16425: Cunningham: Christians vs Voodoo

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Patti Cunningham <cunningham4haiti@yahoo.com>

This was sent to me from Haiti just this week!!

What a day, August 14, 2003!

August 14 will go down in the history books. A day
that the Churches of St. Marc came to together in one
voice to declare Jesus as Lord and renounced voodoo,
with its destructive influence as it has affected
Haiti^s past.

August 14, the day started at 12:00am. Yes, midnight!
Christians from many churches began gathering in the
Nazarene church, located in the market area, in prayer
on August 13 at 8:00pm. This prayer meeting carried
through the night. By 5:00 am, August 14, more had
joined, as they rallied together in a march around the
city of St. Marc, numbering in the 1000^s, it was
clear there was something abnormally happening in the
city. By 6:45am they returned to the city park where
the main gathering was to begin. As the crowd of
shouting, singing people approached the park, it
appeared they made a dash to see who would be first to
step inside the gate entrances. It looked like a damn
of people that had burst forth from Grande Rue, ^Main
Street^, engulfing, flooding the surrounding streets
and park entrances gushing inside the fenced area. The
air was electrified! This march was different than the
normal ^manifestations^ or protests that Haiti is so
commonly known for. These people were happy, joyful
full of excitement!

With Christian music blaring and the people all
finding a place to cool down under the many trees, a
break was announced along with the plans of the day.
The city fountain that had not ran since 1985,
repaired last year by us, Youth With A Mission, began
to offer relief and refreshment as many stood in it or
stuck their heads under it^s gushing water to cool
down from the long march. Noticing that many came
unprepared, I quickly saw the need for drinkable
water. Finding a local street vender I quickly asked;
^how much for all the water and refreshment you have?^
I had place in my wallet $1000 Haitian Dollars the
night before for such emergencies, but I didn^t know
how far that would go, later I would be surprised?
Buying all the vendor had and seeing the people
beginning to press for the needed liquid I quickly
assigned a local Pastor to control the crowd and
stepped aside. It worked! Truly God was with us.
Throughout the day, I continued purchasing from
vendors. This morning, the day after, when opening my
wallet to see the financial damage I was shocked to
fine $820 Haitian Dollars! How could that have
happened I thought? I was handing money out in the
100^s and 50^s. I can only explain it by God^s
provision.

It was a good morning. The plans went well, music,
prayer for the city and nation and messages. One
message that stood out as prominent was given by
Pastor Evenson of the Church of God. Pastor Evenson
read through the history of Haiti. Especially from the
accounts of the night that Boukman sacrificed a pig,
drinking its blood and calling on the spirits for
victory, continuing through to the endorsement of that
sacrifice by the leaders on the day of Haiti^s
declared independence, January 1, 1804. Then he began
to point out how voodoo has not offer freedom or
deliverance, pointing to facts like, Haiti being the
poorest nation in the western hemisphere. It was a
challenging and strong message that provoked applause
at times and sobering thought at others. The morning
festivities ended with a declaration and prayer,
followed by announcements that there would be a time
of recreation and rest before continuing at 4:00pm
with music and 6:00pm worship.

At 5:30 as I made my way to the park I began to
realize that without doubt rain was on its way.
Historically, when it is apparent that it would rain
everyone simply stays home, but not so on this day.
However, at first arrival to the park it appeared that
history would prove itself. Only a couple of hundred
people had gathered making the park look empty
compared to the thousand that hand consumed it earlier
that morning. Word had come to me that Pastor
Chavannes Jeune, President of HAVIDEC, had
surprisingly come. He was trying to get in contact
with me immediately.

HAVIDEC is an abbreviation from their French name, but
translated it means ^Haitian Association with a Vision
for the Third Century^. This organization had recently
been birth and I was most happy to see it in many
ways. Mainly, because they were a national movement,
recognizing that since Haiti^s independence in 1804,
voodoo had done more to destroy the land and people
than help it. They are rallying protestant churches
from across the nation for the cause of seeing the end
of voodoo and renouncing its hold on Haiti^s
historical roots, replace it with our values found in
Christianity.

Meeting with Pastor Chavannes Juene who was
accompanied by Dr. JL Williams, Founder/President of
New Direction Ministries and other Dr.^s and great men
of God from the US and India, I was greatly
encouraged. They had heard of our progress and
meeting. Coming from Port-Au-Prince, 2 hour drive,
with an additional engagement that they had to return
too, they had come to see what was happening in our
city. But, the rain!

