Sous Espwa. It's Creole for "Source of Hope." It's also the name which the combined ministries of Back to God Ministries, World Renew, and Christian Reformed World Missions in Haiti. It's a name that I have begun to identify with. It is the team I work with, the way I introduce myself in Haiti, and so though it is two words, it is beginning to be packed with meaning. So you can imagine my surprise this past Friday night at the Protestant Pastor's Dinner when a kind old lady said to me, "I've never heard of Sous Espwa."
I had received an invitation from a colleague, Pastor Herode Guillomettre, who heads up a leadership training institution, to attend this special dinner. When his note came into my inbox, it read like this:
"Je voudrais par ce mail vous rappeler l'invitation qui vous a été faite à prendre part à la 2ème conférence des Chefs de Missions, Eglises, Organisations/Associations et Ligues de Pasteurs (MEOL) le vendredi 31 octobre de 16 à 19h à l'Hotel Montana." (I would like to remind you by email of the invitation that was made to take part in the second conference of Heads of Missions , Churches, Organizations / Associations and Leagues Pastors ( MEOL ) Friday, October 31, 16 to 19h in Hotel Montana.)
Hotel Montana made the news in 2010 when 100's of foreigners lost their lives when the January 12 earthquake flattened the mountain-top hotel. Today, it is rebuilt and beautiful again, hosting prestigious events and housing dignitaries when they are here. This night it would be home to the heads and pastors of missions and churches of Haiti, celebrating their collective work and planning ahead to how they would mark the year spanning the 200th anniversary of Protestantism in Haiti (July 2016) til the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation (October 2017).
The room was elegant, air-conditioned, and everyone in the room was dressed to the nines. In distinction to most other contexts in Haiti where Creole is spoken, this evening was entirely in French, the language of the educated. The heads of every major denomination in Haiti were there, as well as leaders of prominent Haitian missions. It was, as my dad likes to say, an "auspicious occasion."
The program had been planned to start at 4:00 pm (16h) and so I arrived there with another pastor at 4:00. Rookie mistake. The doors didn't open until after 4:30 and the program didn't commence for another 40 minutes after that. From 5:10 straight through til 7:50, we were treated to speeches, songs, future plans, and presentations of ecclesiastical dignitaries. Through the veil of the French language (a thinner veil for me than Creole is) I was able to get a sense of a shared identity amoung Protestants in Haiti, and just how small a part of that Sous Espwa is.
Of the 180-200 people in the room, four of us were white, or in Haiti, "blan." Three of them were sitting at a table in the center of the room. Though I was new to Haiti, I had already been to the Baptist Haiti Mission (www.bhm.org) in Fermate and had read about its legendary founding family, the Turnbulls. Wallace and Eleanor had been in Haiti since 1948 -- 66 years! -- as missionaries. Legendarily, they had been instrumental in aiding a community of mountain farmers become the nucleus of a national ministry which serves over 350 churches, 350 schools, and 68,000 children. If you have ever studied Creole, you probably have used the text "Creole Made Easy", written by their son Wally (not to be confused with their other son Walter). The three blan at the centre table were none other than Wallace, Eleanor, and Walter Turnbull.
After the speeches, it was time for dinner. As we made our way to the buffet, 90-year-old Eleanor ambled over to me. Grabbing my arm she spoke the obvious: "You're the only white person in the room who is not a Turnbull, so I had to find out who you are." I told her my story, how long we have been here, and who I work for. Then she said, "I've never heard of Sous Espwa."
I explained to her that she probably never would. I shared the vision of Sous Espwa with her, that we really don't want to make a name for ourselves but that rather we want to get behind the missions that are already here and help them flourish, with Haitian leadership over the long haul, long after I would be gone. I told her about our local partners: MDK (a Christian Leadership Training program), CRECH (a Christian School teacher training program), and SKDE (a church leader and pastor training program). She had heard of each of them and was enthusiastic about their work.
Then I said, "You know, if Sous Espwa is successful, you might still never hear anything about us, but you would grow to know more about these ministries -- MDK, CRECH, SKDE -- as they grow and flourish. A sparkle gleamed in the eye of the grizzled missions veteran. She wrapped her arm around me, smiled a warm smile, and said, "That's perfect! That's how it should be. The best thing for the Haitian church is that we North Americans promote the flourishing of local leaders and then fade into the background ourselves. God bless you in your work."
As she walked away, I felt like God himself had just encouraged me. I had been encouraged to continue to practice the ministry of small things, of encouragement, of hiddenness, of obscurity, and of celebrating the flourishing and success of others. I thought about how in just three short months I was learning so much. I am eager to see what God will continue to do in me in the next 8-1/2 months. Even more, I am eager to see how the way he is shaping me here in Haiti will prepare me for effective service in the years to come.
