Overall, my days are joy filled, but every once and a while there are days that make me just want to scream and give up on this country. Today was kind of one of those days. I love Haitians...a lot. I would not be in this country if I didn't love them. However, many of them are prideful and do not take criticism well. It can be very frustrating as an employer (to put it mildly). This became a little bit of an issue today. I don't want this post to turn into an angry rant, so all I will say is that it was incredibly frustrating for both Nickson and I when we had to reprimand and teacher today.
However, in the midst of that, a tiny simple act of gratitude reminded me to hold onto hope for this country. Just minutes after having a confrontation/discussion with a teacher, we called one of the staff members into the office to receive her monthly pay and Christmas bonus. When Nickson and I pointed out to her that she received extra money as a Christmas gift, her face immediately lit up and the first words out of her mouth were "Mesi Jezi! Mesi Jezi!" Thank you, Jesus. Her bonus equated to less than $20 US, but from her reaction, you would have thought that it was $1,000 US. I could see that it was genuine thankfulness and joy on her face. It was like God planned that moment just to say, "Katie, I know that Haiti can be frustrating for you. I know that you face situations that make Haiti look hopeless. I know that it seems like people's hearts will never change. But, there is hope. Look at this woman's heart. Look at her joy. Look at her thankfulness. It is not hopeless. This place is not hopeless."
Awesome blog!
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