3.17.2010
Trevor Wednesday March 17, 2010... Saint Patties. haitia style
We arrived in haiti about 4 hours ago. The journey to haiti was just the beginning of the adventure.. i will have a whole lot to share already. Things are incredibly unorganized in the haitian air port after the earthquake... since what was modernized was destroyed they pretty much just shuttle you to a big warehouse where they dump your stuff and pretty much have a free for all to get it.. got kind of intense at times, but was totally cool if you just laid back and waited for the mob to clear. We then pushed through a large crowd of haitians surrounding the gates of the air port to throw all of our stuff into a truck and then pile on top of what we through in the bed. It was a pretty low key, but very eye opening drive. after we arrived everyone got settled in, but I didn't have anything to settle in so i just spent a solid chunk of time talking with native haitians. Many of them are very good at english for the shotty encounters they have with english speakers. We talked about life in America, life in Haiti, exchanged basic acquaintences and I learned a small handful of creole. I have found a few people already who know some spanish, but no english so the little spanish I know comes in very useful. Otherwise hand gestures, friendly smiles and hand shakes go a long way. We then went to the orphanage and spent time playing with the kids there. That might have been one of the most fun experiences of mylife. These girls couldn't even speak english, but we made friends quickly and spent time running around the orphanage as the girls chased us around. They taught us some creole like hello, how are you, hair, and a few others i;m still working. The girls were obsessed with my hair. they didn't want us to leave. We then went back to Marie's, the lady who runs the orphanage, and ate dinner. Haitian people are extremely friendly. The hospitality we have received from those interacting with us has been incredible. The people we meet on the streets even greet us with smiles, waves, and bonswas (good afternoons). At worst they just stare at you in bewilderment. But all in all the people are extremely friendly and seem to find joy in genuine relationships since they have nothing else. Many of them freely talk of God, while others simply smile with joy at having someone to smile with. some parts are tough mainly how americans seem to think in contrast to how haitians think. hard to explain cuze i don;t understand, but an obvious different. Any way, dont know what we're doing tomorrow, but i'm excited for wherever Jesus leads. Thanks for all your support guys.
3.10.2010
Back Home - 3-10-2010
Well --- we are safely back home and I have been walking around in circles trying to decide what to do first. My mind and heart are still in Haiti. As per usual, when I return I am overwhelmed with all I that I have and I feel totally excessive. The simplicity of life in Haiti speaks volumes when you compare their daily lives to ours. Even though they have next to nothing, I feel a loving,determined aura coming from them -- NOT one of despair and anxiety (a disposition I emulate WAY too often.)
I must share with you the happenings of our last full day. Besides us women whining in disbelief that it was our last day, we went at it determined to saturate the girls with love and activity in our last hours.
The oldest seven girls seem to spend most of their day HAND washing clothes. You can imagine the amount of laundry every day from 26 girls - not to mention the number of wet beds from the youngest! I always feel like they are short changed by not getting to participate in activities. (We were able to leave them with fun activities to do on their own and they were excited.)
The morning began with a father bringing his two daughters to Marie -- ages 3 and 5 years old. They lost their home in the quake, he lost his job and they are living outside and unable to feed or care for their children. He also has a 2 year old boy, who Marie was unable to receive. The two little girls came all clean, with their hair done pretty. I stayed behind as I couldn't emotionally stand to watch him leave them at the orphanage. I learned that they joined the other girls and no tears were shed. UNBELIEVABLE! How can this be? Marie explained that she rarely has a child cry. They look at this as being rescued. An opportunity to be fed and a place to sleep.
As the morning continued, I set up my "spa" area, Jeneane had a group of 8 - 10 girls SO elated to be doing math problems from an activity book we brought. They were SO proud of themselves to bring her the completed pages. The girls are truly hungry to learn. It was very impressive how quickly they solved their work sheets. We could have used about 100 more sheets! Joan had activities of singing, jump rope, and other fun things.
So -- I began with the youngest and we worked our way up for pedicures! :) The girls know the correct "pecking order" - so there were few squabbles to be "next" in line. They soaked their feet in a little dishpan I brought and I washed their legs and feet - tickling included at no charge! Then they received a massage with lotion of their arms, legs and feet. Once the toenails were polished, each got two squirts of perfume under their chin and got a layer of Sister Patty's lip gloss across their beautiful lips. Oh, my! Each one strutted off with their hands on their hips and pushing out their shiny lips for all to admire. It was priceless!! Joan and Jeneane came to my rescue as after my 9th "customer" - this old back was screaming for mercy. I can't explain the sheer exhilaration I felt as I did this and watched their tiny faces take in all the one on one attention and to be touched and loved in this way. Needless to say, I received much more than I could have possibly given to them.
