During my month in Haiti, I have gotten to meet several amazing women and mothers through our ministry, SVT. SVT – strategic village time – looks like my team and I going out into nearby villages to meet with random people in their homes, talk about day to day life, hand out water purification tablets, and share the love of Jesus. It has produced some of the most incredible experiences I have ever had, and has opened by eyes to faith, perseverance, and God-love.
Last week we went to a village called Leveque. (My personal favorite.) Shortly after arriving, a woman invited us into her home. We followed her inside the small cement house and saw her son laying on the ground on a mat – probably his bed. She gently picked him up and put him on the actual bed to make room for us to sit. This boy looked about 5 years old, and somehow disabled. She told us that her sweet son is 10, and cannot walk, talk, or feed himself. She put a fresh diaper on her 10 year old after we walked in. Immediately when talking to this woman, I noticed the love she had for her child. It was overwhelming, beautiful.
She explained to us that she has given birth to 10 children, and all but two of them passed away in the months following their birth. One of her two living children is very much disabled and can do nothing for himself. As soon as she finished telling us about her children in heaven, she explained to us just how thankful she is for how her son is doing. As of two years ago, he could not feel when he was being touched, but now, he can sense when his mother is holding him.
This was an incredible example to me. How much do we as Americans complain about things throughout our everyday life? We complain about kids making messes with all of their toys, dirt being tracked in the house, or the air conditioning taking too long to cool down. This sweet lady has lost eight of her 10 children and still finds something to be thankful for.
She told us that her and her husband are out of work, their rent is due, and they owe the bank money. She talked about how they barely have enough money for food, and she doesn’t know how to pay off her bills as well. She could go to jail if she does not pay the bank, and they have no money whatsoever.
But then she told us about her husband. He has been faithful to her for their entire marriage of 20 or so years. “There are not many men like that.” She said.
Later on, she told us the story of what happened to her during the earthquake. A cement building fell on her, and everyone thought she was dead. Her body was put aside and was pronounced dead, when she woke up. She lived “By the grace of God.”
This woman is the definition of strong. I have never heard a story as full of hardship as hers is, yet the faithfulness she has towards Jesus is astounding. She does not question His goodness, love, or provision; she simply waits expectantly, pouring out more love to her children than I have ever seen from a single person.
This week, we went to a village called Minoterie. We met another amazing woman with four children; two boys and two girls. The woman explained to us that her sister is paralyzed, so her two month old nephew lives with her family. The entire time we were sitting with her at her home, she was working. Whether it be through cooking, selling food from her shop, or feeding the youngest kids, she was working hard for her family. At one point, this superwoman had a child nursing on each side. Despite the work she had set out for her, she was joyful. When she finished feeding her child and nephew, she played with them and made them laugh. She talked with us and the strength Christ has blessed her with is evident, as is the love she has for her family.
Today, we visited a woman with eight children. 15 people live in her house: Her and her husband, their eight children, her two grandchildren, and three children from the village that needed a home. One of my teammates asked her if she liked living with so many people, and she said, “Yes, it is a gift from God.” There was no complaint that the laundry she had just started would literally take eight hours, nor was there complaint about so many children climbing all over the place. There was just thankfulness and love.
Haitian women are some of the strongest people I have ever met; especially the sweet mothers. There are countless stories like these – countless mothers who pour themselves out for their family every single day. They are full of thankfulness, joy, and authentic love for others and for Jesus. When I grow up, I want to be like them.
