One evening, I started asking Jimmy some questions about Haitian culture. It’s funny, even though he speaks good English, there are times when we still have to repeat sentences in order to understand each other. This happens with Poyis as well. Learning a language and a different culture takes time.

One thing we discussed was religion and Vodou. Jimmy shared with me that Vodou is still a big part of Haitian culture—I learned that most people, even pagans, believe Vodou exists. The easiest way for me to describe it is that Vodou is the work of demons. Jimmy knows of a few priests and says they are fearful of Christians because of the difficulty Christians cause them. It was an interesting conversation, to say the least.

Knowing that the religious context in Haiti is so troubled makes me especially thankful for our Mercy Network pastors. Poyis, Jimmy, and I are planning for an upcoming meeting, and another thing I am learning about Haitian culture is that Haitians don’t do a lot of planning in advance, although they are always willing. For them to think through the details of an event that will occur a month out is a stretch. I appreciate that they always make themselves available to meet the needs of the ministry, even if some things like scheduling require an extra measure of effort.

We are partners, the Haitians and the Americans, working together for the purpose of the gospel and His church through the vehicle of the local church. We can learn a lot from our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ, in the same way they learn from us. They understand more deeply what it means to trust in the Lord for daily needs; to me, their faith is stronger in that way because of consistent practice. The Lord is faithful to use His people to grow one another, and I’m thankful that I get to see it happen in real time, every day.

Wiley Kennedy serves as Director of International Ministries with Connect 2 Ministries. To learn more about Wiley, visit Who We Are, and to learn how you can make a difference, visit Join an Outreach Program.