Dream on, Josue

Mark and Josue

Claiming to know the will of God is tricky business.  As our church community continues to move along a path that leads to Haiti we have been taking slow and careful steps.  One of our primary partners along the way is Josue Octeus.  Recently I spent an evening with Josue and we began to clarify the dreams Josue has for Haiti.

Josue is the President of Evangelical Churches of Haiti, a seventy-five church network that has a presence throughout Haiti, but a strong presence in the  Northwest part of Haiti.  In the near future three of us from the U.S. will join Josue in Haiti and begin to get a stronger sense of the dream that Josue wants to become a reality.

A few days ago, I traveled to Lineville, Alabama to spend time with Josue.  Josue is completing his training at SIFAT.  SIFAT stands for Servants In Faith And Technology.  For over twenty years SIFAT has been training leaders like Josue in practices that will provide solutions to the common problems of the developing world.  When I was on the SIFAT campus, 175 acres in the middle of wooded, rural Alabama, I met Josue’s classmates; men and women from Asia, The Caribbean, Africa and South America.  These community leaders are being trained in practices such as:

• Smokeless cook stoves (many believe smoke inhalation to be one of the leading causes of respiratory disease and death associated with respiratory disease, in the developing world)
• Composting toilets which provide a safe and healthy solution in areas without the sanitation infrastructure most of us take for granted
• Water purification
• Small scale sustainable agri and aqua culture
• Alternative energy
• Adult literacy

SIFAT offers more areas of training, but this list offers a sense of the kind of training Josue and his friends were able to receive at SIFAT.  

 
One of the things I love about the SIFAT model is this: SIFAT trains leaders who in turn are able to train others in their countries and in there areas of influence. This is not a model that takes financial resources for the developed world and throws it toward the the undeveloped world.  This is an education and training model that equips and empowers community leaders who can pass the training on.  

But, back to Josue’s dream.  Josue believes in order to create opportunity to solve the development issues in Haiti, it is necessary to raise money.  Josue also believes Haitians should contribute to the solutions. Josue has invited us to help build a chicken farm in Haiti. The chicken farm will provide jobs and a low cost, reliable source of protein in the community.  This farm was Josue’s dream before his training at SIFAT and this is still Josue’s dream.  But after his training in Alabama, Josue’s dream is getting bigger.  I could see it in his eyes.  It is a humbling and profound experience to look into the eyes of a friend and see the dreams within.  

Claiming to know the will of God is tricky business...or is it.  If we believe the will of God to be that we practice humility and compassion and generosity with those who God puts in our path, it seems knowing the will of God is not so complicated.  God has put Haiti on our path. God has put Josue on our path.  We have a chance to dream with a good Haitian man, who wants to help create a healthier, safer Haiti.  Dream on Josue, dream on and God willing, we will dream with you.