The day started very early – especially for someone not particularly fond of mornings… wake up was at 6 a.m. We all were up ready to go, and were filled with another delicious breakfast prepared by Francoise (?). At 7:45 we were loaded into the tap-tap and truck and headed out to our second orphanage (and by truck I mean in the bed of the truck). Last night as a team we figured out a better system for getting all the kids through the medical screening. We kept going around refining ideas until we came up with a plan we felt confident would work. We were all anxious to implement it today! After all, it had taken us two days to see 35 children at Source de la Grace and we were now expecting 100! Our goal for today was to see 40 as we had to get back in time for church tonight. But first we had to get there. For this you have to imagine sitting on a piece of wood while going over extreme bumps with no padding what so ever. Definitely not the most comfortable ride but certainly a great experience! Holding on with one hand and trying to inconspicuously to take pictures with the other was definitely a challenge and one I have not yet mastered! The good news is that Serena graciously gave up her airplane neck pillow and we all rotated using it as a cushion. The relief was a gift to all of us!
It is really hard for me to get a grasp of what the city looks like because everywhere I look I see a building, or the remains of what use to be one. There isn’t any natural terrain in sight. So the backdrop is cement against a hazy low lying mountain range in the distance. To me this highlights the poverty because it is set against such a crumbling background. I’m not sure this is making any sense. My only other experience with this type of poverty is in Africa, most recently in Uganda/ There the people seem to live amidst the countryside; here they seem to be absorbed by it. In Uganda the people live in a backdrop of beauty.. You can visibly see the richness in the land. Here the people seem to live within a concrete world. I see a huge contrast between the people we pass in the street and the people we see in church worshipping among us. The former seem angry and lost. Few look up and smile or wave. Yet those in the church are passionate. The children (even the very young) sit still as if knowing God is to be revered. The benches in the church are hard and yet they all sit for hours singing to and praising the Lord. It is a beautiful picture of faith. They are not embarrassed to show their faith and they come as a true expression of love for Christ. It is really refreshing to watch them worship (I just wish I understood what they were saying).
And so back to today. Our plan from last night was put into action and was working like a well oiled machine. We actually had it down to a fine and…until…the doctor who oversees the orphanage informed us that complete physicals had been done on each child just last week. Oops! Somehow this small detail didn’t get communicated to us, but with this new information it did not make sense to continue. So our prayer for how we were going to finish with 100 children in two days was answered within two hours of arriving. We certainly didn’t expect our prayer to be answered in this manner, but it did allow us the rest of the day to play and interact with the kids. We no longer were task/project oriented. Instead, we could really bask in the kids and just enjoy who they were. What a blessing! This blessing occurred because our second truck had left after dropping us off in the morning and was not expected to return until 2. However, at 2, when it still hadn’t arrived, part of the team left, leaving the rest of the team behind to wait for transportation. Our goal was to get back in time to shower and get dressed for church before John had to preach tonight. Unfortunately, due to traffic, we barely made it home before turning right around and leaving again. So we looked good but if anyone got too close they might have run in the other direction! This time us tap-tap riders had the privilege of riding in the back of the truck, something I would NEVER do in the states! I am still trying to figure out why we think it is OK to do it here!!! Some questions I’ve decided are better left unanswered! Thirty minutes in the truck on top of three hours in the tap-tap and I can tell you my entire body is sore! Honestly I don’t know how many muscles we have in the human body, but I do know that every one of them hurts at the moment. But tomorrow is another day to experience more Haiti and I will be up for whatever comes my way!
Again, church was good. The prayers, the singing, John’s message… it was all very good. The other half of our team that got left at the orphanage did not make the service as their transportation was very late in picking them up. Though they missed church they were all able to come home and take showers! So in our own ways every team member was blessed! The rest of us will be going to bed stinky as their currently is no water. Fortunately everyone in my room went to church so no one person will stand out as stinky!!
I can’t believe we only have one more full day. Since we won’t be going back to the orphanage tomorrow Liz and Tamara are talking with Francois and Kristie to see where we can best serve tomorrow. I am so glad that I have come. I have had the chance to see many new hearts work together and that has been a true gift. I hope everyone leaves all they have behind tomorrow so we can bless a country that is in desperate need of blessings.
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