In the late afternoon, our style show began. Jeneane had bought a new pair of shorts with a coordinate shirt for each girl. SO - we matched up the sizes to a particular girl. It has always amazed me that when I told up any article of clothing, they yell out who it will fit. 99% of the time they are right - so that was the order in which the clothes were dispensed. You must picture the scene as 28 girls watched and waited to hear their name called. The smallest 10 girls had to be stripped of the dirty clothes they were wearing and the dusty clothes soon laid in a pile as the style show began. It was so precious to see them admire each other and point out like colors in their outfits. By the end of the process it was getting dark and we were trying to take photos in groups and then the entire group in their new duds. I'm not sure bedlam is the right word -- but it was pretty darn close! We finally gave up trying to get them in proper rows and everyone standing still with the perfect smile and just started flashing photos. Then in the dark we had to start taking off the new clothes and replace them with the old....by the time we walked back to Marie's house we were all in agreement that we had an exhausting - but wonderful last day.
We went to bed sad that it was our last night to hear all the sounds of the night - roosters at 3:00 a.m., singing throughout the night, buzzing mosquitoes, goats in stereo and just the voices of the night. When we woke up we were all sharing faces of sadness as we knew we had to go to the girls to say our "goodbyes." We had about an hour to spend with them, so got in as many hugs and fun as we could. The older girls sang while I did a video, which made the younger ones participate as well. They LOVE watching it play back and laugh so hard at each other that you can't help but join in. I have a lump in my throat as I type this as it was just an unbelievable week. The three oldest girls wrote each of us a letter explaining how much they love us and thanked us for everything. It was so touching and I will cherish it. Then they all lined up from youngest to oldest and we went from one to the next to say goodbye. I told each one I loved them and so does God and by about the forth child my tears wet their sweet cheeks as I kissed them. I've found that they don't really understand my tears - the youngest ones anyway - as they aren't used to people crying under those circumstances. The oldest girls has teary eyes and shed tears as well - which always makes me feel even worse. I tried to assure them that I would be back again and that everything will only be getting better! They smile and shake their head.
It's never easy saying goodbye -- but this time seemed harder. I waited so long to go to Haiti since the quake and was so busy for nearly two months with the flurry of activity related to Haiti relief -- all wonderful - yet exhausting. I must say it was possibly my best visit I have ever had.
By the end of the week I could see that Marie was getting encouraged by the progress at the site. She hired 13 men who were begging for work. None had any money to feed their family. Two or more men would put shovel fulls of broken brick into a wheelbarrow, then a man would push the wheelbarrow way down the road and dump it, then there were two men waiting for the load which they would break up further on the road. This process went on for 10 hours. Noticeable improvement was made, and families are being fed. It's all good!
So - thanks to those who have been interested in following the blog, offered prayers and may I again say that I can always go to Haiti, but if is wasn't for all the generous, caring hearts -- NO progress would be made, hunger would continue and desperation would breed. But - it is such an honor to be able to assure Marie and Pastor Wislet that your united hearts intend to bring renewal and restoration. I wish I could give each of you the blessing of seeing the sparkle in their eye and feeling the sincerity in their voice as they humbly say, "Merci!"
To each of you I, too, extend my heartfelt thanksgiving. Jim leaves a week from today with a team of nine men (poor Marie!). I also intend to put photos and short videos on the website -- so keep "tuning in" - as Haiti Relief continues.
God's blessings to each of you.
I must share with you the happenings of our last full day. Besides us women whining in disbelief that it was our last day, we went at it determined to saturate the girls with love and activity in our last hours.
The oldest seven girls seem to spend most of their day HAND washing clothes. You can imagine the amount of laundry every day from 26 girls - not to mention the number of wet beds from the youngest! I always feel like they are short changed by not getting to participate in activities. (We were able to leave them with fun activities to do on their own and they were excited.)
The morning began with a father bringing his two daughters to Marie -- ages 3 and 5 years old. They lost their home in the quake, he lost his job and they are living outside and unable to feed or care for their children. He also has a 2 year old boy, who Marie was unable to receive. The two little girls came all clean, with their hair done pretty. I stayed behind as I couldn't emotionally stand to watch him leave them at the orphanage. I learned that they joined the other girls and no tears were shed. UNBELIEVABLE! How can this be? Marie explained that she rarely has a child cry. They look at this as being rescued. An opportunity to be fed and a place to sleep.
As the morning continued, I set up my "spa" area, Jeneane had a group of 8 - 10 girls SO elated to be doing math problems from an activity book we brought. They were SO proud of themselves to bring her the completed pages. The girls are truly hungry to learn. It was very impressive how quickly they solved their work sheets. We could have used about 100 more sheets! Joan had activities of singing, jump rope, and other fun things.
So -- I began with the youngest and we worked our way up for pedicures! :) The girls know the correct "pecking order" - so there were few squabbles to be "next" in line. They soaked their feet in a little dishpan I brought and I washed their legs and feet - tickling included at no charge! Then they received a massage with lotion of their arms, legs and feet. Once the toenails were polished, each got two squirts of perfume under their chin and got a layer of Sister Patty's lip gloss across their beautiful lips. Oh, my! Each one strutted off with their hands on their hips and pushing out their shiny lips for all to admire. It was priceless!! Joan and Jeneane came to my rescue as after my 9th "customer" - this old back was screaming for mercy. I can't explain the sheer exhilaration I felt as I did this and watched their tiny faces take in all the one on one attention and to be touched and loved in this way. Needless to say, I received much more than I could have possibly given to them.
