COMMENCEMENT AND CONTINUATION

I simply cannot believe that four years have passed since my good  friend, Daniel Rodolphe, started taking classes at Emmaus Biblical Seminary in order to become a pastor. Back then, a leader from an international feeding ministry came to Haiti to see where her group's soup mix was being put to use. At the time, Daniel was receiving bags of the mix on a monthly basis and preparing it each Saturday and Sunday morning to feed the hungry right outside his door.

This ministry leader was struck by Daniel and his dedication to his neighborhood. When she asked him about his dreams, he told of his desire to learn more about Scripture and to become a pastor. (I've learned over time that Daniel always has more dreams than funds!) She decided to sponsor him personally as a student at Emmaus.

And so for the past four years, Daniel has lived and studied on campus (just five miles down the road from us) all throughout the week and then headed back to his own neighborhood in Cap Haitien each weekend to see and feed his kids - about 50 each Saturday morning and a different 50 on Sundays. 

(Over this past year, he has also been serving as a pastor at a little church near the airport - a tough job for which he receives no compensation.)

But four years have passed and have brought Daniel to this weekend. And THIS weekend was special: Commencement.

FRIDAY, MAY 11:

I was honored to be Daniel's "Paren" for the morning - a sort of honorary godfather. I wrote up sub plans for my students at Cowman because there was no way I was going to miss this graduation.

Daniel was among 19 in the graduating class. I learned firsthand what I had always heard: Emmaus goes all out to celebrate their accomplishment.

There was plenty of appropriate pomp and circumstance. For instance, special occasions in Haiti REQUIRE a marching band.

Emmaus has a brand new outdoor stage with shade sails over the seating for the graduation audience. The sun changed its position plenty during the two and a half hour program, so there was a fair bit of shuffling throughout the ceremony as people shifted to regain lost shade.

After four years together, Daniel's class seems to have been unified in a quite beautiful way. I thought the highlight of the morning was their performance of a song they wrote together. Great stuff and a very catchy tune!

The big moment - being handed the diploma by our friend Dr. Matt Ayars, the president of the seminary:

Unfortunately, none of my selfies with Daniel turned out very well - must have had a droplet of sweat over the lens!

After the service concluded, there was a delicious lunch for the graduates and their special guests. A truly wonderful morning all around. 

As always, after spending time with Daniel, I am left with a deep appreciation for him and am simply in awe of his servanthood.  Unbelievably, after all the pomp and celebration of Friday morning there came ...

SATURDAY, MAY 12:

The crowded little courtyard in front of Daniel's "house" was once again filled with dozens of hungry kids, holding out plates, waiting for Daniel to scoop a heaping spoonful of rice and beans their direction. 

It took only 15 minutes to empty the huge pot of its contents. One little boy came back shortly to return a borrowed plate, looked down at this empty pot, picked up the spoon and scraped the last clinging grains of rice into his open mouth. 

There is never enough here.

Thank God for believers like Daniel. 

I can't recall the name of the author, but a few years ago I came across a sentence on a blog that stuck in my head and always makes me think of Daniel: 

"The pastors of Haiti will be famous in Heaven."

I believe Daniel was a pastor long before he was handed that diploma, but I am so thankful for the opportunity the Lord provided for him to get a solid, Biblical education and I pray that his time at Emmaus will serve as a firm foundation for many years of fruitful service here in Haiti. He is an inspiration to me.