I had received an invitation from a colleague, Pastor Herode Guillomettre, who heads up a leadership training institution, to attend this special dinner. When his note came into my inbox, it read like this:
"Je voudrais par ce mail vous rappeler l'invitation qui vous a été faite à prendre part à la 2ème conférence des Chefs de Missions, Eglises, Organisations/Associations et Ligues de Pasteurs (MEOL) le vendredi 31 octobre de 16 à 19h à l'Hotel Montana." (I would like to remind you by email of the invitation that was made to take part in the second conference of Heads of Missions , Churches, Organizations / Associations and Leagues Pastors ( MEOL ) Friday, October 31, 16 to 19h in Hotel Montana.)
Hotel Montana made the news in 2010 when 100's of foreigners lost their lives when the January 12 earthquake flattened the mountain-top hotel. Today, it is rebuilt and beautiful again, hosting prestigious events and housing dignitaries when they are here. This night it would be home to the heads and pastors of missions and churches of Haiti, celebrating their collective work and planning ahead to how they would mark the year spanning the 200th anniversary of Protestantism in Haiti (July 2016) til the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation (October 2017).
The room was elegant, air-conditioned, and everyone in the room was dressed to the nines. In distinction to most other contexts in Haiti where Creole is spoken, this evening was entirely in French, the language of the educated. The heads of every major denomination in Haiti were there, as well as leaders of prominent Haitian missions. It was, as my dad likes to say, an "auspicious occasion."
The program had been planned to start at 4:00 pm (16h) and so I arrived there with another pastor at 4:00. Rookie mistake. The doors didn't open until after 4:30 and the program didn't commence for another 40 minutes after that. From 5:10 straight through til 7:50, we were treated to speeches, songs, future plans, and presentations of ecclesiastical dignitaries. Through the veil of the French language (a thinner veil for me than Creole is) I was able to get a sense of a shared identity amoung Protestants in Haiti, and just how small a part of that Sous Espwa is.
 |
| Yours truly taking a selfie with Port-au-Prince in the background as I waited for the doors to open. |
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| The Auspicious Occasion with the two white heads of Wallace and Walter |
Of the 180-200 people in the room, four of us were white, or in Haiti, "blan." Three of them were sitting at a table in the center of the room. Though I was new to Haiti, I had already been to the Baptist Haiti Mission (www.bhm.org) in Fermate and had read about its legendary founding family, the Turnbulls. Wallace and Eleanor had been in Haiti since 1948 -- 66 years! -- as missionaries. Legendarily, they had been instrumental in aiding a community of mountain farmers become the nucleus of a national ministry which serves over 350 churches, 350 schools, and 68,000 children. If you have ever studied Creole, you probably have used the text "Creole Made Easy", written by their son Wally (not to be confused with their other son Walter). The three blan at the centre table were none other than Wallace, Eleanor, and Walter Turnbull.
 |
| Wallace and Eleanor at the Chapel of the Baptist Haiti Mission |
After the speeches, it was time for dinner. As we made our way to the buffet, 90-year-old Eleanor ambled over to me. Grabbing my arm she spoke the obvious: "You're the only white person in the room who is not a Turnbull, so I had to find out who you are." I told her my story, how long we have been here, and who I work for. Then she said, "I've never heard of Sous Espwa."
I explained to her that she probably never would. I shared the vision of Sous Espwa with her, that we really don't want to make a name for ourselves but that rather we want to get behind the missions that are already here and help them flourish, with Haitian leadership over the long haul, long after I would be gone. I told her about our local partners: MDK (a Christian Leadership Training program), CRECH (a Christian School teacher training program), and SKDE (a church leader and pastor training program). She had heard of each of them and was enthusiastic about their work.
Then I said, "You know, if Sous Espwa is successful, you might still never hear anything about us, but you would grow to know more about these ministries -- MDK, CRECH, SKDE -- as they grow and flourish. A sparkle gleamed in the eye of the grizzled missions veteran. She wrapped her arm around me, smiled a warm smile, and said, "That's perfect! That's how it should be. The best thing for the Haitian church is that we North Americans promote the flourishing of local leaders and then fade into the background ourselves. God bless you in your work."
As she walked away, I felt like God himself had just encouraged me. I had been encouraged to continue to practice the ministry of small things, of encouragement, of hiddenness, of obscurity, and of celebrating the flourishing and success of others. I thought about how in just three short months I was learning so much. I am eager to see what God will continue to do in me in the next 8-1/2 months. Even more, I am eager to see how the way he is shaping me here in Haiti will prepare me for effective service in the years to come.
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