Lessons from Haiti

In 2004, more than 2500 people died in Gonaives, Haiti due to heavy rainfall after the passage of Tropical Storm Jeanine.

Gonaives was under water once again in 2008 following the passage of tropical storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike, with more than 100,000 persons left homeless.

Then came the devastating earthquake of 2010, with over 300,000 deaths and more than one million persons displaced.

Now in 2016, Haiti has once more faced a major disaster, this time in the form of Hurricane Matthew.

Trees uprooted

Homes reduced to rubble

Plantations immersed underwater, destroying crops ready to harvest

Personal belongings destroyed

Cooking a meal in front of what is left of her home

Many persons have formed theories about why Haiti seems to be suffering from so many "acts of God". It seems like they barely have a chance to recover from one natural disaster before another one hits. Many have put the blame on the prevalence of voodoo in that nation, saying that God is judging Haiti for their sinful ways.

However, I beg to differ.

My reading of the Bible shows a God who is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). In Romans 5:20, Paul writes that where sin increases, God's grace increases even more. 

In the Old Testament, there were incidents where God punished cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) and even the whole world (the great flood) because of their sinful ways. However, in these accounts, the righteous were spared destruction. Lot and his family were forcibly removed before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, and God led Noah to build an ark to save himself and his family from the flood.

In the disasters that Haiti has suffered over the past decade, there was no distinction between those who were living according to God's laws, and those who weren't. The righteous were affected just as badly as the unrighteous.

Pastor's house which lost its roof

The reality is that Haiti is vulnerable to both earthquakes and hurricanes based on its geographic location. It is situated between two fault lines, on the divide between the North American tectonic plate and the Caribbean plate. Haiti also lies in the middle of the hurricane belt, making it an easy target for major tropical storms and hurricanes.

However, in the midst of disaster, there lies hope. We spent time over the last few days meeting with persons who were directly affected by Hurricane Matthew and hearing their stories.

This man was at home with his wife and family when the hurricane hit. He knew that it was coming, but he didn't think it would be that bad, so he did not leave his home. When the winds hit, his home came crumbling down, trapping him and his wife under the rubble. His children ran to the neighbours to get help and when they saw him they initially thought he was dead. They were able to free him from the rubble, and he and his wife escaped unharmed. When we asked what he was thinking as he lay trapped under the rubble, he responded that he was recognising how powerful God is: that even though his home was destroyed and he was left with no material possessions, he and his family were safe.

Monique's husband was a fisherman. Two days before Hurricane Matthew hit, he went out to sea as he normally did. She warned him not to go out too far. If he had listened to her, he would still have been alive today. He and his fishing partner drowned due to high waves generated by the hurricane. Their house was destroyed, along with their crops, and now she has to raise her 7 children on her own. When asked how she would survive, this was her response: The birds don't work, yet God provides food for them. I know He will provide for me.

I have travelled to 16 countries and met hundreds of people, but I can honestly say that Haitians are the most resilient people I know. They do not crumble when disaster hits. Those who have share what little they have with those who have less. They find a way to rebuild. Those who have faith in God look to Him for sustenance. And so should we.

Habakkuk 3:17 & 18

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crops fails and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.