Day Six

Life is different here. We haven’t driven on a road that’s completely paved or that doesn’t have massive bumps and potholes (which makes sitting in the top tops pretty uncomfortable!). Trash lines the streets and is typically on fire because that’s the only way to get rid of it. People line the streets because they might not have a steady job to go to and there’s no air conditioning or TV to keep them at home (if they have a home). The electricity might go out when you’re trying to make a blog post or have a late night team meeting on the roof. Our eyes have been opened to the way the majority of the world lives. There have been things we’ve seen that have been upsetting and hard.

We’ve also seen the way God is at work down here through people like Pastor Dio and Madame Dio. Since Dio is with the team in Tricote,  we did church with the kids at the M House yesterday. They do a service at home because many of them are in wheelchairs and it’s hard to get them to the church. Our team reflected on how fun it was to worship God with the kids. It’s so cool to think that even though things here are extremely different and we speak different languages, our God is the same at home, here in Haiti, and wherever our next adventure takes us. A few of the kids got up to sing songs in front of the group. Even though some were maybe a little off pitch, everyone cheered and supported each other. You can see Jesus in the way the kids look out for one another and love each other. They might not have the same resources that we have back home but they are so rich in love.

We did similar activities in the afternoon- playing soccer on the porch… beading… plus Delaney made awesome balloon animals and hats which were a hit! Not once have any of the kids seemed “bored” even though we are doing relatively similar activities each day. It  makes us think that maybe we are missing the point back home by thinking resources make us better off. Our take away was not to feel guilty or ashamed of what we have, but to be grateful. We talked about how maybe simplifying our lives will make us more happy because at the end of the day, life is about relationships. This coincided nicely with our passage reading, Luke 12:13-21, which talks about not storing up possessions on this earth. Our challenge was to continue to be grateful for things like medicine, our homes, our cars, etc. but to think about how we can stop living in excess. Instead, use our resources to be a voice for those who might not have one.

In the afternoon we got to change it up a bit and went to see two villages called Santo Village 1 and Santo Village 2. These are small communities with homes for ~30 families  that Pastor Dio’s church built after the earthquake. We thought it was cool that people in the church community get to live in community as well. There is a gazebo where we played with kids and hung out with members of the community.

I spoke with Dave yesterday and the Tricote team is having a blast! They’ve been painting the inside of a church in the next town over. They’ve also spent time plumbing and doing crafts with the kids. One cool story from their group: Caleb, one of the trip leaders, went to Tricote when he was in high school (he’s now in his 30s). When he arrived in Tricote he ran into a man named Wilson. Last time Caleb was in Tricote he and Wilson hung out because they were around the same age. Dave said it was cool to see them reconnect and Wilson still has a picture of him and Caleb! The relationships and friendships we are building here are incredible and its cool to know that they will last a lifetime.

Today we head to Mother Theresa’s for the last time and will finish up painting the walls around the M House. We don’t want this trip to end and are trying to make the most of every minute!