burdened to have beautiful feet...: MEBSH convention

MEBSH stands for Evangelical Baptist Mission of South Haiti and is one of the Baptist denominations here in Haiti. The organization that I work for (Centre Lumiere) is part of MEBSH, so technically speaking I am a short-term MEBSH missionary.

This past weekend was MEBSH's annual church convention. Over 15,000 people showed up Wednesday through Sunday to hear various pastors speak and listen to various choir groups perform. It was initially thought that they would be unable to hold convention this year because of fear of cholera as well as the instability of the election. Thankfully, the people's choice (Martelly) was elected and cholera has come under control, so convention continued as planned.

I had been hearing about the upcoming convention and everything that goes into it. Initially it was expected that 10,000 would show up from various MEBSH churches around Haiti for a weekend of fellowship. People would stay with friends and family in Les Cayes as well as camp out in local schools that were closed for the second half of the week. Literally everything in our little town of Simon shut down for the event.

A few days early, people began to arrive to build extra church benches and booths along the streets. Our local MEBSH church can only seat 4,000, so extra benches shaded with tarps were built outside in the church yard for people to sit. For the booths along the street, long pieces of bamboo were dragged behind moto-taxis to build the frame and then it was covered with tarps to block out the sun. These individuals sold food, books, and clothing items. Food was a big hit since so many people had no way to prepare their own. Much like a street fair, we saw popcorn, shaved ice, and deep-fried delicacies.

People began to arrive Wednesday afternoon balancing suitcases on their heads. It made me smile to see them pass by the door of our gate with a full sized suitcase balanced on their head as they made the 1-2 mile walk from the main road to the house where they were staying. Simon quadrupled in size in a matter of hours and it continued to grow throughout the week.

Sessions started a 6am every morning and continued until well after 9pm every night with a few breaks mixed in. Every evening, youth from a church club paraded around the neighborhood to invite everyone to the evening session. Everyone came dressed in their Sunday bests all week, and if you forgot your suit, tie, or shoes, you could purchase them from one of the vendors on the street. Everyone carries not only their Bibles to the session, but their hymn book as well. Instead of that being an added expense for churches to keep up with, everyone has their own so they can sing at home as well as at church. No one really needs it though since most of the hymns are known by heart. I had been wanting to purchase one for some time, and was able to get a good deal from a vendor this weekend.

Our girls and staff at the center prepared a presentation for Saturday afternoon. Since the students will graduate this year, we have begun to recruit for the next session. The ladies sang a beautiful song and Marcelle gave a short speech about the center. I had folded pamphlets to pass out to those that were interested in studying there. I was also impressed that all of our students made their outfits as their midterm project. They did such a great job!

Saturday evening I decided that it was time that I attended one of the sessions. I stayed for the singing Saturday afternoon, but left afterward because it was too hot and crowded in the church. But, Saturday night I talked MarieJo into going with me, so we headed out. I knew that she had been wanting to go, but it's so difficult for her to get around in her wheelchair. Well, we laughed the whole way to the church because I felt like I was pushing a wheelchair through Times Square on New Years Eve. Everyone had to stare at the crazy white girl and the Haitian in the wheelchair before they moved, but we eventually found a spot to sit under one of the projection screens out on the church lawn. MarieJo said the preacher was wonderful, and I enjoyed the singing. It was also special to see that a local police officer had come out of Voodoo and gotten saved earlier in the week. Despite being a little claustrophobic, it was a blessing to be a part of the fellowship.

Now, the vendor booths are gone, the trash has been swept into smoldering piles on the streets, and the benches have been removed from the church lawn. The population of Simon has dwindled to it's original amount and it's easier to get a good nights sleep without all of the noises right outside my window (Did I mention that this all happened a block from my house?). Convention was a unique taste of Haitian culture that I am glad to say I was a part of. It's just a glimpse of what heaven will be like when believers from all nations are gathered together.