Haiti Bible Institute 2011.07: Mañana

We have gone without electricity a lot in the past 24 hours. We expect the city power to be unreliable, but I am learning that people who can buy gasoline for generators and fix things like power inverters do so on Haitian time. I’ve heard the mindset described this way: “mañana, but not with the same sense of urgency.” We finally have power and I am anxiously awaiting our shared Internet connection so I can post.

Today the announcement was made that Michel Martelly appears to have won the Haiti presidential election. We were unable to travel on a main road during our afternoon break and Pastor Predestin told me that the greater-than-normal congestion was because of preparations for a big party downtown. The people were making their way to celebrate the victory of this candidate many see as hope for the nation. The students are not agreed on what candidate would have been best for the country, but said that if Martelly won no one would get hurt. Hmm. Many seem to think that neither option on the ballot was very good. Imagine that happening.

We are now half done and have started courses three and four. Jim began teaching General Introduction to the Bible and I started Biblical Counseling 301. I reviewed the material from the first two counseling tracks, but now intend to spend the rest of our time doing case studies together. I want them to see in shoe leather the way you use God’s word to identify problems, point people to the hope for change and walk with them as the change begins.