In the late afternoon, our style show began. Jeneane had bought a new pair of shorts with a coordinate shirt for each girl. SO - we matched up the sizes to a particular girl. It has always amazed me that when I told up any article of clothing, they yell out who it will fit. 99% of the time they are right - so that was the order in which the clothes were dispensed. You must picture the scene as 28 girls watched and waited to hear their name called. The smallest 10 girls had to be stripped of the dirty clothes they were wearing and the dusty clothes soon laid in a pile as the style show began. It was so precious to see them admire each other and point out like colors in their outfits. By the end of the process it was getting dark and we were trying to take photos in groups and then the entire group in their new duds. I'm not sure bedlam is the right word -- but it was pretty darn close! We finally gave up trying to get them in proper rows and everyone standing still with the perfect smile and just started flashing photos. Then in the dark we had to start taking off the new clothes and replace them with the old....by the time we walked back to Marie's house we were all in agreement that we had an exhausting - but wonderful last day.
We went to bed sad that it was our last night to hear all the sounds of the night - roosters at 3:00 a.m., singing throughout the night, buzzing mosquitoes, goats in stereo and just the voices of the night. When we woke up we were all sharing faces of sadness as we knew we had to go to the girls to say our "goodbyes." We had about an hour to spend with them, so got in as many hugs and fun as we could. The older girls sang while I did a video, which made the younger ones participate as well. They LOVE watching it play back and laugh so hard at each other that you can't help but join in. I have a lump in my throat as I type this as it was just an unbelievable week. The three oldest girls wrote each of us a letter explaining how much they love us and thanked us for everything. It was so touching and I will cherish it. Then they all lined up from youngest to oldest and we went from one to the next to say goodbye. I told each one I loved them and so does God and by about the forth child my tears wet their sweet cheeks as I kissed them. I've found that they don't really understand my tears - the youngest ones anyway - as they aren't used to people crying under those circumstances. The oldest girls has teary eyes and shed tears as well - which always makes me feel even worse. I tried to assure them that I would be back again and that everything will only be getting better! They smile and shake their head.
It's never easy saying goodbye -- but this time seemed harder. I waited so long to go to Haiti since the quake and was so busy for nearly two months with the flurry of activity related to Haiti relief -- all wonderful - yet exhausting. I must say it was possibly my best visit I have ever had.
By the end of the week I could see that Marie was getting encouraged by the progress at the site. She hired 13 men who were begging for work. None had any money to feed their family. Two or more men would put shovel fulls of broken brick into a wheelbarrow, then a man would push the wheelbarrow way down the road and dump it, then there were two men waiting for the load which they would break up further on the road. This process went on for 10 hours. Noticeable improvement was made, and families are being fed. It's all good!
So - thanks to those who have been interested in following the blog, offered prayers and may I again say that I can always go to Haiti, but if is wasn't for all the generous, caring hearts -- NO progress would be made, hunger would continue and desperation would breed. But - it is such an honor to be able to assure Marie and Pastor Wislet that your united hearts intend to bring renewal and restoration. I wish I could give each of you the blessing of seeing the sparkle in their eye and feeling the sincerity in their voice as they humbly say, "Merci!"
To each of you I, too, extend my heartfelt thanksgiving. Jim leaves a week from today with a team of nine men (poor Marie!). I also intend to put photos and short videos on the website -- so keep "tuning in" - as Haiti Relief continues.
God's blessings to each of you.
3.08.2010
Monday- 3-08 -- Last full day
Jim was certainly a more responsible “blogger” on his visit then I have been. The days whiz by and then exhaustion hits. Yesterday, being Sunday, began early as the make shift church that was originally the gravel area that housed the girls across from Marie’s was a flurry of activity. Chairs were all carried to the area (it was so great to see the church all set up with chairs which were donated from Wheatland Salem church that came on the shipping container last spring) Bricks were stacked to make a podium and musical instruments were “warming up”. The position of how the church collapsed spared the drum set and (antique) sound system – but the microphone worked none the less as long as you stood in a specific spot to avoid screeching feed back! By 8:00 a.m. the girls arrived in a little line coming from the orphanage. They were all dressed up in their “church clothes”, socks trimmed with lace and hair bows and barrettes galore. The youngest 13 took their place in little chairs on the front rows. Others from the neighborhood arrived – ties worn by men and ladies in proper dresses. There ended up being over 100 people all together. The Sunday School portion begins at 8:00 a.m. and we joined them for church at 10:00 and it lasted until noon. So – these little ones sit there for 4 hours! I can’t imagine. I couldn’t stand church for ONE hour as a child. Many of us in America keep tabs on the length of the service and fear it will go into “overtime” after 45 min. or an hour. About 10 of Marie’s girls sang. They told Marie they wanted to sing to Joan, Jeneane and me to thank us for all we have done for them. Of course I cried to hear their beautiful voices and see their wonderful spirits unite. Debby from Hope House joined us at the worship service and we got to spend some time with her after church. She shared stories of her experiences since the quake and I hung on to every word. She is an amazing woman with a heart for others. She is an explorer and is in tune with what is happening in the country.
