over speaking foreign languages, but generally a lack of understanding in the natural sciences. It seems as though the very school system favors the idea of making foreign connections over problem solving and communicating amongst each other internally.  

This leads me to the meaning behind our English camp called Change My Stars. The message we tell kids is that we are not teaching them English so that they try to go to the United States, Canada, or any other foreign country. We believe that English can give them job opportunity right here at home and that additionally, English can allow them to learn from visitors from English speaking countries who do not speak Spanish or Creole. It can also allow them to learn from resources in English. But we encourage them to use their education to create change at home. We oppose the brain drain where the majority of educated people leave their home country. Who, then, will develop the home country? Sure, they can send money back, but does money alone create development? 

Change My Stars - Camp Prayer

We NGOs can strongly influence this mindset by the way we interact with Haitians or members of any developing country. It's a dance between sharing and caring while also empowering beneficiaries to be independent. It takes an intentional team effort. There are entire books on this topic, but I'll share a few things we do. We ask that short term volunteers plan with us before giving out any gifts to students or community members. We try to plan it in a way that rewards school attendance, participation in a workshop, or something that promotes growth. We do it in a fair and non-political way, directly correlated to participation or performance. Sometimes aid is given to a family facing particular struggles, but this isn't usually something short term volunteers are engaged in, and they don't typically have that discresion. 

When I talk to volunteers about what to do if they are requested 10 pesos or something, I tell them just to say, "No puedo", which means "I can't" in Spanish or "M pa kapab" in Creole. When you say "I can't" you are also sending the message "You can". It doesn't mean that you don't want to help, but you are helping in a systemic way, teaching men to fish, rather than a momentary way of giving a man a fish, which might distract them from learning to fish.

I have started following the #FreeHaiti Facebook group more than Twitter, now, and see mention of dekolonizasyon mantal, which means mental decolonization. Even if Haiti became independent in 1804, they argue that mentally, it's still a colony, and that needs to be broken. While I don't agree with many sentiments that are common in this group, I definitely love their focus on creating a healthy mental state among Haitians, and in seeing that as a needed element that will lead to their flourishing. 

We also tell volunteers that because they come from a country where they have access to much more, (not that I personally think that is always a good thing or a sign of superiority), something that seems very small to them could have a large effect on the community here. One might think it's a small act to give their watch to their favorite child before they leave, but do they realize that doing so might encourage a large group of kids to come and request watches from the next volunteer that comes? Planning and working as a team to use such acts of generosity in a strategic way that promotes growth and development is best. 

As some parts of the world enjoy more and more developed technology, comforts, and conveniences, the understanding of needs versus wants continues to alter. A friend once told me that the way my family and I live is basically what many Americans would consider camping. I remember another friend, when she saw we were moving into our small house on the mountain before it had electricity and running water said, "So you're really gonna Little House in the Prairie it here?" I personally couldn't feel more grateful. There are little things we would like to improve, but all in all, we lack nothing. We are blessed, while living below the poverty line by U.S. standards. 

I recently saw a video of Ron and Johanna Melchiore. Ron says he moved from the city to build his own off-the-grid homestead in the 1970s during the Back-to-the-Land movement in the 1970s, which I had never heard of. He's been living as such, sometimes in remote places where the nearest human is a plane ride away, for forty years. I was amazed and excited to see this video as it confirmed something I had been thinking about. 

As we become more dependent on technologies, comforts, and conveniences, are we getting stronger or weaker? Observing the psychology surrounding the coronavirus, I felt like I could see this conundrum first hand. I am in a country where minimum wage is the equivalent of $200 US per month for a 44 hour work week and people were saying things like, "We can make money later. What's important now is our health". On the other hand, social media posts I saw coming from the US regarding the economic challenges were much more dramatic. 

With this perspective, do us expats have something to give in this sense when we go to countries like Haiti, or something to learn? And when we learn lessons or gain experiences from interacting with the severely impoverished, observing their lives, what does it leave them with? This is the ethical question. I am primarily referring to short term volunteer or mission teams here, but I suppose it could also apply to long term folk as well. Does our very presence leave children with a sense that they are lacking, whereas they may have never thought as much prior? And if it does, is that a step in the right direction? 

Of course we have so much to give by means of education, organization, resources, and more. I in no means am trying to suggest that short term service teams are bad! I am only pointing out unwanted side effects if care is not taken, if sensitivity is not practiced, and if strategy and teamwork are not implemented. 

Adventures of SonSon - Part 2



During law school, I was surprised to learn that if you try to help someone experiencing a problem but end up putting them in a worse position than they already were in before you intervened, you are liable for the position they are in. For example, if you find someone stuck on a tree branch and in trying to help them, you push them further out on the branch, closer to their doom, you now have responsibility in their position and are liable. I was convicted by this. I first thought, well it's better to try to help than to not try at all. While that is true, it's important that when you try to help, you carefully consider the effects of what you do. So if the person you're trying to save gets pushed further out onto the branch, you cannot walk away at that point. You now have the responsibility to do whatever it takes to get him back to safety. 

