The Haitian Nation (The spiritual impact of the earthquake)

The spiritual impact of the earthquake 

Most, if not all of us, remember the images of the Earthquake that rocked the country of Haiti in 2010.  We remember the news coverage, the images of fallen buildings, and the statistics of thousands of lives lost.

To be honest, had the earthquake not happened, we may not have gone on this trip.  I think most of us felt so deeply for the people of Haiti that when the earthquake happened that we wanted to do something, but just didn't know how at the time.  When the opportunity came for us to go this summer, we took it.  One of the reasons we went was so that we could just learn from the Haitians how the earthquake impacted them individually, as well as the country as a whole.  The stories we heard and the way the Haitians explained why the earthquake happened changed our perspective on the event.

Here are a few things we learned about the spiritual impact of the earthquake.

1) The Haitians we spoke to believe that the earthquake was an answer to prayer.  Yes, you read that right.  One of our translators told us that the Haitian president several years ago renewed a pact between the country of Haiti and Satan.  He said that lots of pastors got together and began praying and crying out to God.  He said they specifically asked God to "shake the country of Haiti".  Although I don't think this is what the pastors had in mind, they see the earthquake as an answer to the pastors prayer for God to wake up the Haitians to their need for Him.

2) The Haitians we spoke to accept it.  Simply put, they just accept that the Earthquake happened, God caused it, and God can use it to turn people to Him.  We did not notice bitterness or anger toward God.  Some of the people we talked to had even lost legs in the quake.  One of our translators was one of only a few who survived when the school building he was in collapsed.  They still believed that God was good, and are trying to serve Him with their lives.  Very powerful and challenging.

3) The Haitians we spoke to believe there has been a spiritual awakening since the earthquake.  After the quake, our translators told stories about how there was only one word heard on the streets.  "JESUS!  JESUS!  JESUS!"  Believers and non-believers alike cried out to Jesus Christ in their moment of despair.  Since then, the churches have been overflowing.  For the first time in the country's history, they cancelled their Carnival celebration (the equivalent to our Marti-Gras).  Even despite many people turning back to God during the aftermath of the earthquake, many Haitians' prayer is for more and more people to turn their lives to God.  There is still work to be done, but God is active and moving in the country of Haiti.  We were reminded that even the best of media coverage does not tell the whole story, and completely leaves out what is happening spiritually. 

As the saying goes "The night is always darkest right before the dawn".  The earthquake of 2010 was certainly a dark day in Haiti, but a new dawn has come, and we are grateful for the chance to learn of it.