After our chat she graciously drove us to the “artisan community” which is about 80 make shift buildings, usually one room that houses the metal art work of the people who work and live there. SO –we even had a couple hours of SHOPPING! It was so amazing to see the labors of these artists. They are so proud to display what they have made from tin. We watched them “creating” as well as they take a nail or sharp instrument and pound a pattern onto the metal and cut away pieces and create more patterns than I could describe! They expect you to barter over the price, which is SO hard for me. I feel like for every dollar I expect them to give up – they could have bought food. Debby assured me that they would be offended if we DIDN’T! Can you imagine if that was the practice in the States? I made Debby do the talking for me – and then she would nod if she thought their new price sounded fair and I would agree to complete the transaction. So between the four of us, we felt we did our fair share to help the economy of Haiti. Someone has to do it – right? (I can see Jim rolling his eyes to that comment all the way over here!)
The weather had been totally unexpected to the Haitians as it was cloudy and actually chilly for two days and nights. I could tell they were talking about it at church. By yesterday afternoon the sun did come out which actually felt good. Jeneane had the treasure of a pair of socks and a fleece jacket to wear to bed and I found a comforter in a box and was thrilled to be nestled under it at night. VERY strange for Haiti.
The late afternoon was spent playing with the girls. They rush into Jeneane and Joan’s arms now and call them by name and it’s so heartwarming. I remain amazed at these two women. They have been such a blessing to be with and are truly “missionaries”. They jump in with both feet and have adapted and been a beautiful example to the girls as we bring them love and hope. As night approached it was time for church again. Another two hours was spent worshipping at the make shift church. We played with the youngest 13 at Marie’s house. Glow in the dark bracelets were a hit and they created earrings and necklaces out of them and wanted a picture of themselves with every new invention. It was a bit crazy and exhausting for this old lady to keep up with the craziness…but having their smiles, hugs and dancing around kept me going.
We were all pretty much semi-comatose by our late dinner at 8:30 – and went to bed. I had a several mosquitoes visit in the night and their buzzing by in my ear was so frustrating. I spent the majority of the night with a sheet over my head and itching. I have no idea of the time, it was still dark, but a group gathered at the make shift church and began singing. They worshipped for about an hour or so. We talked about it this morning that we practically went to bed with singing and woke to singing. This morning Joan said she was ready to grab her flashlight and walk over and tell them that they were totally confused and that YESTERDAY was Sunday. We are so aware of their faithfulness!
I am not sure if I mentioned and not taking the time to read back through blogs, but with donations Marie had a man install lights for the girls in their make shift rooms so they can have some degree of lights. The electricity comes and goes from the government – and usually not when you need it.
None of us can believe this is our last full day. We have a list of things that we want to be sure to get accomplished with the girls. There are always so many things you want to do – but getting it organized and actually accomplished is another.
Marie has been up and rolling since early morning. She comes and goes between her house and the orphanage and is always on some mission with activity surrounding her. I still have absolutely NO idea how she does what she does. At 73 years old the woman truly has more energy than I ever remember having. She told us that there are so many men out of work with hungry families that she is going to put them to work. So – she bought two wheelbarrows and she is going to have them continue to carry away the rubble and clean up the area at the orphanage. She has been waiting for several days for a dump truck to come, but having the men work will give them pride and purpose. One day Jeneane and I were moving some sledge hammers out of the way and had to lift them with TWO hands just to move them, so to think these guys swing them over their head over and over again for 12 hours – is truly incomprehensible to me!
I’m happy to say I HAVE seen progress this week at Grace House of Hope and I hope with the Pastor receiving additional money through generous donators to Impact For Jesus, he, too, will be buying needed items that we all take for granted to improve their living conditions. I spoke a few sentences at church yesterday and assured the congregation that they have not been forgotten. Prayers continue of their behalf and that in a few months we will be worshiping in the NEW church….but to our same loving God who never changes nor leaves us.
I have so much in my heart to share – but will close for now. As a bit of a disclaimer, please forgive all misspelled words and poor grammar. I type this as quickly as possible with fear that the screen will go black and I will lose the entry. That is what happened on what I wrote the last time and when I finally found it somewhere in the “blog world” – I hurried and hit “post” before I lost it again. I can hear you techno. Geniuses out there laughing…
Time to get busy – this time tomorrow I will be heading to the airport so won’t have the chance to write. Please pray for our safety in returning home. Again may I thank all for being a part of our “caring hearts ministry” as together we continue to change innocent lives.
After our chat she graciously drove us to the “artisan community” which is about 80 make shift buildings, usually one room that houses the metal art work of the people who work and live there. SO –we even had a couple hours of SHOPPING! It was so amazing to see the labors of these artists. They are so proud to display what they have made from tin. We watched them “creating” as well as they take a nail or sharp instrument and pound a pattern onto the metal and cut away pieces and create more patterns than I could describe! They expect you to barter over the price, which is SO hard for me. I feel like for every dollar I expect them to give up – they could have bought food. Debby assured me that they would be offended if we DIDN’T! Can you imagine if that was the practice in the States? I made Debby do the talking for me – and then she would nod if she thought their new price sounded fair and I would agree to complete the transaction. So between the four of us, we felt we did our fair share to help the economy of Haiti. Someone has to do it – right? (I can see Jim rolling his eyes to that comment all the way over here!)
