Late Tuesday, the 7th of December, Haiti announced it's top two presidential candidates from the first round of voting. Jude Celestin, the son in law of the current president, was one of the top, just barely squeezing out runner up and crowd favorite, Michel Martelly. Martelly supporters, which is the majority of the country, suspect corruption with the polling results. Since Celestin is extremely unpopular, they believe it is impossible that he could have made the top two or even beat out Martelly. As of right now, Jude Celestin and Mirlande Manigat are the candidates who are running against each other in the final presidential elections. However, a recount has been in order for the top three candidates. Now how this is going to change the outcome? If there had already been ballot box stuffing before polling places opened on voting day as well as a number of people who couldn't vote because their name was not on the registered list, how does this filter through corruption?
Since the results there have been intense rioting the past 3 days...tires have been burned creating road blocks, violent protests and rock throwing, attacks on employees of polling places, airport closure and flights canceled. Nobody has wanted to be out on the main roads, especially us here at Maison de Lumiere. My flight on Saturday has been canceled and I'm kind of relieved. I wasn't looking forward to trying to maneuver through this chaos to get to the airport. I heard that when our school Principal was in a police car and then on a motorcycle on Wednesday, he got rocks pelted at him. Now if he, a Haitian man, was still getting attacked by the mobs, I didn't want to experience what they would do to a female foreigner. Here's a link I recently posted on my facebook to give you an idea of what it's like at the moment: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337127/Haiti-elections-UN-armoured-cars-rubble-strewn-streets.html
In the last 200 years, Haiti has never had a President serve full term without them getting assassinated or run out of the country, until this last president, Preval (or that's what I've heard). This country has had corrupt president after corrupt president, leaving the country in extreme poverty, riddled with violence. Every 5 years during elections, violent protests have always erupted. It breaks my heart. As if the devastation of the earthquake and the cholera outbreak weren't enough heartbreaks to deal with. People are feeling hopeless and fearful.
As I read my Bible this morning, I read about King Manasseh in 2 Kings 21, who is recorded to be the most wicked king of all time. He rebuilt the places for idol worship, which his father had destroyed, he sacrificed his children in fire as an offering, he practiced witchcraft, he shed innocent blood, and he encouraged the Israelites to do more evil than the nations they had destroyed. Even when warned by the Lord that He would bring calamity on the people in judgment of their unrighteous deeds, Manasseh continued in evil work for 55 years. His son, Amon was his predecessor and continued in the evil deeds his father did and forsook the Lord. He was killed by his own servants and then the people of the land killed his murderers. Now, when his son, Josiah, only 8 years old took reign, he walked righteously, forsaking the ways of his fathers. When Huldah, a prophetess, told Josiah that God was going to judge the nation and bring forth His wrath on a land that has forsaken Him, Josiah made a covenant with the Lord and extreme reform in the nation happened:
"The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to to keep His commandments and His testimonies and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into this covenant." (2 Kings 23: 3)
Yes God, even though Haiti has a had a history of Manassehs and Amons who have turned and forsaken you, who have practiced evil and voodoo, who have shed innocent blood, have spurred the people on to follow in their evil deeds, that You would raise up a Josiah. God set Your Spirit upon the next president of Haiti, that they may be a man or woman that loves you with all their heart and soul and would be faithful to follow your commandments and encourage the people of Haiti to follow likewise. Bring extreme reform to this nation, just as you did in the times of Josiah. And may it not just be a season of fruitful growth and turning to You God. May the presidents that proceed love you and follow after you with all their heart, that this country wouldn't be stuck in a cycle of revival and rebellion. God redeem and do a work in Haiti!!! In Jesus name, Amen.
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