Haitian Voodoo

The day was hot and humid as my husband and I walked along a secluded path in the back country of Haiti.  The narrow dirt trail was worn by the passing of livestock and the locals on their way to the village market.  Overhead were large palm trees that seemed to touch the sky while to the side of the path the ground was carpeted with tropical plants and thorn bushes.  I wiped sweat from my forehead as we approached a clearing where there stood a colossal tree.  I stood and admired the ancient tree for some time, squinting my eyes to look up and try to measure its enormous height.  Its trunk so large that three men, joining hands, would have trouble encircling it. My husband nudged me to come closer to investigate.  As we approached I noticed there was more to this old tree then simple leaves and branches.  Around the trunk were black and red ribbons and a large blue box with two tiny doors set at its base. The box was about waist high. Its paint was chipped and worn down, revealing that it had been sitting there for some time. I thought it looked more like discarded furniture than anything else.  Above my head, propped up by a stick and some rusty nails, was a small black coffin painted with red crosses and x’s.  A sight like this should have alarmed me, but it didn’t. This is Haitian Voodoo something I see everyday in this strange and mysterious country.  

Voodoo is a religion that thrives on fear and superstition. Animal sacrifices are a daily occurrence here, which is why the blue box was placed at the foot of this tree.  In town, myths and rumors circulate around ceremonies that usually are held at night under the cover of darkness. Rumors of child sacrifices and demonic possession are whispered among elderly housewives as they go about their daily chores.

Voodoo is a pagan religion made up of many different gods known as “the loa”.  Each god has a different personality and requires different items as gifts in order to please them.  The objective of a Voodoo ceremony is for a young man or woman to become possessed by one of the loa. The Haitian believers will then offer gifts to gain protection or favor.  What the Haitians don’t realize is that they are being deceived. The loa are not gods. They cannot create anything. They can only corrupt what has already been created. They have robbed this beautiful country of all its hope and dignity.

I am usually a very respectful person of other’s religions. I’ve always believed that if I wish for my beliefs to be heard and respected, I must first respect others. However, when a set of beliefs causes harm and induces fear into the hearts of the people I have grown to love I will not stand back and allow that to continue.  The first month I was in Haiti I was confronted with the evils of Voodoo and I have never let my guard down since. I was teaching English at a small school in a town about 2 hours away from where I live today. I had a preschooler who came to my class one afternoon with a low-grade fever. Fevers like this are very common here due to the children’s weak immune systems and lack of clean drinking water. Usually the fever will only last a day or two. I sent the little girl home thinking she would be fine by the next day. But when she arrived home her parents, believing they had no other option, called upon a local Voodoo priest known as a “houngan”.  Within 24 hours the little girl was dead. I don’t know what took place at that priest’s home. I don’t know if she had a virus that could have killed her that quickly, if she was poisoned or if it was something spiritual. All I know is a precious child was sitting on my lap listening to me read a story one day and the next day I was staring at her body lying in a coffin.

     This religion is not part of the cultural beauty of an exotic Caribbean island.  It is a thief that has come to kill, steal, and destroy.  My job is to battle this evil with the weapons of the Holy Spirit. By myself I am defenseless against such an enemy but with the spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling within me I have all the weapons I need for His victory. I leave my house everyday wearing and trusting in the armor of the Lord. My comfort, when I am faced head on with witch craft, is knowing that I have on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18). God would never send me into battle unarmed or unprepared. Only through him can this country and the hearts of the people that live in it change.  He is my hope when all I can see around me is despair. His light shines upon the dark places of this world causing all evil to flee. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, the one and only creator of life. How extraordinary it is that he has allowed me, a simple girl from West Virginia, to play a tiny role in his magnificent army. God can truly use anyone for His purpose as long as we are willing and obedient to his call.