The Adventure Continues…
Yesterday our day was marked by two major events. One was the time we spend with a woman I met on my first trip to Haiti in 2011, Denise DeLafleur. She is typical of many of the people we’ve met and certainly the reason I return. She has a deep power faith in God's providence despite her desperate conditions. Her attitude, however, caught us all off guard and we were inspired by her story. Denise had just come from her Tuesday women's church service where she is a teacher and a leader. She makes her living by buying bars (12" bars) of soap for washing clothes, breaks them up and sell the pieces for a bit of a profit. Not much if you're selling soap on the street. Somehow she is able to provide for her 5 children since her husband abandond her when the youngest was 5, he is now 16. She does not, however, beg or ask for any assistance of any kind although it was plan she had not eaten for some time and was very thirsty. We provided her all the water she wanted and gave her 3 power bars provided by Nancy Kay Doak. We talked at length about the problems of orphans in Haiti, and since she was an orphan since the age of 4 she understood the situation all too well. “They must have a plan, a skill or something to do when they leave the orphanage,” she said, “or they will never make it on their own.” Wise word we’ve been talking about ever since. "Teach them to sew, or cook, or clean or something,” she said “so they can find their own way.” Good idea!
“Do you know how to sew,” we asked her, "could you teach sewing to those who want to learn?"
“Oh yes, if I had a machine (tredle kind because electric is so expensive and unpredictable) but a machine is too expensive for me, but it would provide the means for me to make a living for myself.” (not exactly her words, but my paraphrase of the conversation)
The team was so moved by Denise, her story and her humble, yet powerful spirit, we, as representatives of First United Methodist Church, gave her $125 to buy a sewing machine and some fabric to get started and build a new life based her skills and talents. We thank you, to our Haiti partners for allowing us to share your generous gifts and spirit.
We also needed to spend some time in prayer for Matt, Karen and especially Ethan. There was a moment of concern when we thought that Ethan may have appendicitis. With Matt so far away, there were a few anxious moment until we knew if Ethan would be OK. We all gathered on the roof, under the star filled sky, with a warm Caribbean breeze praying to God for Ethan and for Karen and for Matt. We learned this morning that Ethan is doing well!
We met Pastor Drix this morning and planned our trip to DBR. Drix is so excited about going to the Mountain and showing Matt, Erin, Esther and Tony the church and the Water filtration system. I’m still quite concerned, however, that there will be NO donkey for anyone walking up the mountain, which as you know I’ve play up last year as rather daunting task. Barb is convinced she can make it at the age of 67, but I remembered that she struggled last year to walk down the mountain. Pray for us.
Today we painted the hall way where the boys sleep. It took Matt and Boto 2.5 hrs to drive around Port-au-prince and find a 5 gallon bucket of paint which cost ~$90. It covered one side of the hallway. It looks great, but expensive. We’re still working on a dining room table.
Spiritually Esther, Erin, Tony, Matt, Barb and I have been having some intense discussions about life, faith and church as seen through the lens of the Haitian lifestyle. Being here helps us to see our lives back home in a different light and to accept God’s calling on our lives with renewed vigor and gratitude. Every problem we’ve encountered, every obstacle we’ve face and every question we’ve left unanswered has only helped strengthen us in our faith in God’s wisdom and our appreciation for one another.
From our Prayers this morning:
We are all pilgrims of eternity as we stand before thee, O God. Let us not seek to deaden or destroy the desire for Thee that disturbs our hearts. Let us rather yield ourselves to its constraints and go where it leads us. Makes us wise to see all things today under the form of eternity, and make us brave to face all the changes in our lives which such a vision may demand: through the grace of Jesus Christ, Savior of all. Amen
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…praise God for His mercies and for His blessings…
…mercies and blessings offered to others through each and all of you…
…to Denise in the form of a sewing machine and an oasis of friendship filled with cool water; power bars; compassion; listening ears; and caring, loving, understanding, and giving hearts — “give a person a fish, and he will eat for a day; teach a person to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.”
…and to Matt…the gifts of prayer and healing on behalf of and for Ethan as well as Karen…and the presence of praying and supportive friends on a rooftop, holding hands with each other, and especially Matt, while looking at the star-filled sky and remembering the psalmist’s words, “When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars that You have established, what are human beings that You are mindful of them, mortals that You care for them?”
…how blessed that He does and how blessed that “the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.”