Wednesday, August 4, 2010

7.27.2010

Oh yeah, Bonney just reminded me of something that happened yesterday that I wanted to write about. On the way to the House of Hope we were stopped by a HUGE roadblock of UN soldiers. They came over to talk to us a little (in Spanish). They were from Chile, there for a peace keeping mission. We were asking the translator if the Haitians liked the UN. She said No because I guess when they first came through would 'buy' things but not pay for any of it.

Isaiah 58:6-7 : Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

This passage was read at morning devos today. It was a great piece of scripture because it lays out exactly what we are to do - and it is exactly what we are doing here in Haiti.

I love the kids' kites here. They are just made out of plastic bags, sticks and string, but man can they really get them to fly. Sometimes it is sort of like us - God used the ordinary (discarded) to do extraordinary things. You'll never really know how high you can fly until you let go of your fears and fly in faith.

Tout bagay deja byen! That is the coolest phrase I have learned I think. It means 'everything is already okay' which is because Jesus has already triumphed. Apparently after the earthquake this phrase was being used a lot. It is in a popular Creole song and I guess you could hear the phrase all over after the tragedy. There are so many responses that you can have in the face of disaster, so it is amazing that people realize this world is not their home, that there is more to come and a greater reason for living. I hope that if I was ever put in a position like that I would turn my eyes FIRST to God (not as a last resort if my own plans don't work out). I want to rely on God's goodness first and foremost, not as a safety net when my plans fall through.

I'm so thankful that I have not gotten sick yet on this trip. I was pretty worried before I came. The main reason is because I haven't even meat in about 6 years. I figured I'd probably accidentally eat some on this trip (not knowing that it is in something of course). I don't think my body would have a good time digesting it. I may have ingested some already, but my body has been able to handle everything okay so far.

Tonight we have worship again - hopefully it goes better than last night. We are planning on asking someone to play guitar with us so we at least have an instrument. It is a lot harder to sing a cappella because you don't have any music to know when to come in and start singing (or the beat to keep).

I think the next tattoo I get will be at the base of my neck. I've seen a couple ladies with them there this trip and I really like the way that it looks - now I just need to figure out what I want there :).

Right now I am sitting on the little porch above the medical clinic. The ladies that are waiting to see the doctors have been busting into random song - it is so beautiful. It is so cool to think about the variety in the world and how beautiful all the praises must sound to God - what a joyful noise.

Just in case I don't get a picture of Cinnamon, I have to remember that there was a wiener dog in Haiti. Okay, so it is one of the volunteer's pet (the medical wife and husband team brought her along with them). She is pretty big, but a Dizzy-model nonetheless.

We have 4 more full days here - today, which we are doing the sports camp and construction, tomorrow, which we are going to go to the Port au Paix campus to check out the super kitchen, Thursday, which we are doing hut-to-hut evangelism and a program with the Miriam Center, and then Friday, which we are doing more hut-to-hut evangelism. I think the hut-to-hut is what I am looking forward to least - I'd rather be the silent hands and feet of Christ than His mouthpiece. I also find it hard to share without a relationship as a base (it seems forced). I know God can work through anything that we do (all we have to do is plant the seed), but it is way beyond my comfort zone and I really don't enjoy it.

Wowser!

Today was quite the day. This morning we had a soccer camp. We split the kids (ti moun) into boys and girls and have a game for each.

There were only 4 Haitian girls and 4 American ladies (in our 20s). We split up and played 4-on-4 for about an hour or so. It was really cool because at first the girls didn't want to play (they were complaining of stomach aches), but once we started going they had a great time. We even won 4 to 1. Stefani (one of the girls on our team) took my camera and started photographing all of her friends at the field. There are a lot f really great pictures.

After lunch we had construction day. We weren't sure what it would consist of, so we weren't quite sure how to prepare. It was CRAZY! We were asked to move a mountain - literally. They are going to put in a garden in the back, but they needed to flatten the land. We worked HARD for 3 hours and I don't even know if we made a dent. All we had were shovels and pick axes. I am sure we are all going to be feeling it tomorrow (HOPEFULLY MY FIBROMYALGIA WILL STAY AWAY). I am already starting to feel it now (seeing as I have blister on both of my hands and I'm very shaky from the lack of food).

We definitely needed our showers today after sweating like pigs all day. After our showers we went to the baby orphanage for a little while to hold and play with the kids before dinner.

We have to lead worship tonight again. At least we were able to practice a little before hand and Caitlin is going to play the guitar so it won't be just us and a bongo. Hopefully we chose songs that more people know and will song along with us.

Worship went well tonight - Thank God! I think pinking songs that people knew and having a guitar really helped. Another guy came up and helped out Andrew on the drums too so we had 2 drum players). No one said any negative comments about us tonight so hopefully that means we did well :).

I forgot another interesting thing that happened today. Once we were done playing soccer (the boys were still playing) there was a kid that came up to me (about 16 or 17). He told me that I was very beautiful and asked me where I was from. He kept giving me compliments and I could tell it was leading down a wrong path. First he asked for my phone number, then my address and then my camera. He told me that God would bless me if I gave it to him (I told him that God would bless him whether or not I gave him my camera). I kept saying no, and trying to change the subject. He ended up telling me that Jesus was mad at me because Haiti was a poor country and I could use money to buy another camera to I needed to give him mine. I told him that I was sorry he felt the way he did, but I would not give him my camera. He even asked if he could call my husband and ask him if he could have it. I guess this just shows why I always doubt the compliments that I get (if I get any :) ).

I sure hope that I sleep like a log tonight with all of the physical activity we did today (and have done for the last week and a half), I really don't know how much longer I can do without a good nights sleep (oh yeah, and some food!).

We were talking at dinner about what the food we are looking forward to most when we get back home is. I don't know if it is pizza or chips and salsa, but I know I will be awfully excited to eat with my hubby when I get back on Sunday - YUMMY!

No comments:

Post a Comment