How many Americans go through places like Haiti and the biggest effect they may have is being the living embodiment of a place that seems better and has more? And how many, after having pushed people further out on their branch in that way, so to speak, leave and never look back?

Dominicans sometimes told me early on, while helping teenage boys from the streets, that if you feed them, they won't want to work anymore. I didn't want to remove anyone's work ethics, or ignore their suffering, but there is truth in what they said. It doesn't mean that you should never provide meals, but any support should be in balance with the reality of their lives. It's a topic that should be highly considered, especially among short term groups. I'm not trying to deter people from going on short term trips, but I do think they should be viewed as a long term commitment to the people, even if you're only in the country for a short period. We do our best to build short term trips in such away that make them a contributing part of an ongoing effort that takes these issues seriously, but a lot still lies in the hands of the groups themselves. Some do an excellent job of taking all of this into account. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. I'm not claiming expertise by any means, but I've definitely not given up, and I don't plan to do so. Check out my commitment statement from 10 years ago in this post about a scene in the movie Finding Nemo: Swim Down Together. The net has not broken yet. We still have brothers and sisters caught up in it. So I'm still in the net swimming down. Let's swim down together! #FreeHaiti
   

Thursday, April 22, 2021

The Space Between Us


I mentioned in my last post that I got onto Twitter in order to check out the #FreeHaiti movement. I also have mentioned that I enjoy watching the Holy Post podcasts each week. The hosts and all of the guests always mention Twitter so those were the people and groups I started to follow. While I enjoy reading people’s thoughts, I can only take so much of it, as there seems to be little call to action but lots of philosophizing and book sales promoting. I enjoy it, but in small doses.

Truthfully, the main call to action I’ve been observing is the call of one organization for Black Christian leaders that is encouraging Black Christians to leave churches that are “white dominated” or multi-ethnic. They say that this is important to protect their dignity. They seem to be encouraging Black Christians across the country to stop taking the abuse that they assume they are enduring in these “white dominated” churches by leaving.

Another call to action came from Skye Jethani who assigned his followers to read a Christianity Today article by Timothy Dalrymple that talked about the fragmented church. Although reading is a passive action, it is a call to action. Here is that article.  

It talks about the political divide in the evangelical church and contributing factors like media sources that give completely different points of view and information, causing there to be alternative realities. A few quotes had me strongly agreeing as they articulated something that had been bothering me.

“Rather than withdrawing into communities of common loathing, the church should be offering a community of common love, a sanctuary from the fragmentation and polarization, from the loneliness and isolation of the present moment.”

“Hatred is a poor imitation of purpose, celebrity a poor replacement for wisdom, and political tribes a poor comparison to authentic Christian community. “

In addition to the political divide, the call for action I presented above shows an apparently continuing racial divide. It causes me pain. Perhaps what increased this pain was the remembrance of the Virginia Tech shootings last Friday, which marked 14 years. Many of my friends and classmates shared their memories on Facebook of where they were that day and what they remember. I joined in and shared the following:

Today us Hokies remember the tragedy that happened on the Virginia Tech campus 14 years ago. I myself was in lock down in the coliseum. As we reflect on this today, the news is full of more senseless gun violence. Can we talk? Who would like to talk?

What about a political trade off? God gets brought back into schools (not Christianity or the Bible but the promotion of the intellectual possibility of a loving God) in exchange for serious changes in gun laws. I personally think that would be a compromise and also two big steps toward a solution. Much love to you all.

I also shared this sample site I created that embodies a movement that I think would bring about serious, necessary change in the United States. Here it is. I’m looking for a church or group to adopt this project, as I certainly am not in a position to run with it, but would love to see it take off. I would love to support it, advocate for it, network, and do supportive research.

I am doing remote work for an adult computer school in Indianapolis. I meet with students online throughout the day. On Friday, April 16th, as we remembered what happened 14 years earlier, I learned about what had happened in Indianapolis the night before. Eight people were shot and killed at FedEx. Others were injured. The news reported 45 mass shootings in the past month. I couldn’t shake a feeling of depression and spiritual conviction.   

I feel as though I have always been a peacemaker. I am not afraid of conflict. I embrace it and can be enriched by it. However, I feel very unsettled when it lingers and no action steps are taken to resolve it. I feel unsettled when people aren’t willing to compromise and come to a common understanding. I have felt frustrated as I observe “communities of common loathing” forming or continuing, mostly in regards to politics, and am refreshed by the truth that “hatred is not a common purpose”.

About the organization for Black Christian leaders and their encouragement for Black Christians to leave white led churches, I have many thoughts. First of all, I love their mission of supporting, training, and funding Black Christian leaders, and I have shared their website on different occasions. But it’s also concerning to see them produce work like an article titled “Why Haven’t You Left yet?” which seems to be promoting church segregation. Is this a protection of dignity or a situation where hatred is being masked as a common purpose? I think on a case by case basis, this decision can surely be made as a protection of dignity, which is so very important. However, is it wise to apply to all Black Christians in the entire country? Is that honoring to the kingdom of God? Is this call to maintain an “us versus them” mentality and promote church segregation a good thing?

