When I was in Haiti at the beginning of this month, I went to the Iron Market with our staff. The Iron Market is divided into two sides. One side is devoted to artwork, metalwork, touristy items, and household needs and the other side is devoted to voodoo. This wasn’t my first trip to the Iron Market, but on this trip I ventured into the voodoo side of the market for the first time with Scott and Justin and was introduced to the bondage of voodoo. We were guided around the market by a market manager who is a Christian. He explained to us what specific items meant, which was very helpful as most of what I saw was confusing, elaborate, particular, and foreign to me.
I’ve only been a part of church bodies that sing the praises of freedom in Christ so walking through the voodoo market isles emphasized to me the bondage and slavery that exists in religions (as opposed to relationships with Jesus). The items boasted about by market workers are held to a god-like status and can grant favor and luckiness if their users use them properly. This “zombie” figure pictured left is made with a real human skull taken from a cemetery. After placed in your house, it can grant you favor – that is, if you’ve accomplished the necessary means via alcohol and colored powder to please it.
Other items included what you would imagine a voodoo doll to look like (the bean bag shaped like a human) which, when you 
bound two together in a certain way can grant luckiness in love, business, etc. There was odd uses of baby dolls, horns, figurines, and tremendous bedazzling. Each item was ornate and artistic.
When we approached one booth, the man who created the items by hand was there. He pointed out his merchandise with pride and it struck me that people who buy these items know that they were created by this man, yet when they are used, the items reach a different “god” status.
Later in the day I was talking with a friend and his mother. My Haitian friend has a relationship with Jesus and his mother does not. I asked him what his mom believed since she was wearing a necklace with a cross. She said (through translation) that she believed Jesus was real, but that she also believed in the power of voodoo.
It is our prayer and mission in Haiti to equip Haitian churches to share the Gospel that says, in Christ alone we are saved. Practicing voodoo is being enslaved to inanimate objects and false gods. It’s a sad and terrifying reality to live in, however, the Gospel can set these captives free through Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.
The morning after I was at the Iron Market, I happened to read Galatians 5 which starts like this, “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 This would be our prayer – to see a nation liberated in Christ to freedom. This is the mission of the church and we hope you’ll join with us in seeing this freedom for yourself and also in seeing people set free in Haiti.
Here are some ways you can join us: invest in the Movement, come on a movement trip, advocate for partnership with your church, and pray for God’s work through us.
You can learn more about the 5 Solas (Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, for the glory of God alone) here.
Erin Cooper is the CPR-3 Communications Director and the Assistant Coordinator for Momentum Youth Conference.
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