Our delight yesterday and today is sharing Easter traditions with the Haitians. We have introduced our tradition of Easter eggs to the children. But this morning, the Haitians shared with us their tradition of an Easter morning service. This dynamic and beautiful service was all in Creole, but the joy of the Resurrection transcended any language barriers.
But how do you tie the American tradition of Easter eggs with the Resurrection for Creole-speaking children who have never seen an Easter egg? That was our challenge as we decorated eggs with the Christianville children and then hid eggs for the children at Audancin and Rosie's orphanage. All the children are familiar with the Resurrection, but what do eggs have to do with the real meaning of Easter?
We have attempted to explain to the children that the egg is like the stone that covered Jesus' tomb; it is cold and hard. But inside, there is new life, just as Jesus came back to life. And why do we hunt the eggs? Because if we seek Jesus, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
It is easy to find Jesus here. The children we met know Him well, and the church-goers with whom we worshipped sang His praises mightily.
Long ago for a reason I don't remember, I jotted down Isaiah 46:3-4 on a piece of paper. Today, my church buddy Shelanda found it and was fascinated by my cursive writing. She wanted to know what it meant, so I showed her where the verse was in my Bible. On this Easter Day, I found a message written for me long ago, "I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Alleluia! Merci, Saviour!