Monday, November 5, 2012

Don't you Know There's a War Going on?

"We really want Rosenie to trust the hospital in Milot."  Amy, the nurse from Second Mile writes to me in an email.  Milona had been sick the last two weeks and instead of going to the hospital they tried natural remedies and other "remedies." Later, Jude tells me that Roseny believes that Milonia's diabetes is "caused by an evil spell someone had cast on her, so she took her to someone who could help her with some special remedies."  If you are going to be involved in Haiti at all, it is important to understand their culture, their belief system.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about the "heavenly places" and in chapter 6:11, he says that "our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."   In case you're wondering, you're sitting in the heavenly places right now.  This battle is constantly taking place all around us and we rarely take notice.  In Haiti, the battle is real and unlike in America, it's in your face every day. 

In Haiti, VooDoo is rampant.  All Haitians believe in VooDoo, even the Christians.  And, although I believe Satan to be a very powerful and active force in our world (I Peter 5:8) and that we in America tend to minimize his power, he only has as much power over me as I allow him. Haitians turn to VooDoo out of fear, they are fully aware that Satan is prowling about seeking out prey.  

To us, it sounds irrational that Satan could cause something like Diabetes, but for those we love in Haiti, it is a daily struggle to let go of this pervasive belief that controls almost every aspect of their culture. Most problems; illnesses, poverty, unemployment, death are believed to be caused by a curse or from someone casting an evil spell.  So, our dear Roseny and Milonia are also acting out of fear and not trust.  Please pray that they do learn to trust not only conventional medicine but their Creator as well.

Trust is a difficult thing to earn.  It's also a difficult thing to give.


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