Florida Haitians praise God after quake
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Members and guests pray during the service. UMNS photos by
Erik J. Alsgaard.
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A UMNS Report
By Erik J. Alsgaard*
Feb. 02, 2010
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Jean Francois was among the members and guests attending the
service. Four of his children died in the quake.
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Jean Francois carries himself with a quiet dignity. An older Haitian
man, Francois is a member of Emmanuel Haitian United Methodist Mission
in Orlando, Fla.
Early on Jan. 12, Francois talked by phone with his son in Haiti. His
son needed money so his children could go to school. Francois said he
would send the money. They never spoke again. Francois’ son and three
other children died in the earthquake.
It is a story all too familiar among Florida’s Haitian population.
That shared tragedy brought members of Francois’ church, along with
visitors and clergy from congregations throughout Orlando, together Jan.
20 to pray for one another and the Haitian people.
They also praised God.
“In Jesus, I’m fine. I’m fine,” the Rev. Eliantus Valmyr said to the
nearly 100 gathered — even though several of his cousins in Haiti had
yet to be located.
“I have some family members, some cousins, in Port-au-Prince, but I
don’t hear nothing from them,” said Valmyr, who has served as pastor at
Emmanuel Haitian Mission for 14 years. “I don’t know what happened to
them. We call; no answer.”
While dealing with his own situation, Valmyr also tries to help
members of his congregation and their family and friends cope in the
aftermath of the quake. Along with Francois, several members have lost
loved ones.
Valmyr says he relies on his strong faith in God and Jesus Christ to
help him fulfill that call.
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The Rev. Eliantus Valmyr preaches
while a translator behind him offers
the sermon in English.
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“As pastor, I am showing my congregation that I am standing with
them,” he said. “And the congregation is showing all the support we can
to our people.”
Maggie Raymond, a member of the Haitian congregation, attended the
service with her 2-year-old son, Jochanan. She said it was a chance to
bring people together to praise the Lord.
“People are in tears, crying, because they’ve lost their relatives,”
Raymond said. “It was great to see other people from other congregations
come together.”
Connection offers strength, hope
Prayers were lifted as people went to the front of the sanctuary to
expressd their witness and testimony. Dozens of people from outside the
Haitian community also offered their support.
The Rev. Bob Bushong, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in
Winter Park,
represented the wider United Methodist community at the service. He also
offered the benediction.
“Some of you may have seen the most recent issue of Time magazine, a
special edition, and the title says, ‘Haiti’s Tragedy,’” Bushong said
before offering the closing prayer. “They didn’t get it right. It’s
humanity’s tragedy.”
Valmyr said support from United Methodists throughout the
connection keeps him going.
“We give thanks to United Methodists because they show us that they care
about us, about the Haitian people,” he said. “We love that. They are
connecting with us.”
‘God’s hand at work’
Harold Nicoleau also attended the service. He said his heavy heart has
been buoyed by his faith.
“My sister-in-law in Haiti lost her house, but they are alive,” said
Nicoleau, a native of Haiti and lay supply pastor at Taft United
Methodist Church. “A dear friend who I went to school with perished,
along with her daughter and her granddaughter. Three generations of
women died that Tuesday.”
Through it all, Nicoleau said, he has seen God’s hand at work.
“The Lord himself told us to cry with those who are crying and rejoice
with those who are rejoicing,” he said. “Now is not the moment of
rejoicing, but it is a moment of reflection and prayer. The outpouring
of love and compassion … tells us that God has something to do with it,
because only God can put an army of ‘ones’ out there to help and to
rescue and to care for the victims of this earthquake.”
Nicoleau said he told his congregation the Sunday after the quake that
there is a reason for everything in life. And even amid a terrible
tragedy, he said, one still could see God at work.
“Last Sunday we sang, ‘Further along, we will see Jesus,’ ” he said. “We
don’t have to wait for days or weeks or months anymore because right
after the earthquake, I’ve seen the victims, the ones that are not dead;
they come out of the rubble glorifying God, giving thanksgiving,
worshipping God. This is one of the most beautiful answers to a calamity
I’ve ever seen, and I wonder, ‘Isn’t that God working?’ God is good.”
*Alsgaard is director of communications for the Florida Conference.
News media contact: Joey Butler, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org
SLIDESHOW
Photos from team in Haiti
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Resources
Florida Annual Conference
UMCOR: Haiti Emergency
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