He had not seen her since the day he decided to follow Jesus, leaving vodou behind, and had almost forgotten about her. She appeared the same, but surrounded by darkness he had not noticed before.
Reaching his bed she knelt at his side weeping bitterly. Why are you doing this to me? she sobbed. Dont leave me, Joisaint.
You must go and never come back, the boy spoke firmly. I belong to Jesus now.
If you obey me, I will make you very rich and powerful. Her breath tickled his ear and he pulled away.
He wanted to be rich. He wanted to be powerful.
Softly filtering through the darkness came the still small voice of God, reminding him he was loved.
The two voices battled in his head throughout the night until, in the early morning light, he lay limp and exhausted.
It was time to make a decision.
Executive Director of Hope Grows Haiti, Heather Rodin has been working among the impoverished in Haiti for several years. In her spare time she keeps busy as a freelance writer and speaking on behalf of the mission. Heather and her husband, Gord, have six children, and live near Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.