Haiti--Sunday, Jim and Shawn

We started this morning at Marie’s church which was being held in the temporary shelter area where the girls, Marie, and many of the neighbors had slept between the earthquake and the time Shawn and I arrived last Monday evening. It was good to see and hear the Haitians worshiping God. We passed a couple of outdoor churches on our way there as well. The tent cities have set up churches and were conducting services. Some we are told hold services every night –they are praising God with their hearts.
We walked the neighborhood a little and stopped at the neighbors who had lost everything and were sleeping in a two man tent. Shawn and I both gave them some money for which they extremely grateful. Marie is rekindling some old relationships with people who she hasn’t talked to in years.
One very cool event that happened today was Marie re-establishing a relationship with a woman who used to be her very best friend in Haiti. The woman had turned to Voodoo and Marie stopped talking to her. The woman involved in voodoo heard a voice that Port au Prince would be destroyed. She was told that she would be spared. And then it happened. I could not follow the conversation or the translation but the end result is the woman has turned from voodoo and toward Christ and is now a Christian with a wonderful testimony that she is sharing with everyone. She told Marie that when a friend goes down the wrong path it is the responsibility of their friend(s) to bring them back on track. Marie felt bad because her friend was right and Marie did not try to bring her back. It was another life lesson for Marie—still learning at age 73 just we all are. It weighed on Marie’s heart all day—but forgiveness has been given by her friend and by Jesus Christ.
We also saw Shawn’s sponsor child for Marie’s school and her brother who is another friend of ours sponsor child. We were able to get some photos and give her a little money to help with food. It was good to see them and the mother is so grateful.
We spent a good part of the day at the destruction site again. By the end of the day the entire orphanage-roof, wall, and rebar had been demolished. I think it the neighborhood has come alive with all of the activity and hammering and we have seen several other Haitian destruction crews working on various buildings today—Sunday—which is a day of rest in Haiti.
We continue to see and hear many transport planes and helicopters coming and going and it gives me hope that those in need are getting the life saving, life giving, supplies they need. We will venture out tomorrow to see how other neighborhoods are doing. We will go the airport to see if Shawn can get out soon and see when I may be able to get home. The radios says Americans who are going home should go to the airport and bring food and water—this is several day old information, heard second hand, so we will go and check it out. Things change rapidly each day and who knows what they will say tomorrow. We assume the American military is in control of the airport and at least we can have a conversation with them in English.
We ended the day at Marie’s and played with the girls a little. They sure love the attention they get. They are such beautiful girls with beautiful eyes and smiles. Let the little children come to me!!!