Talking with Pastor Chavannes and his party I
sheepishly said I don^t know how many will come with
the rain that had now begun. Standing under trees in
the park, drips hitting our heads, Pastor Chavannes
said; ^The meeting in Port-Au-Prince will not end till
11:00 tonight. Let^s stay and wait for the rain to
stop.^ Not saying anything, but thinking, from
experience, this kind of rain is the kind that last
all night, I said good then. Going about our plans and
making final preparations in the schedule with the
change in Pastor Chavannes now there, wanting him to
speak, I honestly wondered. How was this going to come
together?

Then I began to notice, people were still coming! I
looked across from the park and many people were all
huddled under every porch building that could be seen.
They were still coming even though it was raining! The
rain began to stop, calling quickly for the worship to
begin we started our meetings only 15 or 20 minutes
behind schedule. Wow, I thought, God is doing
something. People continued to come and come and come
until the park was filled once more. Pastor Chavannes
said a word of greeting and then delivered a short
message. Taking note of the rain he compared it to God
washing our city clean. As he shared on stage someone
suddenly brought a cell phone to him. It was ^Radio
Lumier^, a national broadcasted radio station, hearing
of the news coming from St. Marc they wanting to
listen in live to Pastor Chavannes, patched through
the cell phone, and to what was happening in St. Marc!
The other men with him brought good news and greetings
as well, and out they ran, returning to Port-Au-Prince
once again.

After a short time of worship we were ready for the
climax. I came to microphone and began to share my
heart. Once again, I too reminded them that voodoo had
never helped them. I pointed to the resent adduction
of a baby from the hospital, presumed to be dead,
killed at the hands of a witch doctor for a special
sacrifice for the August 14 celebration of the Boukman
pact. ^How long will we sit blindly and allow this to
happen!^ I challenged. ^Enough is enough! No, more!^
Encouraged by many hearty amen^s. I proceeded to share
of the story of Gideon as found in Judges 7 of the
Bible. Gideon was directed by God to surround the
Midianites camp with only 300 men armed with horns and
empty jars. At a certain time they were to blow their
horns, break their jars and shout to God! As they did
their enemies fled. Pointing out, that we are in a
spiritual battle for this nation, I challenge the
people that our enemy, satan and his demonic forces,
were going to flee before them tonight. We were going
to do a similar demonstration as what was spoken of in
the Bible with Gideon.

With earlier preparation in place, I gave some quick
instructions to all the people. We will divide into
six groups. Each group will be lead by a pastor
accompanied by an YWAM volunteer. The groups will go
along a pre-determined route to a particular location
by way of foot. Once at their location a trained YWAM
volunteer would launch a large firework bomb into the
air. The group will then begin to shout/sing/pray for
the city. When all six groups had shot their
individual bombs it would then show that we had
surrounded the city and the church, in one voice,
would be shouting/singing/praying for God to come and
our spiritual enemy, satan, to flee. At that moment,
multiple bombs and rockets would be launched into the
air from the park, signify that all had made it to
their locations and we were all praying in unity! I
then passed the microphone to Illioney St. Fleur, YWAM
leader, who then introduced the pastors and teams.

Each Pastor shared a moment about their locations and
the planned route so that it would be clear. Once the
groups were organized, Illioney prayed one last prayer
commissioning all the teams under the authority of
Jesus Christ. As soon as Illioney said amen, three
rockets streaked into the air exploding as a starter^s
gun might in the commencement of a race. Faster than
the people had enter the city parks gates earlier that
morning they flew out towards their areas, with the
Pastors racing to keep up.

I stayed in the park monitoring the progress, ready to
launch the final explosive end. I remember looking at
one of my staff before the climax began and saying;
^Oh Lord help us all!^ Armed with cell phones I began
to call. Barely able to hear each the leader on the
other end, due to the shouts and singing of the
groups, they stayed in close communication with their
progress.

