Our last night in Haiti we had the opportunity to go to an english social at the church.
The social
was filled with awkward silences, laughter, and broken english. Our directions were to introduce ourselves, share
our favorite activities, and answer questions about our families. One conversation I’ll always remember was with a young man named Evanson. Evanson was shy and showed his nervousness in his smile. Our conversation was stopped several times due to the teacher giving out more directions but we hadn’t fulfilled the first instruction, introducing ourselves. For our lives Evanson and I could not say, let alone remember, each others names. However, all of our hard work paid off! The blanco were separated to the left side of the room and the Haitians on the right. As people were randomly pulled into the center we shouted out each others name. Guess who got my name right? Yep Evanson! We actually got to continue our conversation afterward which was a blessing to my heart. The evening eventually came to an end and I left the social blessed and encouraged and only had to turn down one marriage proposal from some random participant whom I never talked to.
The social ended as our good-byes started. Rome, my favorite, and another boy called me outside next to the building. They looked at me with their piercing eyes asking where I was going next. It didn’t really matter where I was going but that I wasn’t going to be there at the orphanage anymore. Its amazing to how God puts specific people in our lives to change us.
Take Rome for example. When I first met Rome he was following my team up a mountain, laughing and quietly making remarks to his buddies which I was sure were about the Americans. Once up the mountain Rome came up to me offering me a drink of water, seemingly a kind gesture. However, Rome had taken it directly out of the hands of one of my thirsty teammates. Rome then proceeded to ask questions which later would become ammo for one of his games. I don’t know Creole and I don’t know spanish but I do know when people are speaking spanish. I entertained Romes’ game for a while convincing him that I didn’t know his language at all, fully trusting in our conversation. As I then called his bluff his face was priceless and it was back in the juvenile home, as if I had never left. It was there, in that moment that our friendship started.
As the three of us stood outside the building the boys started saying Jesus and pointing at themselves. Thinking that they were playing another trick I responded in a confused tone that they were not Jesus. They must have been frustrated with the communication barrier because they grabbed my hand and forced my eyelids shut. The little boy began praying and Rome translated the prayer. Instantly I was humbled by their simple, yet profound prayer. “Bless you” ended the most meaningful prayer of my life and we all looked at each other with tear filled eyes.
I love how the Lord always puts the trouble maker kids in my life and how they always change me. Leaving kids never gets any easier, in fact I think that it gets harder and harder. I’m still seeking the Lord to show me the work that He did in and through me at the orphanage. Leaving Haiti was hard and it was full of tears. I miss those kids but i’m looking forward to the next adventure that is planned for me.
