This is post #2 of 2 in the Introducing Zacharie series. Zacharie is the director of H.I.M. (Haitian International Missions) in Haiti, the ministry we are now starting. Please enjoy the remainder of his testimony followed by some more comments on his current role, etc...
(the following was written by Zacharie and edited by Cory)
In 2006 there was another important experience in my life. One of my cousins told me there was someone
who wanted to meet me. I asked him who
it was? He told me the man was Jean
Riviere, who had lived in Canada for the past 20 years but had returned to
Haiti. I began to develop a friendship with Jean, and for the first time I
visited his hometown of Petite Riviere. In the Summer of 2006, he asked me to
spend a holiday with him, and to help him build a dance floor, and I agreed.
We started to work but then he told me he was returning to Canada
and I could continue the project on my own. I said wow! I did not know anyone in this town and Jean
left me in a house with nothing, not even a bed to sleep on, and he left for
Canada. But he did speak with his sister
to provide me food, which lasted only one month. One day she told me that her husband did not
agree to send me food anymore. One day I
met a girl in a disco and I began to talk to her and she became my friend; and
then one day she came to me and asked me to tutor her sister for school. I agreed, and it was Didi who is my wife
today! One morning she came to meet me
to discuss plans for tutoring, and even though I had a great need of money, I
told her she did not need to pay, it will be free!
I started working with her every morning. One day she confided to
me she did not feel good in her family.
She felt she was being maltreated, and was being forced to marry her
cousin. I told her it was not a good idea to marry a cousin, and yet I was not
Christian at that time. I asked her why she made such a decision, and she explained
it was because her family wanted it. I advised her to try to do what was
right. The time came when she was
supposed to go to Port-au-Prince to marry the cousin, but she said “No, I do
not accept!” At that time her family
persecuted her, but I continued to talk to her everyday, and she spent most of
her with me just to comfort her in all these problems. Over time we fell in
love, and though I could not help her economically she accepted me. God
provided for us.
Then one day I received a call from Jean Riviere my friend, and I
told him I didn't want to continue with the dance floor. My intention was to give this community a
secondary school instead of a dance floor, but at that time we did not agree. Also,
Didi's mother did not want me for her daughter because I had no money. Didi had
many problems with her family because she would not marry her cousin. Despite her
mother not wanting me, Didi’s mother provided me food everyday as well as
money. That was a mystery even I do not understand. It reminds me of how God took care of Elijah
in the desert. It was the same for me.
My dear brothers and sisters, Didi was a Christian at that time,
but I was still a pagan. In July 2008 Jean Riviere returned to Haiti, and I
told him again the secondary school is better for the community than a dance
floor. So in October 2008 we opened this school. Didi was starting to invite me
to church, and sometimes I accompanied her, and sometimes I went to a catholic
church. My friend Jean was not Christian himself and yet God used him to bring
me into this locality. A missionary group in that locality held a meeting and I
was wondering, what king of meeting? Was it about economic development? I do
not know! A friend invited me and I said
“No” because I am not familiar with the missionaries, but she encouraged me and
I actually participated in the meeting. It was a group of missionaries who
wanted to evangelize the people of the community and help them resist the trap
of sexual filth. I was touched deeply and when I was leaving a missionary invited
me to return with Didi. When we came
back he talked with us and I prayed to accept Christ. I told him after the prayer it was important
to me to change my life and serve the Lord and my community. He asked us if we
would like to get married so we said yes.
After we heard that message we tried to abstain sexually but
sometimes we still would fall. Didi
became pregnant while we were making preparations for the wedding but it was
hard for us, because sometimes we did what we didn't want to do. I told her mother and she advised us not to
tell the pastor and make him think Didi is not pregnant. I told her yes my pastor doesn't know but God
knows the truth. Anyway I have to tell the pastor the truth. We wanted to marry in own church, but because
of this incident it became impossible and we were forced to go to Cayes. But
before I got married I said to Didi we have nothing, no bed, no table, but we
will marry by faith, and God will bless us indeed! So we married December 29, 2009.
After marriage I was living with the family of Didi for the first
three years. During that time we met a
missionary family working with Mission Haiti known as the Grimm family. Cory taught English at the school, and we
became friends. Later this family left the country, but we stayed in touch with
them, and today we are working together on a new project. We have been able to find our own home, and
today my family and I serve the lord!
My dear friends, you see how God is great and how he works in my
life. He wants to do it for you too! And
those who have not yet made peace with him, I invite you to do that because he
wants to get into your heart and work with you! God bless you my brothers and
sisters!
It is our hope and plan that Zacharie will continue to write regularly for this blog, sharing his wisdom and testimonies with us. He will be essentially the main face of this ministry in Haiti, acting as a sort of scout to help us find new ministries with which to partner, and also the direct source or regular encouragement and accountability. We hope this approach will allow native ministry leaders to be totally authentic when dealing with the ministry and avoid any temptation to try to "do what the Americans want." We have already seen how Zacharie is capable of quickly operating on a very personal level with Haitians from diverse backgrounds.
We feel it is very important to minimize our own control and coloring of the ministry. In other words, most Haitians are accustomed to getting their orders for ministry vision from the outside, but we are encouraging them to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and act in faith, trusting that they are worthy and capable to hear from God and lead their own community and country boldly toward a wholesome future in Christ. This value is key for H.I.M., and more importantly for the spiritual maturity of the native leaders in Haiti as well as the long-term spiritual health of all people.
Zacharie will be attending seminary this Fall, and he will be in year 3 of 4 in that program. He will be taking classes and studying as well as continuing to build relationships with outstanding Haitian-led ministries in the region. It is our hope to visit him a couple of times this year and continue to iron out his vision for this ministry. In the meantime we speak with him daily over chat, skype, or cell phone.
Special thanks to American Reformed Church in Luverne (where I, Cory, am worship director) for partnering with us in the financial support of Zacharie, his family, and his ministry. They have committed enough money this year to cover his bill for seminary, his ministry expenses, and to support his family (around $3,000...amazing how far money goes in Haiti, isn't it!). It is our hope that this church will become intimately acquainted with this inspiring servant of God in the years to come and discover that their investment of resources is bearing incredible fruit.
Thanks Everyone, and be looking for adventures among family and friends (old and new) this 4th of July!
-the grimm family adventurers
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