Life Lessons from Danger and Unrest

As a former missionary to Haiti I've experienced a lot of uncertainty and unrest throughout my life while on the mission field. I recall in 1985 when the Haiti people rose up against the then President for Life, Jean-Claude Duvalier or as he was better known, Baby Doc. They protested for months with the goal of ousting this iron-fisted dictator and his henchmen, the Tonton Macoute (which means "Boogeymen") from power.

Jeff Badgero talks about conditions during the unrest in 1985

Again in the early '90s President Clinton and the United States military decided Haiti was so bad that nothing short of an all-out invasion of the country could put them back on the road to democracy. So the US military along with the United Nations re-instated the democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Special American Armed Forces in Port-de-Paix

Most recently two teams from Kalkaska Church of Christ returned from Haiti with harrowing stories of the manifestations, roadblocks, and protests currently throughout the country. I lead a team up to Sonlight Ministries in Port-de-Paix and our exit was nothing less than a grueling 48-hour journey away from the turmoil. On February 14th, the US State Department increased the Travel Advisory Level to a 4, the highest possible, and wrote this on their website:

Do not travel to Haiti due to crime and civil unrest. 

There are currently widespread, violent, and unpredictable demonstrations in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti.  Due to these demonstrations, on February 14, 2019, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti.

Protests, tire burning, and road blockages are frequent and unpredictable.  Violent crime, such as armed robbery, is common.

What takeaways are there, if any, from such a situation? Here are some that come to mind.

Mission work in Haiti (or outside the US) is not a sanitized and sterilized endeavor. 

Tonton Macoute

Here at home, we have countless safety and security measures built into our everyday lives. Seat belts, speed limits, emergency services, health insurance, life insurance, food and drug administration, and the list goes on and on. When you sign on to a third world mission trip, most of those protections go out the window. 

No one knows the future. 

There are times when plans go awry. Flights are delayed or canceled. Roads are blocked. Offices are closed. Haitians have a saying in their language, "Si Die Vle." Translated it literally means, "if God wants." It comes straight from the Bible in James 4:13-15 "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Faith is required to trust in God's protection

President Clinton with Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Where does our protection come from then, if not the Government, emergency responders, and legal regulations? As a Christian, it comes down to our faith. We trust we are doing God's will and in doing so, He will protect us. Hebrews 11:6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God..." In doing mission work, one witnesses incredible faith among indigenous people and those who minister to them from other countries. Faith is a prerequisite to pleasing God. Faith is grown through trials and the need to depend solely on God.  

God is good no matter what happens.

God's goodness never changes. Paul wrote, "To live in Christ, to die is gain." God doesn't just watch over us for this earthly life, but for all eternity. His perspective is not limited to our short time on the planet. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were being thrown into the fiery furnace, they told the King their God could deliver them if He wanted, but even if He didn't they would still serve Him (Daniel 3:16-18)!

Comfort is not the goal; Contentment is the objective.

Finally, we realize that nowhere in the Bible are we promised to be comfortable. Comfort is nice, but it is not the ultimate goal. Instead, the scriptures tell us we should learn to be content. Content no matter the circumstances. Paul said he had learned this in Philippians 4:11. And there may be some very trying circumstances on the mission field!