So I’ve been back from Haiti for over a week – hard to
believe we’ve already wrapped up debrief in Santo Domingo, DR. It’s been a week of refreshment, soaking in
each other’s and in the Lord’s presence, hard realizations, times of worship
and corporate prayer, reflecting on messages from Mike and Patti, and leaving
the YWAM base for outings.
It’s taken a while to compose a blog about the past month. I’ve drawn a blank regarding thoughts are on
Haiti and our time there. I think it was
a harder month.. along with the dry environment of Gonaives, it was a spiritually
dry month personally. However, there were
moments of beauty and joy. Some of my
fondest Haiti memories: rounds of Rummy with Luminous and Tikvah teammates late into the night with only our headlamps to
see our card hands (and fellow poker faces), re-learning Settlers of Catan (a
game in which I fear most of my teammates will need a support group), late nite
convos under the brilliant stars arched across the sky, hair washing/french braiding
parties outside, stuffing our orphan boy Kenly into my backpack in an attempt
to scale the door up to the roof with him (didn’t go over well, let’s just say),
lifting rocks as part of manual labor, Benny’s bonfires, time alone with God while
anticipating glorious evening sunsets which turned into shows of shooting
stars, sleeping on the roof with access to a blanket of stars and clouds that
were His lullaby as the wind blew, followed by His wakeup call of a magnificent
sunrise whose warmth beckoned a new day.
Haiti was definitely a place to die to our basic rights –
the right to privacy in the bathroom, the right to cleanliness (of oneself and
one’s belongings), the right to our possessions (the building also operated as
a pharmacy and during the day, anyone could walk in). The “compound” we stayed at was also in the
same vicinity as an orphanage with about 200 kids. Our building was a squat, cement rectangle,
about one story high, unfinished, with a maze of rooms that became a funhouse
for cockroaches, scorpions, mice and mosquitoes when night fell. Dave can attest to that, as he soon became
the Creature Hunter, with a trained eye especially for mice, and a ready,
steady hand armed with his boot. There
was no bathroom or electricity in the building.
We had to walk across the dusty field towards the orphanage to get to
the squatty potty. Expectations get
lower and lower, as I immediately appreciated the simple green curtain that was
set up for privacy (the nite of our arrival, we had to pee outside the building
and my thought was “We’re no better than dogs”). A shower meant either a bunk bed positioned
vertically like a makeshift shower stall or later, three pieces of plywood put
together outside the building. I
“showered” a total of 3 times in 3 weeks, and only exposed body parts as I
crouched behind the plywood in my bathing suit as kids walked by, giggling. Being around the orphanage meant easy access
to the kids and them to us. It became
normal to have my name shouted out repeatedly as I walked out with a roll of
toilet paper tucked under one arm, headed to the bathroom, and to respond with
a smile, wave, and “bon jour!” To give
them a show, be sure not to hold down the curtain with rocks – the persistent
wind would take care of the rest. Despite
all this, it’s funny how quickly the basic living conditions become like home
for us.
I know people back at home and on the squad had some initial
fears regarding Haiti, whether due to the extreme poverty of the country, or
the voodoo and spiritual darkness that we’ve heard about. Although it is indeed both poor and dark,
God’s provision and protection were on all of the teams in different parts of
Haiti. In Gonaives, we were protected to
the point of confinement to our area or to the pastor’s house a truck ride away. Praise God for great health, two regular
meals a day provided by the pastor’s family, and a hedge of protection around
our property. Although I only saw a
sliver of Haiti, I know there’s more beauty in the country than just the glimpses
I got. There is richness among poverty, love
and a sense of family among orphans who have only each other, stories of
redemption and hope for the lost. God
has not forgotten His children there, and His name is still being praised..
Thanks for all your prayers in the last month and the months
to come..