The weather had been totally unexpected to the Haitians as it was cloudy and actually chilly for two days and nights. I could tell they were talking about it at church. By yesterday afternoon the sun did come out which actually felt good. Jeneane had the treasure of a pair of socks and a fleece jacket to wear to bed and I found a comforter in a box and was thrilled to be nestled under it at night. VERY strange for Haiti.
The late afternoon was spent playing with the girls. They rush into Jeneane and Joan’s arms now and call them by name and it’s so heartwarming. I remain amazed at these two women. They have been such a blessing to be with and are truly “missionaries”. They jump in with both feet and have adapted and been a beautiful example to the girls as we bring them love and hope. As night approached it was time for church again. Another two hours was spent worshipping at the make shift church. We played with the youngest 13 at Marie’s house. Glow in the dark bracelets were a hit and they created earrings and necklaces out of them and wanted a picture of themselves with every new invention. It was a bit crazy and exhausting for this old lady to keep up with the craziness…but having their smiles, hugs and dancing around kept me going.
We were all pretty much semi-comatose by our late dinner at 8:30 – and went to bed. I had a several mosquitoes visit in the night and their buzzing by in my ear was so frustrating. I spent the majority of the night with a sheet over my head and itching. I have no idea of the time, it was still dark, but a group gathered at the make shift church and began singing. They worshipped for about an hour or so. We talked about it this morning that we practically went to bed with singing and woke to singing. This morning Joan said she was ready to grab her flashlight and walk over and tell them that they were totally confused and that YESTERDAY was Sunday. We are so aware of their faithfulness!
I am not sure if I mentioned and not taking the time to read back through blogs, but with donations Marie had a man install lights for the girls in their make shift rooms so they can have some degree of lights. The electricity comes and goes from the government – and usually not when you need it.
None of us can believe this is our last full day. We have a list of things that we want to be sure to get accomplished with the girls. There are always so many things you want to do – but getting it organized and actually accomplished is another.
Marie has been up and rolling since early morning. She comes and goes between her house and the orphanage and is always on some mission with activity surrounding her. I still have absolutely NO idea how she does what she does. At 73 years old the woman truly has more energy than I ever remember having. She told us that there are so many men out of work with hungry families that she is going to put them to work. So – she bought two wheelbarrows and she is going to have them continue to carry away the rubble and clean up the area at the orphanage. She has been waiting for several days for a dump truck to come, but having the men work will give them pride and purpose. One day Jeneane and I were moving some sledge hammers out of the way and had to lift them with TWO hands just to move them, so to think these guys swing them over their head over and over again for 12 hours – is truly incomprehensible to me!
I’m happy to say I HAVE seen progress this week at Grace House of Hope and I hope with the Pastor receiving additional money through generous donators to Impact For Jesus, he, too, will be buying needed items that we all take for granted to improve their living conditions. I spoke a few sentences at church yesterday and assured the congregation that they have not been forgotten. Prayers continue of their behalf and that in a few months we will be worshiping in the NEW church….but to our same loving God who never changes nor leaves us.
I have so much in my heart to share – but will close for now. As a bit of a disclaimer, please forgive all misspelled words and poor grammar. I type this as quickly as possible with fear that the screen will go black and I will lose the entry. That is what happened on what I wrote the last time and when I finally found it somewhere in the “blog world” – I hurried and hit “post” before I lost it again. I can hear you techno. Geniuses out there laughing…
Time to get busy – this time tomorrow I will be heading to the airport so won’t have the chance to write. Please pray for our safety in returning home. Again may I thank all for being a part of our “caring hearts ministry” as together we continue to change innocent lives.
3.06.2010
Saturday night--action happening
I apologize for not writing earlier, but the day begins and before you know it, it's nearly over.I will try to describe yesterday. We left in the morning for our day "away" to see what lies beyond Marie's area. We started by stopping at Marie's sisters house where her three story church collapsed. There is a huge tent city there. We walked into the "city" and tried to carry smiles to encourage those staring back at us. Because of the rain the ground was muddy and we weren't sure what we were walking in. The tents practically touch each other - all different types and some made with whatever they could find. I was pleased to see that it's business as usual for people, as outside of their tent they would have a little box set up selling whatever they can to bring money. There was even a woman cooking and people in line to be fed. Her sister had a huge tarp/tent up with a service going on. People were worshiping and dancing and they even had music and drums. It was told that they were thanking God for being alive and arriving from PAP to this site. It was VERY upsetting to see little children walking around half dressed with nothing to do and just staring at us. I wanted to have an unlimited supply of ANYTHING to give them, but had nothing but a smile and to tell them "God bless you!"
From there we went to Food for the Poor. This is the International Warehouse where we hope to get our container from to deliver all the collections we have at the warehouse. I wasn't able to speak to anyone, but the warehouse was buzzing with activity and full of supplies.
