Some of you have asked for a report on my weekend trip to worship with the Montreal congregation. I know your thoughts and prayers have been with the Haitian church and the ties to our Montreal congregation are very close! (They and we are very grateful for all you've been doing to contribute to the relief efforts there.)
So you would likely not have been surprised to hear of a sad or sombre atmosphere in our worship there. You would have been wrong! This weekend was the tenth anniversary of the church's being able to purchase and occupy their facility. They feel truly blessed to have a place to worship. Every year they mark the date. They were in big-time celebration mode.
This is a people made for praise! Prayers are full of "Hallaluja!" and "Praise Jesus!" The energy and interaction in their gathering is high. Music and singing and movement and colour and flowers and everyone in their very best outfits mark the occasion. After the two and a half hour service we repaired to the lower room for feasting and conversation (and a spontaneous game of tag among the tables, played by children from just walking to teenagers).
Do they not care for the suffering of their compatriots? Absolutely! And they too are sending every bit of money they can. But they are not surprised, as we may be, by the singing in the rubble, because they are singing too.
No one knows the hour they will be called home; praise God we have Jesus in our hearts.
For this they will Celebrate!
Posted by Marion
Monday, January 25, 2010
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What faith the Haitin people have, to be able to continue rejoicing in such adverse circumstances.They truly know the love of a God who lets bad things happen to good people. May their faith never waver
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, not sure I'd put it exactly like that, but for sure--they are people of great faith.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your observation.
Thank you for the update. Watching the worship taking place in Haiti on Sunday, I am not surprized that you found them rejoicing as they celebrated together. Ten years hard to believe. One thing for sure they sure know how to celebrate through eating.
ReplyDeleteBarb
Marion did not mention that she took an old very slow laptop from CEM to Pastor Albert in Montreal. He was so grateful. I complained earlier that it was not our best and that we should have given $500 to buy a new faster one. When Marion mentioned that to Albert he said that he would have sent the money to Haiti. Gratitude and giving are second nature to Albert. I remember signing the cheque for that building 10 yrs ago. Albert had plans to fill that building...I understand that the building was overflowing this weekend and with plenty of young adults ready to carry on the tradition.
ReplyDeleteJim P
Right on there Jim. I handed him the computer and apologized that it is old and slow. Then I asked what he'd have done if I'd given him cash instead.
ReplyDelete"Oh I'd send it to Haiti" was his smiling reply.
So I handed it over to Min-Min (Wilomina), Albert's twenty-something daughter who had Power Point up and running in quick time.