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Esther's Story
My Story about Daniel by Esterina Pauls April, 2003
My name is Esterina Pauls (my friends call me Ester) and I live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. For the last three or
four years, among many other things, I have been heavily involved in fundraising and mission work through Men For Missions
International and OMS International concentrating on an area in Cap Haitien, Haiti.
During the week of April 25th, 2002, our team was working on constructing an orphanage in a slum area called Fougerole in Cap Haitien. On that particular day, three of us had some time on our hands and we decided to go on a side trip to a church called the Tabernacle with our Haitian friend and interpreter, Bruno. Over the last few years, and in getting to know Bruno a little bit, he has become our escort on our travels around and about Cap Haitien. Our truck broke down, Art stayed behind with the truck and Joan and I continued on with Bruno travelling in a *tap tap*. A tap tap is a Haitian version of a taxi. It is a little pick up truck with a cover and benches to sit on in the back of the truck. You waive a tap tap down, get on and then when you want to get off, you *tap tap* the side of the truck to stop, get out and then pay the driver for the ride.
The Tabernacle was such an amazing experience. About 3,000 to 4,000 people were there that day worshipping God! We stayed a couple of hours and then had to leave to return to the mission compound for dinner with the rest of our group. The tap tap we were travelling in to go home was filled to the brim and then some. The driver had a 13 year old boy working for him to collect the money from the passengers as they disembarked (or *jumped out*). At one stop, a big Haitian man slapped that 13 year old boy very hard across his face. We assumed the young boy had given the man the wrong change. The boy wanted to throw a stone at the man but was yelled at to get back into the tap tap and get to work. The boy started crying and sat on the bench with his head down with embarrassment. Immediately, Joan and I wanted to rescue him! We tried, in all the confusion and noise and the language barrier, to find out what the boy's name was and where he lived and did he need any help. We tried to give him some money and help him but he refused all of our help although the other passengers apparently were telling him he was crazy - to accept our help but he would not. All too soon, Joan and I were home at the OMS Compound and we tried through Bruno to find out where the boy lived. There was no time, the boy's employer was in a hurry to be on their way with their passengers. It was an emotionally draining experience for both Joan and I because there was something that was telling us we needed to help this boy and find out where he lived. Bruno offered to find out that information for us. Bruno waited a few hours with all the noise and traffic and the number of tap taps that look the same travelling the roads until he found the tap tap coming back from its route. We thank Bruno for overcoming those obstacles for us and finding out where Daniel lived!. Joan and I learned that Daniel had never been to school and that he worked to support his family. At that moment, I knew God had a plan for Daniel and me.
On April 26th in the morning, Bruno took Joan and I to where Daniel lived. We had to climb up a side of a mountain, probably a couple of kilometres. It was exhausting and absolutely unbelievable to see people living all the way up the side of a mountain with next to nothing but a shack to live in and sometimes less than that - 5, 10, 20 people living in one shack, in very desperate living conditions. We finally arrived at Daniel's house (which also was a shack with a tin roof, one room and 7 people living in it). His family happened to live at the highest point of the mountain. The view was spectacular! With the spectacular view comes obstacles. Everything seems to be an obstacle to overcome in Haiti. Picture walking down a mountain 1km just to get water and then having to climb up with full water containers.
Then an amazing things happened! Joan and I asked Daniel's mother and everyone that followed us up the mountain, if they knew Jesus loved them and if they wanted to receive him as Lord and with big smiles, they all said yes. We led them all to repeat the sinner's prayer and then invited them to go to the Tabernacle. On April 26th, our team went to the Tabernacle and Daniel and his father met us there and he and his dad sat at the front with our group. Daniel's dad is about 55 years old and looks like he is 70 years old. He is so tiny and thin. He reminded me of my dad. The preacher that night spoke on Daniel and the lions' den (can you believe that?) and that reminded me of the story of Joseph - how his brothers meant it for harm when they sold him but God meant it for good. It was a confirmation for me that I was called to help this family.
Now a year later, God still confirms His work. I had the privilege to return to Haiti in April this year and spent some time with Daniel and his family. The highlight of this trip was to see Daniel's mom be baptized on Thursday, April 17th, 2003. There were over 100 baptisms at The Tabernacle that day. It was an amazing experience to see those beautiful Haitians being baptized. When God starts a work in people's lives, He completes the work. It is with great joy to know that God used a sinner like me to do His wonderful work for someone special. We are all sinners saved by Grace and then when God's Grace abounds, we are used as an instrument to do His Work. I want to complete what God has started. Because God is faithful, I must also be faithful.
