Comments on: At the Batey

By: Amber Van Schooneveld

Amber Van Schooneveld — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:05:51 +0000

Oh, sorry for not defining my terms! A batey is where sugar cane plantation workers live. (Or sometimes, as in this case, former workers.)

By: Mike Stephens

Mike Stephens — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:09:34 +0000

I still don’t know what a batey is, sounds like a poor community. One time on a trip to the Domincan Republic we were walking to one of the communities to share bible stories and testimonies and out of nowhere these people called us over to as I remember looked like a little lemonade stand built of wood and gave us some sugar cane to eat. It was very good and very needed b/c we were hot. Thanks for your story Amber!!!

By: Vicki Small

Vicki Small — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:58:15 +0000

Thanks for this, Amber. The two bateys I have previously visited stand out in my mind as the very poorest of the impoverished areas I’ve seen. In those old sugarcane communities, the spiritual poverty–the hopelessness and, in at least one of them, the continuing influence of voodoo–has been palpable. I came away with a heavy heart for those people, and for the pastors who endeavored to make Jesus Christ real to them.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:37:51 +0000

I love that last line!

By: Steve K.

Steve K. — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:22:47 +0000

You painted the picture very, very well!