Haitian Sunset

We love Haiti. I can, with full confidence that I am speaking for everyone, say that we love Haiti.  Okay, there are a few things we could do without.  The traffic stinks, the heat is a bit too hot, there are a lot of bugs.  But these are minor things compared to the gifts we are receiving here.

Painting team

Today we headed out to Chambrun with a few jobs in mind.  Our medical team worked the clinic.  We had a small team complete a project for NVM by taking photos of students.  There was a small team that needed to complete the hanging of a door.  And then there was a team that was tasked with painting the side of the school.  Although these were our tasks, so much more was taking place.  Here are some stories:

Relationships

Susie and Erica

One of the great gifts our team has received are the relationships that have developed.

Jimmy Lindley

Jimmy was one of the people we took home the other night.  He shared his story to Patty and we prayed for him that night.  The next night (Sunday) we say Jimmy walking the street as we were fighting traffic.  He would walk by us and we would all yell “Jimmy!” about as obnoxiously as we could, horn honking, us waving.  Traffic would start moving and we would pass him up, only to start again.  This went on for about four or five times of yelling “Jimmy. “

Patty was able to give Jimmy her backpack, and he was beaming.  They got to spend some more time today and as we dropped him off, he told her “I love you.”  The opportunity to encourage Jimmy, an amazing man of character and faith who is attempting to lead his family, and quite honestly…his encouragement to us seemed to far outweigh anything we could give him (as if you could measure such things).  It was a gift.

Adam, Chris, and Mo

Mo has been our translator most days.  Mo has been amazing, working hard for us every day, and also teasing different team members at different times.  As he got off the bus today, he gave me a hug and said he loved us.

Junior, Shelli, and kids

Junior was one of our translators on the first medical team that Grace sent.  We were able to see him today and find out what is new in his life.  He is back teaching at the university a couple days a week and was married back in April.  Junior has a deep love for his Haitian people and continues to search for the daily purposes for which God saved him from dying in the building the collapsed around him when the earthquake struck.

Tika...with clothes on!

And then there is baby Tika.  We have affectionately named her “Naked-Baby”. For obvious reasons, we will not be posting pictures of her , other than the one of her in the pink bathing suit outfit we gave her. Naked-Baby always seemed to be without clothes in Chambrun, and was just so cute as she played and interacted with our team.  She would allow so many people to hold her, to play with her, and was just about the cutest little kid we could see (as if it was possible to determine who was most cute).

The relationships are what will make leaving so difficult.

Sarah and Friend

Team Debriefs

Our team debriefs have been sacred time.  God shows up, and we share with one another…it really feels as if we are being the Body of Christ to one another.  The conversations tonight resolved around some of the changes that are taking place in us.  One person talked how something big is coming, how the concept is becoming more clear, and how the feelings around this sense of expectation has shifted from apprehension to excitement.  Another team member spoke of how little Haitians have in “stuff” in comparison, but how much faith and joy and other gifts they have to give.  We also learned that Haitians are very trusting.  In the clinic today some of our team were laughing in front of a patient and Melanie asked Mo to let the patient know that we were not laughing at her.  But Mo said he would not because Haitians don’t talk about another person behind their back. It was not necessary.

Ronaldo

We concluded tonight by praying for one of our team members who needed specific prayer.  God continues to show up in our debrief times.  We will certainly  need his presence tomorrow as we talk about coming home and the challenges we will face.

Two Other Details…

Land being cleared

-Some of us took the time to check out the Agriculture project that is in the works.  NVM is currently in process of clearing about 9 acres so that a cash crop of some sort can be planted and sold.  The Mercy Chef who is cooking for all the Campus Crusade students has also planted a small garden.  I think she has about a dozen different things in there.  The agricultural project is lead by one committee at NVM.  There are about 7 other committees that are functioning now as well with lots of opportunities to get involved.

Garden

-The bus driving today was without incident.  Although a couple team members did have a lot of fun with a prosthetic leg that they found in the donated supplies.  The team did a name game exercise the first time we met one another by using an adjective that starts with the same letter as our first name.  The team agreed that “Amazing Aaron” should be re-named “Accident-prone Aaron.”  The team has thrown me under the bus…so to speak.

Throwing Aaron under the bus...

It takes a strong man to pull this...

Susie's the boss

Gary Painting...

Lynn and friends

Glove girl

Sunset from Pierre's roof