Then we took the longgggg drive to PAP. The traffic was so bad and people everywhere. Soon we saw the downed buildings. It felt like we were in a bad movie and I actually started feeling sick to my stomach. The task at hand seems so enormous that I felt speechless - for those who know me - that takes something huge. In over and hour of driving thru street after street we only saw TWO cranes working on the rubble. Every other HUGE mound of broken structure remained as it was two months ago. The people on the street all walked around the bricks and they looked as if it was just another day in Haiti. I didn't see any relief workers to speak of. That's what stood out to me. NO progress. I didn't even want to think about how many bodies were buried. Joan, Jeneane and I each had personal moments when grief and tears were shed over something that broke our heart. It's all too huge of a problem to even feel "it's all going to be ok!" I hope I am totally wrong and that there is EXTENSIVE planning or the next step to repair Haiti. We did see two different sections of land that were cleared and our companion and translator, Frenzy said that was where the government donated land for people to come and set up a temporary home. Let me tell you the space wouldn't begin to make ANY kind of noticeable difference. So - after going through PAP and Delmas, another area affected - (The Carribean Market - which was talked about on the news) - we finally reached the second orphanage - COENHA.
The 30 children were waiting and greeted us with big smiles. They got a kick out of me trying to remember all of their names and pronouncing them so badly. We did a couple of craft projects with them and because we had taken so many photos and video of the sights in PAP, our batteries went dead on our cameras! big frustration for me, as I like to have many photos to see of their sponsored child. I was enouraged that they had a huge nice tent in their yard where they all continue to sleep. They have additional children staying with them that lost their home in the quake. Besides the tent I have to say they are living in dire straights. They need EVERYTHING. The children are so polite and well behaved. They are thankful for every little thing you give them. I assured the Pastor of all the people who have donated to improve their living conditions. they are sleeping on cement with a tattered sheet to protect them from the rough concrete. There are 8 bunk beds for all those children and NONE of them have a mattress - only frames! I was able to leave him with some hygiene supplies and a few clothes. He said the children all need shoes and clothes for church. This is a time when ALL Haitians want and do look very respectable. They have their "dressy" church outfit. So - when I get home I will have to work on determining how to get relief to them. By the time we got home we were all emotionally drained. Another noisy night of dogs, goats and roosters. I couldn't sleep well and believe it or not I was COLD! The weather the past two days has been overcast and not even hot. I have never experienced that here before.
But - today was a new day and we had pancakes for breakfast - so that was a great start. Today we spent our time and energy at the orphanage site trying to make it as cleaned up and safe as possible for the girls. ALL the girls worked so hard. Even the youngest helped with garbage patrol. While no one else may think the area looks too great - we have a pile of garbage to prove it! MANY things are still displaced and needed, but it was starting to look more like "home". The afternoon was spent having fun as we did more crafts and the girls enjoyed seeing the cards other children had made for them. The tried to read the English and enjoyed the challenge. They made cards in return to send back with us, thanking those who were so thoughtful in caring for them.
One of the little girls had a high fever, and Marie said it has been running thru the group of them since the quake. But - I was glad to see that the rest of them look healthly, sound healthy and I savor any laughter they offer. Their smiles make me melt and it's a good thing my stays are generally only a week, or they would be even MORE spoiled.
I asked the three oldest girls if they had been afraid. They all said "yes." And then they indicated that they still are. I wish I was able to talk with them and allow them to vent their experience and console them - or whatever. It HAS to have a lasting impact on all of them that needs to be addressed. (I might have mentioned on a prior BLOG that Catholic Relief Services did come two days ago and spoke with the girls in an organized fashion for quite awhile. I was told they were offering "psychological support." I was quite impressed and happy about that.
Well - you have probably read more than you cared to read....but you know me when I start talkin' Haiti. I am ashamed of myself that I haven't mentioned before now how incredibly thankful I am to be able to come here and tell them they have NOT been forgotten and rebuilding WILL take place and they need not feel abandoned. But, the only reason I CAN say it is because of ALL the caring hearts that were so generous to make that a reality. I truly thank again EVERYONE for the honor of being able to give them this wonderful hope and news.
Tomorrow we will have "church" across from Marie's under the tin roofed arch that she had built right after the quake where they slept in the gravel. There are tarps and anything they could find around parts of it. The good news being that God could care less where we worship Him - So tomorrow we will be giving thanksgiving for what we DO have and rely on Him to lead us from here!
From there we went to Food for the Poor. This is the International Warehouse where we hope to get our container from to deliver all the collections we have at the warehouse. I wasn't able to speak to anyone, but the warehouse was buzzing with activity and full of supplies.
