Happy Advent to You
Avent is upon us. Each year, it is a time to wait and reflect in anticipation as we ponder the Christmas story. This first week of Advent, hope is on my mind. I read a reflective devotional yesterday that said hope usually shows up in small, subtle ways. It’s the quiet, “stubborn flame that won’t go out.” It’s so subtle we could miss it if we aren’t paying attention. This season I hope we can take a pause and see the small beauties. As I think about Gospel Growers and the continued work that has happened for over twenty years, I can’t help but think hope is exactly what our little mission continues to provide. Gospel Growers is a Haitian-run organization where children continue to grow and learn through our supported schools. The volunteer-run radio station, Radio Semence, continues to play music and offer spiritual community for individuals all over the southern coast and beyond via the internet and their Facebook channel. Families continue to attend church services in structures built by the mission and led by pastors who have received support to further their theological training. Hope is exactly what we work together to provide. It’s found in the continued work despite the hardship, in the shared traditions celebrated year after year, and in all the subtle places we could so easily miss if we didn’t take a minute to slow down.
As we reflect on this, I thought it’d be appropriate to share a few of the holiday traditions custom to Haiti. Like most cultures, food and drink are a big part of the holiday. Two of particular importance are Crémas and Soup joumou. Crémas is an alcoholic beverage, similar to eggnog, made from creamed coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla essence, almond essence, lime, and Haitian rum. Below is a picture I found of Crémas sold at a Haitian market. This holiday treat provides warmth and comfort to all who enjoy it.
Soup joumou is a squash stew typically eaten on January 1, but also served throughout the holiday season. It’s eaten to celebrate Haitian Independence from the French. Enslaved Haitians were not offered the stew during colonial rule, so today it’s shared as a sign of freedom. The soup is savory and rich, with complex flavors provided from the squash (or pumpkin), vegetables (carrots), meat (typically beef), and spices. Its name comes from the Creole which means “squash soup.”
Kite building is another tradition that takes place each year and can be completed in 5 easy steps. You can see in the article shared here, Haitian children build these simple kites and with a little hope and luck the kites catch wind and fly! Pictures in the article show the step-by-step process and the shared delight as their creation soars.
As far as the mission goes, there are a couple updates to provide your heart with the subtle hope of the season. The radio station is having its’s annual Christmas song composition contest. This year they will be awarding prizes to the top three contest winners. The tradition really gets people scheduled for the holiday! Finally, Francol, the Pastor at Dubois, recently went on an evangelistic expedition to a new area called Nan Soice. His meeting had 14 attendees interested in learning more about the story of Christ. My hope is that during this season that honors the birth of Christ, His story can truly penetrate the hearts and minds of these individuals, and they can start on the slow, subtle journey of finding enduring peace, joy, love, and hope.
Proverbs 3:12 says “[h]ope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” As we celebrate Advent this season, my hope is that we can reflect on all the subtle “trees of life” shared above and can find peace in their shade and sustenance.
