The Ups and Downs of Haiti

Just a quick note for today as my emotions flow from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows all in a twelve hour period. Was able to accompany a team from CA and all the New Life kids to the beach again today. It was a beautiful day. It takes about one and a half hours to get to the beach location. The kids blessed us by singing songs all the way to the beach. The Pastor from CA kept asking if they knew one worship song after another. He would sing a few bars and before you knew it, the kids erupted in joyous tones. I wish we could have captured the faces of many people in the streets as they went about their daily routines and the bus drove by with the sweet sounds echoing out the windows. Those children blessed many people they didn't even know today! Another highlight today was seeing Harold swimming in the beautiful blue waters today. You see, Harold has no use of either one of his legs and moves along on crutches. Last week the water was too rough for him, but today it was nearly motionless. He swam like a fish and never stopped smiling!
Unfortunately, the stark reality of life in Haiti hit us square in the face on the ride home. Instead of taking the bus back with the kids, I drove home with the ladies that cooked lunch and Miriam. It was dusk and suddenly we drove past what seemed to be a body on the side of the road. I asked Miriam if she thought it was a body. Then asked if we should stop to see if we could be of help. We turned the car around and pulled up. Miriam got out to talk to the people standing near by and to checkout not one, but two bodies. Through conversation, we find out that both of these men were cousins who were driving a motorcycle and got cut off the road. Both men got thrown into a guard rail and died. The families of both men were there. This happened at 1:00pm and now it was 6:00pm. The police had come by to remove the motorcycle but not the bodies. The families were waiting for a tap tap to come from PaP, one and one half hours away, to pickup the bodies. We prayed for them and hope their souls were already in heaven and gave them what money we had. How sad that the dignity of the treatment of a human in Haiti means so little.
Thank you so much for your support in prayer.

Renee