Then we took the longgggg drive to PAP. The traffic was so bad and people everywhere. Soon we saw the downed buildings. It felt like we were in a bad movie and I actually started feeling sick to my stomach. The task at hand seems so enormous that I felt speechless - for those who know me - that takes something huge. In over and hour of driving thru street after street we only saw TWO cranes working on the rubble. Every other HUGE mound of broken structure remained as it was two months ago. The people on the street all walked around the bricks and they looked as if it was just another day in Haiti. I didn't see any relief workers to speak of. That's what stood out to me. NO progress. I didn't even want to think about how many bodies were buried. Joan, Jeneane and I each had personal moments when grief and tears were shed over something that broke our heart. It's all too huge of a problem to even feel "it's all going to be ok!" I hope I am totally wrong and that there is EXTENSIVE planning or the next step to repair Haiti. We did see two different sections of land that were cleared and our companion and translator, Frenzy said that was where the government donated land for people to come and set up a temporary home. Let me tell you the space wouldn't begin to make ANY kind of noticeable difference. So - after going through PAP and Delmas, another area affected - (The Carribean Market - which was talked about on the news) - we finally reached the second orphanage - COENHA.
The 30 children were waiting and greeted us with big smiles. They got a kick out of me trying to remember all of their names and pronouncing them so badly. We did a couple of craft projects with them and because we had taken so many photos and video of the sights in PAP, our batteries went dead on our cameras! big frustration for me, as I like to have many photos to see of their sponsored child. I was enouraged that they had a huge nice tent in their yard where they all continue to sleep. They have additional children staying with them that lost their home in the quake. Besides the tent I have to say they are living in dire straights. They need EVERYTHING. The children are so polite and well behaved. They are thankful for every little thing you give them. I assured the Pastor of all the people who have donated to improve their living conditions. they are sleeping on cement with a tattered sheet to protect them from the rough concrete. There are 8 bunk beds for all those children and NONE of them have a mattress - only frames! I was able to leave him with some hygiene supplies and a few clothes. He said the children all need shoes and clothes for church. This is a time when ALL Haitians want and do look very respectable. They have their "dressy" church outfit. So - when I get home I will have to work on determining how to get relief to them. By the time we got home we were all emotionally drained. Another noisy night of dogs, goats and roosters. I couldn't sleep well and believe it or not I was COLD! The weather the past two days has been overcast and not even hot. I have never experienced that here before.
But - today was a new day and we had pancakes for breakfast - so that was a great start. Today we spent our time and energy at the orphanage site trying to make it as cleaned up and safe as possible for the girls. ALL the girls worked so hard. Even the youngest helped with garbage patrol. While no one else may think the area looks too great - we have a pile of garbage to prove it! MANY things are still displaced and needed, but it was starting to look more like "home". The afternoon was spent having fun as we did more crafts and the girls enjoyed seeing the cards other children had made for them. The tried to read the English and enjoyed the challenge. They made cards in return to send back with us, thanking those who were so thoughtful in caring for them.
One of the little girls had a high fever, and Marie said it has been running thru the group of them since the quake. But - I was glad to see that the rest of them look healthly, sound healthy and I savor any laughter they offer. Their smiles make me melt and it's a good thing my stays are generally only a week, or they would be even MORE spoiled.
I asked the three oldest girls if they had been afraid. They all said "yes." And then they indicated that they still are. I wish I was able to talk with them and allow them to vent their experience and console them - or whatever. It HAS to have a lasting impact on all of them that needs to be addressed. (I might have mentioned on a prior BLOG that Catholic Relief Services did come two days ago and spoke with the girls in an organized fashion for quite awhile. I was told they were offering "psychological support." I was quite impressed and happy about that.
Well - you have probably read more than you cared to read....but you know me when I start talkin' Haiti. I am ashamed of myself that I haven't mentioned before now how incredibly thankful I am to be able to come here and tell them they have NOT been forgotten and rebuilding WILL take place and they need not feel abandoned. But, the only reason I CAN say it is because of ALL the caring hearts that were so generous to make that a reality. I truly thank again EVERYONE for the honor of being able to give them this wonderful hope and news.
Tomorrow we will have "church" across from Marie's under the tin roofed arch that she had built right after the quake where they slept in the gravel. There are tarps and anything they could find around parts of it. The good news being that God could care less where we worship Him - So tomorrow we will be giving thanksgiving for what we DO have and rely on Him to lead us from here!
3.05.2010
Day three -- Friday
Friday morning has come after hours of rain last night. Thunder included. As I heard the pounding rain all I could think about was the thousands of people trying to withstand the pouring under their cardboard make shift tent. I feel like we are part of the elite living here. Yesterday flew by for me. This is not uncommon. While life is very slow here, the days go quickly. I had several hours alone with Marie and we had a wonderful conversation. She needed additional confirmation that rebuilding IS a reality. She says she still can’t believe that it will really happen. I tried to tell her about all the amazing people who have donated and care about her and the girls welfare. We realize that she has been living here trying to survive and get thru the day, while I have been on the receiving end of things. It still makes me sit it awe at all that has transpired the last, almost two months, at the outpouring of generous hearts. I hope many are reading this to confirm to them that THEY are a vital part of this reality. I guess I can’t expect Marie to feel that. I’ve told her many stories about the schools who have done collections in addition to Wheatland Salem and other churches, as well. She just shakes her head and then lies her head down on the table trying to take it all in.
