Discovering My Own People: A Call to Action in Haiti

In our mission to Haiti, we remained attentive to God's voice while also keeping an eye out for existing resources in the communities we visited. In one particular village, I noticed something extraordinary: pigeon peas, a staple in my Kenyan tribe's diet, were growing there. This observation surprised me, as I had never seen pigeon peas growing outside of Kenya during all my international travels.

This discovery stayed with me, and as I continued to explore, I noticed other similarities. The way the villagers stacked their charcoal and their communal practices mirrored those of my tribe. Additionally, the practice of voodoo in this village was strikingly similar to the witchcraft known in my tribe. The resemblance made me wonder if we shared common roots.

These familiar characteristics gave me a profound sense that I was in this region of Haiti for a reason. As an African, I felt a responsibility to help local believers address the voodoo powers in their midst. While this is uncharted territory for much of the Western church, African churches have long dealt with spiritual warfare and have extensive experience in taking authority over witchcraft.

Seeing these parallels, I began to wrestle with a fundamental question: “How can the global church help the Haitian church?” On a personal level, I wondered, “As I continue to bring sustainable development to the poor and vulnerable in Africa, how can I do nothing here, now that I see that I might have a historical connection with these people?”

When we visited the home of a local pastor, the Lord convicted me deeply. I understood that these villagers were where they are today partly because of historical actions involving Africans. My forefathers could have played a role in enslaving the ancestors of these Haitians, or at least allowed that travesty to occur. Today, they are still enslaved, not by chains, but by poverty, evil powers, learned helplessness, and the loss of dignity.

I broke down and wept with the realization that the people I had met might be part of my tribe and that my own people might have contributed to their current state of poverty and bondage. This gut-wrenching realization shook me to the core.

I realized that I had a responsibility—and through me, Life In Abundance had a responsibility—to bring transformation and healing to this village. We had a role to play that couldn't be filled by Americans in quite the same way as it could be by Africans. It became clear to me that we shared the blame, we shared responsibility, and we must also share in working for a solution.

We invite you to join us on this transformative journey. As we continue to share our story and insights, we believe that by working together and seeking God's guidance, we can create lasting, meaningful change. Stay connected by subscribing to our blog for updates and insights on how we can collaborate to make a significant impact.

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Blessings,

Florence Muindi and Charlie Vittitow

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