Today was yet another day that I was able to witness God's incredible and awesome miracle of provision for his children! As of this morning, angry crowds were still on the streets, no water trucks were out, and stores/businesses were still closed. Our water supply was quickly dwindling and we had no idea when we would get more. Dorothy seemed relatively calm about it, but I could tell as time passed she was getting a little worried. In a situation like that, we had nothing to do but trust God, have faith, and pray.
Sometime around 11 AM, Dorothy got a phone call from our Haitian friend, Alex. He has been keeping us updated as to the word on the street/radio. He said they had just made the announcement to take a three day break from rioting/protesting to let the ballot recount take place. It suddenly felt like Christmas morning! Dorothy looked and me and we both got huge smiles...Let's go out!
We put a few of our empty water jugs into the backseat of the truck in hopes that some place would be open. I drove us to the gas station where we usually get our fuel and water. Still closed. Dorothy was out of Haitian currency and only had a little bit of US dollars that she was hoping to exchange. She got out of the truck to see if she could exchange her money. While she was gone, her cell phone rang. I answered and it was Pastor Carl, the former pastor of our church. He had heard that we were in need of water and fuel. He told us to bring a fuel tank and meet him at the church. So, off we went!!
The church has it's own diesel tank on the property (I did not know that until today) and he filled our plastic fuel can for us! THANK YOU, LORD! Dorothy and I had no idea that the church also has a water filtration system set up on the grounds. Their cistern was still full and they had plenty of water to share. They use it to give our free clean drinking water to people in the neighborhood. Pastor Carl laughed and said, “You live in the neighborhood! Bring some of your jugs and I will fill them for you!” So, we filled two of our big Culligan bottles. THANK YOU, GOD! Then, on top of that he explained about a ministry that he is now involved in. They distribute a water filtration systems all over Haiti. He had several hundred of them at the church. He showed us how to use them and then gave us two. It uses a five gallon bucket with a small filter attached, and supposedly it will even filter water from a puddle and make it run clear and remove all the bacteria. THANK YOU, GOD! We drove home to drop off the water and filter. Shortly after, the water truck came to fill our cistern! THANK YOU, GOD! We serve an amazing and powerful Papa!
Then, we ventured out of our neighborhood to see if we could find propane and a few other needs. I was the one driving today so I did not get to take any photos (sorry). I know I have said this often, but things just keep getting worse. Dorothy and I decided that the only way to really describe how the city looks is that it looks like a war zone. Although there were no large crowds or demonstrations going on, we still did not see much traffic. We only saw a few tap-taps (Haitian taxis). We saw one grocery store that was open in Petionville, but it was FILLED with people scrambling to stock up on food. There were few other businesses open. The roads and sidewalks are completely stained black with charred remains. It looks as if whole roads were set on fire. It was much much worse than we expected. Vehicles are overturned and burned, windows are smashed out of buildings, and fences are torn down. At one place along Delmas, a metal fence that was covered in Celestin campaign posters had been ripped to shreds and the metal was thrown all over the street. While I was driving, we passed several huge UN tanks with soldiers armed and at the ready. It was so surreal. It felt like a bad dream...that I could not possibly be driving through a city burned and in shambles.
Because there were still no stores open, our “shopping trip” turned into a tour of the wreckage. From what we have heard, our favorite amazing grocery store is possibly going to open tomorrow morning for a short time. So, we are planning on getting up and going first thing in the morning. From what we have been told, the citizens are not planning rioting until they hear the results of the recount. It is wonderful news to know that we are getting a break. Unfortunately, I am very scared for what is going to happen after the recount. My worse fears (and many other's worst fears) are that the government has already tampered with the ballots before starting the recount. If the recount does not produce the results that the Haitian people are expecting, things are going to be even worse. Much, much worse. I've heard that the Haitians are trying to get the whole city shut down. Who can blame them? They have no other voice in their own country. I hate to be negative, but if I know Haiti, all of the presidential candidates are corrupt. I just want the results to be what the people chose, not what the government makes it to be. Even if it is a wrong choice, the people still need to make their own choice for a leader. I have heard the rumor that the airport is going to try and reopen on Sunday or Monday. However, if things get even worse, I don't see that happening. So, maybe I will make it home as planned or maybe not. We just can't tell.
PS...for those of you who are wondering, Jake is doing fine. He is eating and much more alert. He actually jumped out of his cardboard box today while I was gone. Tonight he went potty outside for the first time. Before bed, Claudine, Rosa, Chacha, and Mich all took turns holding him in their laps. They were all a little unsure of it at first (except Chacha). They are learning to get past the cultural teaching that animals are bad and worthless.
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