The Pastor from COENHA came to visit and I was able to talk with him through Marie translating for a couple hours, as well. His needs are SO great. All he had on hand were bags of rice and water. The skinny mattresses that he had are ruined and rotting. He needed toothbrushes/paste, bar soap, all things we had brought and able to supply. We filled a big sack for him with raisins, granola bars, etc. and Marie gave him a gallon size can of mixed vegetables. He was so thankful to also receive money to go and purchase some thin mattress pads that they have here and more food for the children. We will be going to his orphanage this morning to play with the children, take photos, and we’ve packed a bin of new clothes.
Helicopters continue to go overhead thru out the day – which is really my only sign that something unusual is happening in Haiti. Otherwise, it feels like it usually does – only more bricks lying about.
The girls were in their glory as Joan and Jeneane spent hours there yesterday playing everything imaginable. They have already fallen in love with the girls and know many by name. Last night at dinner they both told Marie they suspect this won’t be their only trip to Haiti. We had a wonderful dinner last night of chicken and vegetables. We were eating like savages, although very aware what sat before us exceeded what 99% of the country was eating. Marie told us stories of her life after dinner and had all of us laughing. She herself was laughing so hard. Then she said it has been so long since she has laughed, that life really must be getting OK!
Debbie came to visit for a short time with a team of about 10 medical people from Georgia. They had been working downtown PAP and came for a visit. This group has done medical clinics for Lazarus Project on several other occasions. It was very refreshing to see them.
So far the bugs have been behaving and not affecting us. We feel at home. Last night we heard singing and across from Marie’s house, where they slept in the gravel, there was a gathering of people singing praises. When I went to bed I could hear others singing in the distance. Marie said that the entire nation has united in their faith and that rumor has is that VOO-DOO is over. The President and high officials kneeled in front of a gathering of people to proclaim their faith. She feels the country is finally together and people say there is a “new Haiti.”
Time to hit the bath bucket and get this day started. We are doing well, despite the heat, and have more plans and desires that will be possible to get in – time is going so fast.
I must end by sharing this visual for you. Joan brought a ukulele and sat down on the ground in front of Marie’s gate and began playing to two of the children walking by. Before you knew it there were 10+ kids grinning ear to ear as she taught them “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. All you could see were big huge smiles and these children doing all the motions and singing. After about the third round they were singing it in English and following every movement. It was SO dear. I got the SHEER JOY of giving them each a piece of Bubble Gum and watch them skip off – looking back at us with big smiles. Joan is truly a “kid magnet”. What a blessing.
May each of you know that part of you was brought here with me and I know that is what sustains me and makes the love I have overflow for the people around me.
The Pastor from COENHA came to visit and I was able to talk with him through Marie translating for a couple hours, as well. His needs are SO great. All he had on hand were bags of rice and water. The skinny mattresses that he had are ruined and rotting. He needed toothbrushes/paste, bar soap, all things we had brought and able to supply. We filled a big sack for him with raisins, granola bars, etc. and Marie gave him a gallon size can of mixed vegetables. He was so thankful to also receive money to go and purchase some thin mattress pads that they have here and more food for the children. We will be going to his orphanage this morning to play with the children, take photos, and we’ve packed a bin of new clothes.
Helicopters continue to go overhead thru out the day – which is really my only sign that something unusual is happening in Haiti. Otherwise, it feels like it usually does – only more bricks lying about.
The girls were in their glory as Joan and Jeneane spent hours there yesterday playing everything imaginable. They have already fallen in love with the girls and know many by name. Last night at dinner they both told Marie they suspect this won’t be their only trip to Haiti. We had a wonderful dinner last night of chicken and vegetables. We were eating like savages, although very aware what sat before us exceeded what 99% of the country was eating. Marie told us stories of her life after dinner and had all of us laughing. She herself was laughing so hard. Then she said it has been so long since she has laughed, that life really must be getting OK!
Debbie came to visit for a short time with a team of about 10 medical people from Georgia. They had been working downtown PAP and came for a visit. This group has done medical clinics for Lazarus Project on several other occasions. It was very refreshing to see them.
So far the bugs have been behaving and not affecting us. We feel at home. Last night we heard singing and across from Marie’s house, where they slept in the gravel, there was a gathering of people singing praises. When I went to bed I could hear others singing in the distance. Marie said that the entire nation has united in their faith and that rumor has is that VOO-DOO is over. The President and high officials kneeled in front of a gathering of people to proclaim their faith. She feels the country is finally together and people say there is a “new Haiti.”
Time to hit the bath bucket and get this day started. We are doing well, despite the heat, and have more plans and desires that will be possible to get in – time is going so fast.
I must end by sharing this visual for you. Joan brought a ukulele and sat down on the ground in front of Marie’s gate and began playing to two of the children walking by. Before you knew it there were 10+ kids grinning ear to ear as she taught them “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”. All you could see were big huge smiles and these children doing all the motions and singing. After about the third round they were singing it in English and following every movement. It was SO dear. I got the SHEER JOY of giving them each a piece of Bubble Gum and watch them skip off – looking back at us with big smiles. Joan is truly a “kid magnet”. What a blessing.
May each of you know that part of you was brought here with me and I know that is what sustains me and makes the love I have overflow for the people around me.
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