During the week of April 25th, 2002, our team was working on constructing an orphanage in a slum area called Fougerole in Cap Haitien. On that particular day, three of us had some time on our hands and we decided to go on a side trip to a church called the Tabernacle with our Haitian friend and interpreter, Bruno. Over the last few years, and in getting to know Bruno a little bit, he has become our escort on our travels around and about Cap Haitien. Our truck broke down, Art stayed behind with the truck and Joan and I continued on with Bruno travelling in a *tap tap*. A tap tap is a Haitian version of a taxi. It is a little pick up truck with a cover and benches to sit on in the back of the truck. You waive a tap tap down, get on and then when you want to get off, you *tap tap* the side of the truck to stop, get out and then pay the driver for the ride.
The Tabernacle was such an amazing experience. About 3,000 to 4,000 people were there that day worshipping God! We stayed a couple of hours and then had to leave to return to the mission compound for dinner with the rest of our group. The tap tap we were travelling in to go home was filled to the brim and then some. The driver had a 13 year old boy working for him to collect the money from the passengers as they disembarked (or *jumped out*). At one stop, a big Haitian man slapped that 13 year old boy very hard across his face. We assumed the young boy had given the man the wrong change. The boy wanted to throw a stone at the man but was yelled at to get back into the tap tap and get to work. The boy started crying and sat on the bench with his head down with embarrassment. Immediately, Joan and I wanted to rescue him! We tried, in all the confusion and noise and the language barrier, to find out what the boy's name was and where he lived and did he need any help. We tried to give him some money and help him but he refused all of our help although the other passengers apparently were telling him he was crazy - to accept our help but he would not. All too soon, Joan and I were home at the OMS Compound and we tried through Bruno to find out where the boy lived. There was no time, the boy's employer was in a hurry to be on their way with their passengers. It was an emotionally draining experience for both Joan and I because there was something that was telling us we needed to help this boy and find out where he lived. Bruno offered to find out that information for us. Bruno waited a few hours with all the noise and traffic and the number of tap taps that look the same travelling the roads until he found the tap tap coming back from its route. We thank Bruno for overcoming those obstacles for us and finding out where Daniel lived!. Joan and I learned that Daniel had never been to school and that he worked to support his family. At that moment, I knew God had a plan for Daniel and me.
On April 26th in the morning, Bruno took Joan and I to where Daniel lived. We had to climb up a side of a mountain, probably a couple of kilometres. It was exhausting and absolutely unbelievable to see people living all the way up the side of a mountain with next to nothing but a shack to live in and sometimes less than that - 5, 10, 20 people living in one shack, in very desperate living conditions. We finally arrived at Daniel's house (which also was a shack with a tin roof, one room and 7 people living in it). His family happened to live at the highest point of the mountain. The view was spectacular! With the spectacular view comes obstacles. Everything seems to be an obstacle to overcome in Haiti. Picture walking down a mountain 1km just to get water and then having to climb up with full water containers.
Then an amazing things happened! Joan and I asked Daniel's mother and everyone that followed us up the mountain, if they knew Jesus loved them and if they wanted to receive him as Lord and with big smiles, they all said yes. We led them all to repeat the sinner's prayer and then invited them to go to the Tabernacle. On April 26th, our team went to the Tabernacle and Daniel and his father met us there and he and his dad sat at the front with our group. Daniel's dad is about 55 years old and looks like he is 70 years old. He is so tiny and thin. He reminded me of my dad. The preacher that night spoke on Daniel and the lions' den (can you believe that?) and that reminded me of the story of Joseph - how his brothers meant it for harm when they sold him but God meant it for good. It was a confirmation for me that I was called to help this family.
Now a year later, God still confirms His work. I had the privilege to return to Haiti in April this year and spent some time with Daniel and his family. The highlight of this trip was to see Daniel's mom be baptized on Thursday, April 17th, 2003. There were over 100 baptisms at The Tabernacle that day. It was an amazing experience to see those beautiful Haitians being baptized. When God starts a work in people's lives, He completes the work. It is with great joy to know that God used a sinner like me to do His wonderful work for someone special. We are all sinners saved by Grace and then when God's Grace abounds, we are used as an instrument to do His Work. I want to complete what God has started. Because God is faithful, I must also be faithful.
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