First report, all groups doing well
running/walking/shouting praises to God, singing songs
of victory. Group 2 was the first to reach their
designated spot. Illioney was with that group. He
reported that they ran the whole way not stopping
once. When the bomb shot into the sky they irrupted
with thanksgiving and prayers. Group 1 was next, lead
by Brain Shipley, YWAM St. Marc Operations
Coordinator. Calling in, he proclaims; ^We are here
and have shot our bomb. I could hear the people
shouting and screaming as he reported they too had
begun praying. Then news came from group 5. A problem,
a car parked close to the bomb launch site, what to
do? The decision to go for it was made and once again
shouts and loud cries were heard. The bomb was fine
and there were no problems. Group 3 and 4, no
communication, but Group 2, Illioney, reports in their
behalf, both the teams^ bombs have been launched. It
wouldn^t be till later that we would hear of the
glorious news of their experiences. Now, just one
more, Group 6, why was there a delay? Calling
Roberteau, YWAM Coordinator, he reported they had been
slowed down as the group was compelled to stop and
several voodoo temples to pray along their route.
Finally, BOOOOOOM! Group 6 made it! Multiple Bombs and
rockets were immediately launched from the park!
Shortly afterwards the calls began to come in. First
Rosvelt, YWAM Coordinator from group 5; ^Terry, the
people are crying, shouting, sobbing, God^s presences
is so real. I^m shaking, my arms are shaking!^ Click,
he hangs up. Others begin to return to the park with
similar reports. Every team reported that as they
march their group doubled in size. At every
intersection more people dropped what they were doing,
ran out of their houses and joined the victorious
march. The next day Group 4, Lead by Pastor Marcel
Destiny, shared that their group didn^t want to stop,
so he led them back to the park. They arrived at about
10:30pm. Everyone was gone, so they turned around and
shouted more, sung and marched back to their zone and
homes. Pastor Marcel said; ^Terry, where we went was a
long ways and they marched all the way there, back and
back again!^ By the time they arrived back at the park
only to find it empty, Pastor Marcel reported, the
group size had grown so large he could not see the
end. ^I could not have been able to count the number
of people that had joined us.^ he proclaimed!

Stories and reports are still coming in of things that
had happened. From emails I have received and people
contacting me, I estimate that there was a minimum of
20,000 people joining us in prayer outside of Haiti at
some point during that day or night. A day that once
celebrated the man that slaughtered a pig to find
freedom for the oppressed will now be known in Haiti
as the day the church rose up and forsook the blood of
a pig for the blood of Jesus Christ, God^s own son.

August 14 is just the beginning. The rock pushed off
the mountain that starts the spiritual avalanche that
changes the course of a nation. Already, the people
have heard of our next city gathering, September 7-14.
This afternoon, the day after, our planning committee
meet, making final preparations. In September we will
be unveiling the first Christian Monument in the city
park (an eight foot high by eight foot deep by
thirteen foot wide cement image of the Bible turned to
Exodus listing the ten commandments, with a large
granite stone with the engraving ^Christ for St. Marc,
St. Marc for Christ, 2004, New Beginnings.) Also, we
will be praying over our new city entrance. A four
lane, verses two lane, entrance way that will stand 16
feet high, with the writing ^Welcome to Saint Marc^,
sponsored by the protestant churches. We are also
planning to fly a Haitian flag with the Christian flag
on the top.

I had mentioned in one of my emails that some had
asked if they could participate in the August 14th
event in a financial way. I sent back a address and
information on how they could, and asked if they could
send a email so we might know if they have plans to
send a gift to help cover the expenses undertaken to
reclaim this day for God. In the end, through so much
cooperation from the churches and Christians the whole
days events basic cost was only $800.00 USD. In that
same email I also stated; ^If proceeds exceeded the
amount needed, they would go toward the Monument or
new city entrance.^ I am happy to report that we have
received from emails a committed $5,900.00 USD.

Yet, it seems people are still wanting to give to
guarantee that the church take this city completely.
As stated the additional proceeds will be going to
complete the cost of the construction of the monument
and entrance. However there is still more funds needed
for these projects. If you would like to make an
investment in this movement to help keep the momentum
rolling in a practical way you may send a US check
payable to: YWAM Haiti, writing in the memo: 2004 New
Beginnings and mail it to:

YWAM Haiti
PO Box 407139
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33340

All gifts from the US are tax-deductible. We thank you
in advance for giving to see this nation become a
blessing, not a curse.

Taking the High Places for Christ and wishing you were
here to see it!

Terry W. Snow
YWAM Haiti
National Director