Whatever it is, it’s surely sad. I will not conclude that this organization is wrong in taking this stance. I have very little insight into the topic. I don’t live in the United States, although I grew up there, and have not had these conversations pertaining to the segregated church in America. The history and topic of race is viewed and treated very differently where I live, along with many other differences that make it hard to compare. I have only become aware of this particular issue through watching Holy Post podcasts. I can conclude that this situation is not God’s will. However, I cannot necessarily blame this particular organization for taking this stance either. Perhaps they could tweak their approach some, but perhaps the white led churches they feel hurt by should reflect seriously as well. I imagine that many are reflecting, or at least I hope so.

One main reason I conclude that segregation is not a solution is because we know that the only way to learn about each other and grow closer together is to listen to one another and speak with one another. Obviously that is not going to happen if we separate. We can separate to show the other that we are upset, in hopes that they will try to reconcile, whether that be apologizing or explaining misunderstandings. But if it doesn’t lead to reconciliation, then we are at a sad point. If I were the hurt party who felt the need to leave, and reconciliation never came, my competitive spirit might take over. I would want to impress the other party by doing something better than them. That’s just me personally.

So what is the solution? I suppose the solution is for white led churches to take this exile seriously, first. Second, I suppose a solution is for white people who desire reconciliation to go to Black led churches. I appreciate the idea of church membership, but I also like being a church hopper in order to avoid any feeling of division and embrace the body of Christ rather than a particular church. I do hope that this organization stays on the correct side of a fine line they are walking, where assumptions or prejudgments about people and churches because of their racial composition still does fall into the category of racism, regardless of patterns observed.    

If you love to discuss racism but shy away from the examination of the explicit racism in Darwin’s foundational works and how racist groups like the Alt-Right use his logic as their base, I would argue that you are not fully looking for a solution, but are being hindered by politics. If you love to discuss the evils of racism but practice it yourself then we know that that is hypocritical, not innovative or solution based. You can’t eradicate something that you practice yourself, although I surely understand the desire to fight back when one feels under attack.

There’s so much talk about white privilege, but I don’t hear any talk about American privilege. There’s an unfortunate hierarchy in the U.S. and we want it to level out. We want equality for all. But please don’t forget about the unfortunate global hierarchy and work to level it out as well. Even if you find yourself low on the U.S. hierarchy, you’re near the top of the global one. 

Sometimes I listen to class struggles in the U.S. with compassion as the history of race relations was always something that brought about much compassion in me. However, other times I hear things that, to me, show how people are really looking at the glass half empty and forgetting how much more level the playing fields have become, despite there still being work to be done. I sometimes relate it to fighting for the position of king of the world. Prince of the world just isn’t satisfying, it seems. Or does the prince not realize what he is? While it’s admirable to want the best, who would feel very sorry for a prince? (Not that anyone is looking for pity, but in referring to a glass half empty mindset). Princes should use their position to do good and know that they may become king one day. So that’s just another perspective coming from outside of the U.S. of A. If you didn't get the analogy, I'm calling "white America" king of the world and "Black America" prince of the world.

The organization on the matter of racial justice over this past year has been amazing. The fact that incidences are taped and made public has allowed for much more accountability. Change is hopeful with the April 20th verdict of the Chauvin trial. However, it seems as though the public seeing these incidences also creates more fear and rage. It’s important that we keep things in perspective and do not let fear dominate. While we want police reform, just as us women can’t live in fear of men because abuse to women happens, people of color should not live in fear of police because these incidents happen. The United States is a huge country and these things are comparably rare when you look at it that way.

Cariol Horne

One way I believe such incidents could be further reduced is if there were more minority representation in the police force. I was so pleased to hear the story of Cariol Horne as it serves as proof of that claim. Minorities in the police force create change. It also shows that this has been discouraged historically. Why not make that part of the battle field as well?

Lastly, serving others can be refreshing and empowering, while simultaneously humbling. I invite anyone reading this to consider volunteering with us down here on the island of Hispaniola. Spending time here would give you a different insight into how race is perceived and experienced and also show how privileged you are to be an American citizen!   

Check out this interview with Ivenson, one of the young men who has spent years growing up in our group home. He shares a bit about the issues in Haiti and Cite Soleil, where he is from. I would love to see the Black Lives Matter movement include Haiti. The history of the Haitian Revolution embodies racial justice and dignity, yet so many innocent lives are still in bondage there. At the same time, in some ways, it is an absolutely magnificent paradise. I wish Black Lives Matter and everyone who is sensitive to the cause would help #FreeHaiti. Here's the link to Ivenson's interview in case it's not showing up for you.  



Let’s keep working at this. He has a solution. Iron sharpening iron does not feel comfortable, but it does make us all better over time. Let’s not give up. Let’s not go backwards. Let us not forget that we all have a common enemy and his work is easier when we are divided. Have a blessed day.