Day 3 :) A little late!

Hey everyone! This is Margaret and Natalie.  Sorry for the late posting, but yesterday was a full day, and we did not have enough time to post! 

           

            A few of us started out the morning by waking up early to help the ladies make breakfast again.  Even though there is a language barrier, each day we find it becomes easier to communicate with each other.  Even though everyone was a little tired at breakfast, we all woke up as we were filled with excitement about the adventures ahead.  After breakfast we put on lots of sunscreen, but everybody still managed to get some tiger striped tan lines from their Keens. 

             We piled into the Tap-Tap around 9 o’clock and headed for the water-filling station.  When we arrived we hopped out, hoping to enjoy the sun we missed yesterday.  While we were waiting for our truck to be filled with water we were able to converse with some young Haitian men.  We had some interesting conversations that made us think about our purpose for being in Haiti and what we are trying to accomplish and get out of this trip.  After our water truck was full, we followed it in our Tap-Tap to the first district in Cite Soleil (There are 36 districts and Healing Haiti serves 5 or 6 of these).  As we drove past the common phrase we heard was “Hey You!”  The children were jumping at the truck and running alongside.  As we started slowing down, some kids even climbed onto the ladder of our truck.  We opened the door and the second we stepped out we were greeted with the hands of the children wanting to be held and loved.  Once you stepped out it was hard to put down the kids to help fill buckets. 

           

            This is Natalie and I just wanted to share one of my personal experiences on the first stop.  The language barrier has been a struggle, but regardless, we are still able to make meaningful connections with the kids.  This happened to me when I was walking to the place where they are going to build a new church and school on top of 13 feet of trash.  We were all following a leader in a single file line on a little path.  I was carrying a little boy and had 3 more girls hanging on my arm.  The boy in my arms had stayed by me since I walked out of the Tap-Tap had a sad look in his eyes.  He started mumbling the “God is so good” song we had learned the day before at the orphanage.  When I joined in his face was brightened by the biggest smile.  The girls joined in singing as well and it was wonderful to be able to connect with them.  I find it amazing that we are walking over heaps of trash and still the children are singing about the goodness of God.

            It was hard to leave all the kids, but after we were done with our first stop, we headed back to the water station to fill up again before heading to our second stop, know as “the fire,” followed by our third stop as well.  All of us had the opportunity again to either play with the kids, help carry water buckets back to the houses, or help hold the hose to fill up the water buckets.  Between three stops that we made, we all had the opportunity to experience each job.  At the third stop, Erin and Ashlyn also got the chance to have their hair braided like the Haitians! 

            This is Margaret now and I want to share a cool experience that I had.  On the third stop we made, I helped by filling the buckets with the hose.  It was very chaotic and lots of people were trying to budge in line by sending their children up to the front.  Although it was a bit stressful, I really enjoyed getting to do this job.  Once I set down the hose, I was still caught up in the commotion until I saw a little boy who couldn’t have been more than three years old.  He looked up at me with his huge smile and said “Hey you!” before holding up his arms.  He was only wearing a torn mesh jersey, but regardless, he was so happy to be held.  For the rest of the stop, he would not let go of me.  The whole time he danced around and never stopped smiling!  This brought me so much joy, and I was amazed how happy he was even though he had pretty much nothing at all.  The water truck was such an amazing experience for all of us!

            In the evening, we took a small bus to have dinner at John and Beth McHoul’s house.  We also got to meet the Livesays there who have adopted 3 Haitian children and moved their 4 biological kids with them to Haiti as well.  Both of these families help run Heartline, a maternity center focused on keeping women safe and healthy before, during and after giving birth.  They teach the women different trades to aid them in providing for their new family.  We got to hear how Beth and John struggled at first to find their calling in Haiti, but the devastation of the earthquake helped them turn their attention to the generation of mothers which would in turn help decrease the orphan population.  After a wonderful home-cooked meal, we were able to drive back to the guesthouse in the dark.  It was cool to see the city in a different light.

           

            After reflecting on the day as a group, we topped of the night by learning how to Salsa dance with the Totino Grace group.  It was a very full day but we loved every moment of it!

            Hi Mom, Dad, and Andrew! I miss you, but I’m having a great time and don’t want to leave!  I haven’t stopped smiling the entire time I’ve been here :) Hey Mom, Dad, and Emily! Everything has been so amazing here!  Missing you, but loving Haiti!