Confronting the Voodoo Culture

22 Days Until the Big Move!

Family and Friends,

We had several inquiries about our house today! (see previous post)  Praise God!  No offers yet, but we are optimistic again about selling the house.  We lowered the price significantly which always generates interest.  If you would like to see the listing on our own website or craigslist, use these links:

     http://www.grimmhome.weebly.com/ 
     http://siouxfalls.craigslist.org/reo/2012218863.html

Tonight I (Cory) wanted to write something about voodoo in Haiti.  We get asked about that issue a lot, and obviously being new to the whole situation we cannot yet give an in-depth answer.  However, we have learned a few things and would be glad to pass them on to you so you can pray for us and the people of Haiti.  As we learn more in the months and years to come we will share what we learn.

There is a saying in Haiti: "The people of Haiti are 90% catholic and 100% voodoo."  I don't believe that is literally true, but the point is simply that the general mindset of voodoo permeates Haitian culture in many ways.  And what is the general mindset of voodoo?  Fear, spiritual sensitivity bordering on paranoia, and distrust of others, just to name a few characteristics.  Whether a person is an active participant in the voodoo rituals or just an average everyday Haitian (including Christians), you likely will see his/her life and worldview marked by these traits.

Before we throw up our hands in defeat, however, we have to take a look at ourselves as well.  From what I can see, I believe voodoo is to Haiti what consumerism is to the United States.  If you take a step back and look critically at our culture, you can see that consumerism has crept into every part of our lives, including the church just as voodoo has affected all of Haiti.  What do I mean by that?  Well, we Americans are culturally conditioned to respond to flashing packaging, hype, perceived financial value, emotional manipulation, and even sex-appeal in every aspect of life. These tools of consumerism constantly bombard our subconscious mind and affect our decisions concerning the things we buy, the church we choose to attend and our engagement level in that church, the music we listen to, and the missionaries we support.  In short, unless something is "cool" or "trendy" in some way, Americans as a whole aren't interested.  Consumerism is as much a religion as voodoo.

If you agree with and understand what I am talking about, you can begin to imagine how voodoo works in Haiti.  Yes, there are people there who openly practice the worship of Satan and the rituals that are associated with the voodoo religion.  Basically, they purposefully invite demons to inhabit their bodies in the hope that they will receive "benefits" from those relationships, including improved crops, other forms of wealth, and revenge against enemies.  Sadly, Satan never holds up his end of the bargain and only wants to "steal, kill, and destroy."

This is a major concern and we fully expect people to continue to attack Mission Haiti, including our family and our Haitian friends.  I just asked Patchouko, a key leader in our ministry, about this issue on the last trip.  I asked, "Do you think people in the area actively seek to harm Pam or Mission Haiti through voodoo rituals?"  He responded, "This goes on constantly, and we have to pray against it every day."

An even more pressing concern I see is the need to confront fear and mistrust among Christians in everyday life.  I wrote about this in an earlier newsletter, but in Haiti it seems like many Haitian Pastors almost elevate Satan to an equal level with God in their preaching.  In other words, in their eyes good and evil are battling and if we are lucky we might overcome in the end.  However, I believe Satan is not equal with God!  Not even close! 

II Thess. 2:8 says, "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming." 

Sometimes people portray that final battle at the end of time as one that could go either way and finally Jesus barely overcomes.  That is not the case at all.  Jesus will overcome the Antichrist and Satan simply by "the breath of his mouth and the splendor of his coming."  Therefore, if we are on God's side we have the power to overcome demons and curses and anything else that comes our way in this life.  My hope is to help Haitian people embrace this truth and no longer live lives of fear and mistrust and looking for demons under every rock, so to speak.

Even better, I can imagine a beautiful place in the middle where we can help each other become more like Christ.  The Haitians can help me and my family be cured of our sickness of consumerism (and other things too!).  They can see where we are blind to our own culturally-conditioned weaknesses, and we can see some of their shortcomings associated with voodoo.  On the positive side of things, we bring Biblical knowledge to the table, and Haitians bring a natural openness to the power of the Holy Spirit.  So if we learn to openly address and utilize all of these strengths and weakness to the glory of God, anything will be possible!

I invite your comments and questions concerning this topic and look forward to being able to share more in the future.

Embrace the Adventure God Has for You Today!
(whether it is cool or trendy or not!)

-The Grimms