Mole St. Nicolas – Dance Ministry
As long as I have been travelling to Haiti, I have seen dance bring people together, stir up joy from seemingly colorless situations, and break down language barriers! During my first week-long trips to Haiti, I was able to help create dance camps for children in the community and was always blown away by the infectious joy that resulted from movement. A push to use dance for ministry continued as I spent two summers interning with NWHCM.
As I prepared for my longer internship in Haiti, it was clear to me that God was prompting me to further dive into this calling and to develop this blossoming dance ministry. I firmly believe that God gives us gifts in order to use them for His glory. For so long, I have used dance for ME, but I am seeing how the Lord is repositioning me to continue to invest in this passion of mine, but for a purpose that is beyond myself.
I am now 6 weeks into my time here and am continuously finding myself in awe of the ways that God is taking my lofty visions and creating blessed realities. On any given week, between 100-200 individuals from the community attend a class in the dance studio.
These classes include: two community youth classes, an adult women’s class, two organized/auditioned dance groups, a class for the children in our orphanage, a movement therapy class for children in our special needs class, and a bi-weekly evening class hosted by the teen dance group (Our Generation). Each class has its own dynamic and routine, but regardless of the age of the students or size of the group, each class consists of lots of sweating, smiling, and energy!
My hope for this ministry goes far beyond dancing for the sake of dancing. My dream is for this studio in Mole St. Nicolas to be for these Haitian dancers what my home studio always was for me. I want the dancers to know that the dance studio is a place where they are safe, loved, valued, and they get to pour time and energy into developing the gift that God has given them.
My hope is that their sense of community is strengthened and that hearts are changed. My prayer is that I am able to exude the love of Jesus as I assume the role of dance teacher and that I can set an example of Christ-like love, grace, and truth. Many precious hearts enter the studio doors each week and I am excited for the ways that this ministry will continue to take off.
God has been on the move in a very evident way and I am expectant that dance will continue to play a uniquely positive role in this community and every life that is touched by dance. I am lucky to be in the middle of this beautiful, God-crafted, design!
