As we drive to and from the orphanage, we pass several homes. Many are made from cinder blocks, some have roofs, some are covered with tarps, and others are just exposed. Many appear to be one room dwellings and have to be too crowded. One of the houses is about 50 yards off of the road, and the land between the house and the road has been cultivated. Butch tells us that he has seen the old woman in that field every day attempting to grow a garden. On the ride to the orphanage this morning, Carrie asked Butch if we can bring her some seeds for her garden.
Mid-morning we gathered as many people as we could, our interpreter, Cladel, the seeds, and God's love and off we went. To our dismay, the field was empty, the old-lady could not be seen. Cladel asked around and was able to determine where the old lady lived. He spoke to her and called us over.
As we approached, about ten in number, her family came to the doorway. The old-lady took shelter from the sun underneath a small tree. We saw 2 boys, a small unclothed child - perhaps 2, and a young woman holding a newborn emerge from the door. We waved to the children and then gathered around to watch Carrie present the seeds to the old-lady. One-by-one the packets were shown to the old-lady. Tomatoes, peas, squash, and several other seeds were handed to her by Carrie.
We gathered in a circle to say a prayer, led by Cladel in Creole. We joined hands, the family joined us, and Cladel blessed us with the most beautiful prayer. He told us he prayed that the seeds would be prosperous and that the family could sell some of the food in the market and help feed many people.
After the prayer, Hayden asked me if we could donate some clothes to the family for the young, naked girl. We have plans to deliver clothes, rice, beans, oil, and more of God's love tomorrow.
As I re-read my words I realize that I cannot capture the feeling of that moment, and that I wish that our experience could be felt by everyone supporting us on this trip. God filled our hearts in that moment and allowed us to shed our tears in her field as we returned on a subdued walk back to the orphanage.
Projects for today:
The closet that was being built was completed. As the last brush stroke of paint was applied, the women began to load it up. Turns out, it is actually a pantry. Remember the pictures of Marion and Donnie standing on a shelf? It was a good test for the 55 lb bags of rice that they will need to support.
There were storage closets for 3 houses planned, cut, and readied for assembly.
Now for the painting crew. Apparently, a lack of a foreman is a good excuse to not paint. (Sidebar - this is my story, from my perspective. This does not represent the view of the majority of the painting crew) We were instructed to paint another wall, but the decision of the self-appointed executive council (Cindy and I) was to avoid the afternoon heat and tackle that project first thing Monday.
So what was the painting crew's foreman doing in the morning that contributed to the lack of painting progress? Taking pictures, lots of pictures.
One of the most difficult challenges is learning the names of the children and the workers. They speak French/Creole, and it is difficult to understand and then remember each of their names. Someone had the brilliant idea to take each child's picture with a card containing their name and age. (Another sidebar, I would take credit for this idea, but there are 17 people who know it was not mine)
Katrin wrote the names and ages on the cards an I took the pictures. Notice the art work in the background, it is painted metal made from oil drums.
The children were excited. They would spell their names for Katrin, sometimes with a debate amongst themselves. Then there was the ages. If you see one that is crossed out, it was not because Katrin got it wrong, it was because it was corrected. I guess wanting to be older is a trait shared by all children, even in Haiti.
The process of getting the card written, the child situated, the picture taken, and then reviewed can be described as herding cats. We needed crowd control and the rest of the painting crew was nowhere to be found. So, what were they up to? Sorting school supplies, toy cars, hair ties, and donated fabric. They sharpened all of the new pencils and divided the donations up for delivery on Saturday. I am pretty sure that Lisa was holding Tracy.
Children love magic. I borrowed a few props from my daughter, Caroline, and was ready to perform the tricks for the kids. There are 2 card tricks that I know and they went well, performed about 10 times each. I was happy with the result, since the rehearsal on the plan was less than magical.
The rice, beans, and oil was delivered. The truck was packed and ready to be unloaded. We created a fire-bucket brigade, and began to unload the truck. We thought we were doing well, until the pros got involved. They were THROWING the 55 lb rice bags. At that point, most of us became useless, relegated to the cheering section. The joy on their faces as they unloaded the truck was truly heaven sent.
Cool moment. We got to meet Markenson and Roland, both in their 20s. Butch explained that they have been helping with the orphanage from the beginning. When they saw Cindy, their smiles were never-ending, hers as well. Imagine meeting someone you love at the airport. All of the excitement and anticipation knowing when the plane would land, culminating with the warm greeting when your eyes finally meet. Something like that, only better.
At one point we saw Markenson walking up the street with a young girl. He was walking her home, and carrying her 5 gallons of water because it was too heavy for her. Chivalry is not dead.
Every day we are more blessed. Thank you CREW and Sister Acts for your letters! They continue to lift our spirits.
Tomorrow we will be packaging and delivering rice, beans, and oil. We are excited!
