Could life in ministry be Oranio’s calling out of the desperation of an ordinary life in Haiti? Life in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, was at best a daily challenge before the 2010 earthquake, now it is even more difficult. Although tourist areas once again display richness and beauty, behind the city walls the desperate cry of loneliness and destitution echo through crowded streets. Oranio lived an ordinary life in Port-au-Prince, until he was faced with a life-altering decision.
As a young boy, Oranio’s dream was to become a policeman. When the time came, he enrolled in the police academy, passed all the tests, and was accepted. But then the Lord intervened. ”Two weeks before the police academy started, I had a dream,” says Oranio. ”I saw Jesus stand up in front of me holding a Bible in His right hand.” Oranio felt a challenge to choose between a law enforcement career and life in ministry.
A life-changing decision
Resistant to choose ministry, everything in Oranio still longed to fulfill his childhood dream. So he sought counsel from Christians throughout his village, and then dug deep into the Bible to seek the truth for himself.
Through confirmation of the Scriptures, God affirmed in Oranio's heart which one he should choose. "God's Word is a spiritual lamp according to Psalm 119:105, ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path,'" he explains. "And His Word is also spiritual food according to Matthew 4:4, ‘...man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'
"So I chose the Bible!" God, in His infinite wisdom, led Oranio to serve Him.
Instead of entering the police academy, Oranio is now fulfilled by a life in ministry, trained by Bible League International. He reaches out to the destitute throughout Port-au-Prince, sharing God’s message of salvation. He follows the light of God’s Word, and he himself reflects that light to others hungry for the love and forgiveness of Jesus.
