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December 6, 2023
Dear Daniel,
Christmas is a quiet time in Haiti.
I have been in Haiti a few times during the Christmas season. The contrast between Christmas in Haiti and Christmas in the U.S. is remarkable. Here in the U.S. it's a frenzied time, with shopping, decorations, and of course, all of the commercialization surrounding the holiday. It's easy to forget the meaning of the season if we're not careful to step back and make a conscious effort to reflect on the birth of our Lord and Savior.
It's quite a contrast in Haiti. I searched through years worth of December photos to find something to illustrate Christmas decorations in Haiti. All I could find is the photo in this newsletter, which admittedly is not very clear. This is the church in Phaeton, a village outside of the big city of Cap-Haitien. If you strain your eyes, you may be able to see some modest decorations on the walls! I have seen the occasional string of lights in Cap-Haitien, but since the city rarely provides power, there's not much point in putting up lights or other decorations.
Ah, but wait!
Just because Christmas in Haiti is understated, it doesn't mean the holiday is not observed. It's just the opposite! I would like to suggest that the season is celebrated in a way that honors Jesus in Haiti. The tradition of gift giving at Christmas harkens back to the account in the Bible of the kings presenting gifts to baby Jesus. People in Haiti do the same, but gifts are very simple. I bet some of the parents reading this wish we could do the same! How often do we see our kids rip open a package, then immediately cast it aside to open the next one?
Church on Christmas day is very important. There are special services that celebrate and honor the birth. People in Haiti walk everywhere. It is wonderful to see people streaming out of their homes and making their way to church early on Christmas day. I think the Lord is pleased.
We could do well to learn something from our Haitian brothers and sisters. Our cultures are different, but let's think about a Haitian style Christmas this year. Let's step back a little from the chaos, and remember the foundation of this wonderful holiday. May it be a day of celebration and reflection rather than one of chaos, consumerism, and emptiness. The Lord will be honored.
By the way, we don't want to miss the opportunity to remind you that you can make a special gift to the ministry through the donation link at the bottom of this newsletter. You can be sure your gift will be a blessing to someone in Haiti who really needs it!
X-Ray System Update
Here's the latest news on our big campaign. As of this writing, we are still at $51,214 toward our goal of $55,000, but that may be sufficient. We've moved to the purchase evaluation phase, and we're receiving help from a qualified advisor. Please continue to pray for us as we work through this decision. We'll keep you posted!
Thank you so much for your faithful giving and prayers. We appreciate you more than you can imagine.
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