Written by Laura Nott, Administrative Assistant
This past weekend, I and four of the wives of the PLH staff, accompanied by our trusty driver and security, journeyed to Port-au-Prince and participated in a two-day women’s conference. The weekend was full of so much joy and happiness and the building of friendships.
Originally scheduled for November 2019, the conference had to be postponed due to the unrest and protests that completely shutdown the country last fall. The country saw relative peace return in December, and the conference was rescheduled for February. But as it approached, tensions were rising in Port-au-Prince and Haiti as gang activity and kidnappings became more common in the news. The week leading up to the conference, I kept asking our staff if they were comfortable sending their wives to a conference in the city. They responded, “Of course. God is covering it.” The day before we were set to leave, we again had to assess the situation and decide if we could proceed. With the support of all the husbands, drivers and security, we decided to move forward. I felt a total sense of peace about the situation and that God had already prepared the way for us. That night, I came across a video posted by the organizer of the conference. Within the video, she said, “Don’t ask me if the conference is happening. It is happening, and God is protecting every car, motorcycle and foot that is bringing you here.” Like I said, I already felt at peace, but now I felt encouraged and empowered.
Our original seven ladies were now down to five as one sadly lost her mom the week before and Sara Dessieux, co-founder of PLH and my sister, had to postpone her trip to Haiti. The five of us remaining ladies proceeded as planned and had a wonderful two days together. I had prepared some icebreaker questions for the trip. With these, conversations flowed. I am happy my Creole continues to slowly improve and that they were patient with me. We began to learn a bit about each other and laugh with one another. We enjoyed a few hours of downtime at the guesthouse where we were staying before heading to the church for the first session.
That first session and those that followed were full of worship, testimonies, speakers, activities, gifts, and encouragement. As it was Valentine’s Day, the conference organizers wanted to do something to make each lady in attendance feel loved and special. They gave each woman a red rose and a lollipop. That first night, the speaker spoke on God’s love for us and His desire to heal our hurts. She played an audio recording of the Father’s Love Letter. I was unfamiliar with it, but it is a collection of scriptures arranged as God’s letter to us. Listening to the recording in Haitian Creole, I had a new understanding of God. I have long understood and appreciated how God knows all languages. Having lived in Korea and now here in Haiti, I have loved to hear people pray to their Father and worship Him in their own language. But I think this may have been the first time I had listened to a theatrical representation of God’s voice in a language other than English. It was a powerful thing. God is our father. He is a personal father to each person on this earth. He doesn’t and never will have a language barrier with His children. No matter who you are, God understands you and He will speak to you in your language because it is His language too.
Throughout the conference, it was apparent how much the organizers cared for the ladies attending and how they sought to empower each woman to live her best life. Saturday kicked off with a mini Zumba session encouraging exercise and good health. In the afternoon, they had medical professionals and mental health professionals available for those who had questions.
I asked the ladies what they enjoyed most about the conference. They enjoyed the worship, which was top notch! They were encouraged by the testimonies we heard from a cancer survivor and a young lady who pulled herself away from a life of prostitution and found love and freedom in Christ. And they enjoyed the speakers. One speaker from South Korea shared the history of how Korea grew in just 50 short years from being a third-world country just like Haiti to what it is today. She spoke of the power of prayer and encouraged us to pray for Haiti with thanksgiving, repentance, unity, and fasting. Our ladies were shocked to see where Korea came from and were encouraged to have hope for their country and pray. They were also touched by the words of the director of the conference, Suzette Volcy, as she gave bits of encouragement and advice and showed her love and hope for all those there. They were excited to receive one last gift from the conference: a new Haitian Creole Bible! I was excited as well as this is my first Creole Bible.
I was happy to meet two Haitian ladies at the conference who work for Gift of Hope, one of the jewelry companies that PLH purchases from. They told me how much they love their job and how it helps them provide for their families and gives them opportunities they had never had before.
We also were impressed to see perhaps 15 female police officers in uniform in attendance. As a group, we thanked them for their service and the difficult, sacrificial work they do. It was awesome to see these ladies of the police force participating in the conference, worshiping and fellowshipping alongside us, and volunteering for the on-stage activities. One even shared how God had spoken to her that weekend and given her new life.
I feel so blessed to have been able to spend this time with our ladies. I enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level and creating memories that we can look back on together. I enjoyed hearing them speak about their husbands and their families and how much family means to them. One of them brought her 7-month-old son with her. He was the sweetest, most content, little sidekick the whole time.
When I saw the four husbands of the ladies who attended, each told me how much his wife loved the conference and the trip and expressed their thanks for this opportunity and time together. The ladies asked me if we can attend the conference every year. They are looking forward to next year and having more women join!
Sara and I are planning to organize a women’s Bible study for these ladies and others in the coming months. We look forward to growing these relationships and learning more about our Father together.
I want to thank all those who supported this special weekend! Thank you for making it possible for these women to have a break from the difficulties of life and to just spend time worshiping and fellowshipping with fellow daughters of Christ. We appreciate you being a part of it through your prayers and support!