the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it

Sometimes I find myself asking, “Why are things so hard here?” “Why can’t anything be easy?”

Maybe this is an immature question but I can’t deny that it is often on my mind.

For whatever reason, in various circles it seems that Caraballo has the stigma of being a really hard place. I don’t disagree but I often wonder “WHY?” Is it the heat? The poverty? The location? The racial tension? The pain in the community?

Many times I write and talk about how much I love doing home visits. It is often heartbreaking to see their living conditions and often so fun to see the kids in their element with their families. Sometimes I come back from home visits full of hope, or emotionally exhausted, or sunburned, or really happy, or heavy hearted, or with a camera full of gorgeous photos…whatever the case, it always stretches my heart and is an opportunity for the Lord to increase my love for these children.

The majority of our kids come from 3 communities. There is a community right near the care center where most of our kids live. Both Dominicans and Haitians live in this village. All of the homes in this community are virtually identical- cement homes with tin roofs (some are bigger than others depending on how many are in each family). These homes have limited electricity and no running water. Some families are more well off than others and it is displayed by painting the house, having furniture, having a TV, having a refrigerator, having a stereo, having a clock on the wall, having windows made of glass, or a motorcycle parked outside.

Across the river from the care center, but not far, are two other communities. There is a community where only Dominicans live and generally these homes are bigger and show that families are better off financially.

The other community is home to only Haitians. We call this area the “batey”. The main buildings are row homes that were originally built by the sugarcane factory in my town to house Haitian workers who came to this country to work in the sugarcane fields. Originally, these one-room homes were intended for one man, but over time, whole families began living in these tiny rooms. Like the first community I mentioned, this area has limited electricity and no running water in the houses. In addition to these row houses, other homes have been built- some out of cinder blocks, and others out of pieces of wood and sheet metal. The poverty in this community is the most extreme out of all 3.

(all of this would make so much more sense if I could take you walking with me to see these 3 areas- they are all so unique from each other- but each community is home to many of our kids)

I often go walking home with kids to the batey area. In this community, right in the middle of homes, is the witchdoctor’s building. It is characterized by a tall pole with a white flag on the top and paintings of priests and skulls on the outside. Ever since moving here, I was aware that the witchdoctor existed but the kids hardly ever talk about it and I hardly ever asked.

Until this week…

I had 3 or 4 conversations with kids about the witch doctor, superstitions, evil spirits, and witches. This is a very real part of their life in this community. After these conversations, I asked one of my coworkers who lives in the community to tell me more about the witchdoctor. I should have asked this question earlier but I found out that the witchdoctor has at least 4 or 5 children who come to our care center, one of whom is a believer in Jesus Christ!

I don’t want to get into all the details, but I want you to know that I’ve been learning that the witch doctor is doing things. People seem to have a respect for him but also a fear. Babies are often given special bracelets or anklets to wear to “protect against evil spirits”. He often makes potions out of herbs and other ingredients to “help heal people”. And I also found out that he buys idols in my town and then gets them to people in that community.

The same day that I found out this information about him, there was an incident with his son who is a Christian at the care center. He suddenly collapsed on the basketball court and was brought into the office having lost control of his body as he was foaming at the mouth, having slurred speech and seizure-like symptoms. He was instantly rushed to the hospital where he was stabilized and his symptoms seemed to go away (he still needs to be seen by a neurologist). He has no medical history of seizures or anything like this. He is back at home recuperating and doing much better now. The interesting thing is that this is not the only case like this. In the past 9 months or so, we have seen 3 other strange medical cases- extreme headaches, seizures, sudden paralysis- and it seems like the symptoms have gone away as mysteriously as they appeared. Those of us who have been observing this feel pretty helpless and wonder what is really going on here. But we trust in God, our great healer who knows these children intimately.

These unexplained events are not that rare. When I asked my coworkers what they thought, many have an opinion. Most do not seem surprised at how often these unexplained medical instances happen here. I do not have an explanation either and I’m not saying that this was only a medical issue or only a spiritual issue. Only the Lord knows…it was just an interesting day as I learned more about the spiritual issues in this community and was faced with more unanswerable questions.

I will tell you that any time I walk through the community where the witchdoctor is, I definitely feel a spiritual darkness and heaviness. I always pray hard as I enter and walk through the maze of houses, shacks, animals, children, women doing laundry, and small open fires where lunch is being made, praying for the light and truth of Jesus to permeate that place. I also ask that God will help me to not fear.

So why am I writing all of this for you to read? It’s because I had this realization this week…I always ask, “Why are things so hard?” Hello, Emily! Things are hard because there is a huge spiritual battle going on! The care center is a bright light and beacon of truth in that community where praises are being sung to Jesus Christ, the Bible is being taught, children are becoming believers, meals are being prepared, kids are learning to read, medical care is being provided and kids are being loved…while in the mean time in the community, idols are being worshipped, lives are lived in fear and superstition, and voodoo is being practiced. No wonder it’s hard!

But my God of Angel Armies reminds me that He has the victory. He is light and truth. He is in control and knows exactly what goes on in this community. I put my trust and faith in his mighty power.

I hesitated to write this as a blog because the last thing I want is for you as a reader to think, “Oh wow, those missionaries are so brave!” “That place is scary and those stories are crazy!” The reason I’m writing to you is to ask you to pray with me. I am so grateful that many of you are praying daily- would you please continue and pray even more? Please pray that eyes would be opened and chains would be broken…that many many kids and their families will choose to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior…and that in the midst of the darkness, that God will protect and strengthen his children.

You know, in the community where I work, spiritual warfare seems pretty plain to see. I know right where the witchdoctor works and I know where the idols are bought. But, there is also a spiritual battle going on right where you live. It might not be as obvious as a wooden statue…it probably takes a different form. But the reality is that the enemy is always looking for ways to steal worship from Jesus. In the same way that you join me in prayer for the spiritual battle that is going on here, I join you in prayer for the spiritual battle where you live.

Ephesians 6: 10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm…”

John 1:1- 5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Colossians 1:11-14 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”