Tim DeTellis - Haiti : past, present, future : where is the hope?

Haiti: Past, Present, Future Where is the Hope? by Tim DeTellis

Copyright 2010 by Tim DeTellis

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 1-59755-171-6

ISBN13: 978-1-59755-171-7

Published by: ADVANTAGE BOOKS

www.advbookstore.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or other-wise without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010922004

Cover design by Pat Theriault

Photography by Dale Stroud - www.missionfieldimages.com

Dale Stroud, was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake with Tim

DeTellis.

First Printing: February 2010

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Printed in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to my father, Pastor George DeTellis. I am forever thankful to him because his life is an example of true servant leadership. He gave to people that could never pay him back.

Many people have contributed to this book, in a variety of ways.

I would like to thank my parents, Pastor George and Jeanne DeTellis for their steadfast leadership as they serve the poorest of the poor. They are my role models and have laid the foundation for a new generation of leaders in Haiti.

To my writer, Tom Gill, who has well crafted my heart for Haiti and commitment to leadership on the following pages.

To Pat Theriault for his cover design and creative input.

To the team at New Missions, I admire their dedication to the calling.

And to my wife Sheryl for believing in the power of helping others fulfill their God-given potential.

Finally, to Mike Janiczek with Advantage Books for seeing the potential of this message to impact individuals and then change the lives of future leaders in the third-world.

The best is yet to come.

-Tim DeTellis

More than ever, the world has seen the pain and suffering of the people of Haiti. The day before the historic January 12, 2010, earthquake, Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Now, the little infrastructure Haiti had is crushed to the ground. Will leadership come to the shores of Haiti? Or will leadership from the people of Haiti rise up? The future of Haiti is crying out for leadership

The mantle of leadership is a privilege accompanied by great responsibility. When leaders are chosen, they are given a mandate to accomplish the vision of those who selected them. To be successful, leaders must be given authority to make decisions and the resources necessary to fulfill the vision must be made available.

Quality of leadership cannot be measured only by the fulfillment of a mandate (quantity). Many factors determine the total or partial success/failure of a leader and the mission to which he is called. This can be answered in part by asking, Did the leader

• effectively use the resources available?
• fulfill all the goals of the vision?
• garner support from his subordinates to the fulfillment of the tasks at hand?
• mentor others in leadership roles?
• make room for others at the top?
• seek advice from those with experience?

Haiti: Past, Present, Future uses the experiences of Haiti, the worlds first black republic, to illustrate the factors outlined above. Though much of Haitis history is checkered with corruption, greed, avarice, betrayal, and poverty the nation continues to move forward. This speaks well of the majority of the people!

Haitians want to succeed. They are vitally interested in education, healthcare, self-government, prosperity and national development. What Haiti needs more than anything are leaders who look to the common good rather than their personal wealth. Haitians long for the day when hunger and poverty are in the pasta day when every citizen has enough to eat and the means to provide an income for their family.

That day is comingsooner than the world may think! Young Haitians are rising up so their voices can be heard above the cries of destitution. These young people have a vision for their country that goes beyond the past and reaches well into the futurea vision in which Haiti will again be the Jewel of the Antilles.

Reading this book will help you learn lessons vital to the success of any leader. Haitians have demonstrated courage and an indomitable spirit that points to the most important factor of leadership: People are the most valuable resource available! People will make or break a leader. They will help a cause succeed or will force a cause to fail. The masses, people, hold the true power.

You may not think of yourself as a leader, but the truth is that you are. Everyone has qualities of leadership and has opportunities to lead in the family, at work, in relationships and at the community level. The issue is whether you will nurture those qualities and allow them to strengthen. Haiti: Past, Present, Future will help you unlock those latent qualities within and show you how to use them in a Godly manner.

Chapter One

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morningthe sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)

What is paradise? How would we know if we have found it? Some places on earth are so beautiful we can only describe them as paradise. However, is beauty the only criteria?

Join me on an imaginary journey into what has been described as paradise. Lets see what we can discover as we imagine

• sailing on water so clear you can see 40 feet to the bottom and filled with such abundant sea life you marvel at its diversity
• discovering an island mountain range rising out of the sea so high that it can be seen from beyond the horizon
• dropping anchor at this fertile island paradise covered with lush vegetation, teeming with wildlife and watered by countless fresh-water streams
• being greeted by a people who think you have come from heaven to be with them

This is what greeted Christopher Columbus when he discovered the island known today as Hispaniola and set foot on what would become the nation of Haiti.

Hispaniola B.C. (before Columbus)

Evidence of human habitation on Hispaniola has been dated as early as 450 A.D. with the Ciboneys who migrated from todays North America. Around 900 A.D. the Tainos, members of the Arawak nation of Amazon valley origins, arrived from what is today South America.

The Tainos were a peaceful people who lived in large settlements and relied on agriculture for their sustenance. Corn was their primary crop and a staple in their diet. They also wove baskets and created useful items like the hammock. The Tainos called the island Ayiti, which means land of mountains.

Another people group inhabiting the island were the Caribs. Viewed as ruthless warriors by the Tainos Carib means cannibal in the Taino language the Caribs were known to kill their male enemies and enslave the females.

Nevertheless, Hispaniola was large enough for these competing people groups to co-exist. The lush vegetation and abundant wildlife made it possible for these early inhabitants to flourish.