Thursday's Blog (we did not have internet connection)

Today I went straight to work first thing in the morning. I worked on sanding the wall some more. A neighbor guy from across the road came over with some more sandpaper and helped me for a while. He offered to help me paint too, but I wasn't sure if he wanted to be helpful or do it for pay. So, I told him that I could do it myself. Again, communication can be difficult for me and he did not speak English at all. I worked hard for a few hours and got about half of the wall painted before I had to go inside. The sun here is very strong, and I could feel myself getting burned. It looks SO much better already with the fresh white paint. I think if the landlord stops by she will be very pleased. A few of the nannies were calling me “boss” today because I was working so hard. In Haiti, they refer to men who do work as “boss”. Several people that walked by chuckled and commented on the fact that I was working like a man. One man drove by and actually stopped and asked if I wanted him to work. I take it as a compliment, ha! I just wish that I knew how to do more things so that I could fix more things around the house.

Alex, the guy who helps do household repairs for us, thinks that we need a new water pump all together. We are hoping to get that all taken care of before next week. Prayers for that would be MUCH appreciated. I have much more compassion for the many people in the world who do not have running water. It is so easy to take that for granted until you are without it for a week! At least I will have strong arms from carrying huge buckets of water all around the house everyday. I have offered to help Dorothy cover the cost of the new water pump. So, thank you to everyone who has generously donated money for me to use here. We are SO THANKFUL that we will be able to get a pump!

As difficult as everything here can be, I love learning the ins and outs. Prior to coming here, I knew nothing about generators, inverters, cisterns, or water pumps. I try to take in as much as I can, so that I can be helpful and independent. To you, it may seem like we have it bad here, but this is still nothing compared to the way the majority of the world lives. We are so blessed and fortunate to have a roof over our head, electricity (most of the time), and a safe home. Being in the states, it is so easy to just forget about the rest of the world or brush off the images we see on the news, but this is reality. Last night, we had a big thunderstorm. The thunder was so loud, that we could literally feel it vibrate the floors. All I could think of were the thousands of people that are living in tents placed on mud and the children that had to endure the storm underneath a plastic tarp. As I sit here writing, there is another big storm tonight. I just ran outside to take some of our buckets out to catch water for tomorrow. It is coming down so hard, that I kid you not, it filled two 5 gallon buckets in less than a minute. Now, imagine being out in that kind of rain in a makeshift home made of weathered tarps, tin, and plastic. I tell you these kinds of heart wrenching things, because it is reality. Maybe it makes you appreciate what you have. Maybe it makes you feel guilty. If it does, don't let it end there. Give yourself up to God and ask Him what he wants you to do about it. For me, with what I've seen here, I don't know if I will ever be able to go back.

The harsh realities of this country continue to astound me everyday that I am here. There is so much pain, fear, and confusion. To look at this country, I can not even comprehend where one would have to start to fix the problems. Then, I pull myself back and remember: God. We need to start with God, and He will sort out all the impossible details.

Tomorrow afternoon, we will be leaving for Gonaives. We have decided to only stay one night. Please keep us in your prayers for safe travel to and from Gonaives and a refreshing and relaxing stay.

I am posting the following pictures to show you the tiniest glimpse of the reality of this country (and many others):

This is the famous Michelove aka Mich.  Looking at this picture, you may think that he was three or four years old.  He was ten when this photo was taken.  Notice how large his hands, feet, and joints are in comparison to the rest of his body.  This was just three years ago.

This is Mich now at age thirteen.  He is still quite small for his age, but he is healthy and happy.  There are definite mental and physical problems as a result of the severe malnutrition that he suffered for most of his life.  But, he is being loved back to health now.

This is Aaron.  He was orphaned and rescued by the friends that we are staying with in Gonaives.  The night that Dorothy got him, he stopped breathing several times, and it was a miracle that he did not die that night.

Another photo of Aaron.

This is Aaron now.  He is being loved back to health.

This was Josue when he was brought to Dorothy's.

This is Josue now.  Happy, healthy, and soon to be walking.  He has been loved back to health.