So Thursday was a great day. We started off by returning to the orphanage in Croix des Bouquets to work on their garden. This was somewhat difficult, because as we pulled up, the children began cheering! Cheering! It was an incredible feeling, not like what I would imagine fame to be. Much more humbling, thinking that what little we had done the day before had warranted a reception like this today. So we spent some time loving on them, really just saying hello, them asking how we were, etc. Then we tried to get to work on the garden. They had an incredible field of mango trees (Kelsey called these Dr. Seuss trees), corn, and possibly okra? I'd say it was at least an acre, but then, with my estimation skills, there is no telling. We got to work clearing out some weeds that had grown up from lack of care. And of course, the children, just wanting to be near us, insisted on helping. But there were thorns and weird seed things that stuck to you and wouldn't let go. Despite these dangers and the fact that they were still dressed in their lovely dresses and nice clothes, they continued to help by clearing away what we had pulled and taking it to a pile for some goats to eat. :) It was great to see them taking some responsibility for their garden, and hopefully the orphanage will begin to see their abilities to help care for the garden (and teach the children another life skill). Here we said our goodbye's to the orphans and headed back home. It was incredible how connected you can feel after barely two days with these kids. (Thank goodness I knew there was no way I could bring any home with me!)
[update: I learned that the two girls that had been my shadows on this trip cried when I wasn't there on Monday and asked one of the Port-au-Prince staff to let me know they miss me! I told her to let them know I have pictures of them that will help me remember them, and to pray for them.]
After this, we had another go at MRE's. This time I decided to heat my Chicken n' Dumplings up - DELICIOUS! No lie, I actually enjoyed my food. Meal times are always entertaining, as the boys (BJ and TJ) would jump on any unwanted food that was offered up. "Does anybody want-" YES.
When we returned to the camp, it was a short change of clothes and attempt at clean up before half of our group jumped in the back of a truck with Walter (the cook) and all of the supplies for a food distribution. We went to City Soleil (quickly becoming my favorite tent city) where another group from YWAM had been holding a soccer tournament for the kids all day. As we drove up, the children surrounded the truck shouting "mi abel, mi abel, mi abel!" One of the long term staff at the base is a small South American guy named Abel. He is incredible with the children, from tent cities, to church on Sunday morning, he is always followed by a group of devoted disciples. He is good at loving on them and at break dancing. Which they adore. :)
While it was awesome to see the excitement, this quickly turned into a difficult situation, as they saw the buckets full of water packets that we had brought to distribute and began trying to take them/ask for them. It is soooo hard to tell an obviously thirsty kid that they're going to have to wait for water "until it is time". ugh. But to prevent chaos and unfair distribution, they had to wait.
Walter quickly got everything set up, while the leaders of the tent city arranged the children from the very youngest to the oldest. Then the most intense lunch line I've ever been a part of followed. In less than 30 minutes Walter dished out almost 500 cups of soup. It was great to see how this incredibly talented chef worked, sweating, scooping this soup into cups. And afterward, he looked beyond satisfied, much happier than the praise of any critic could make a top chef.
Walter's vision for Haiti is to have a traveling kitchen that goes to a different tent city every day and feeds 5000 children, disabled, and elderly. It blew my mind to see this talented man and know that his only desire was to mass produce food so that these mouths could be fed. What a ministry!
After the food, water distribution followed, and it was so humbling to see fights (they were small and quickly taken care of by the leaders of the tent city) break out over water. Water, that we had been complaining about only 2 hours before hand, saying we were just "sick" of having to drink so much water (without ice) just to stay hydrated. complaining. And these people were willing to fight for it. This was the point in the trip that I felt most heartbroken at the difference between what I have and what the Haitians do not. I had to go behind one of the tents just to be alone and pray for these people and their most basic needs. And that I wouldn't forget how broken my heart was for the differences in what we had.
After all the food and water, we had tent city worship again. Some of the other YWAM teams did dramas (which are always good for language barriers), and we sang songs of worship and prayed for those who asked for it. It's heart warming to hear the praises of God's children, in every situation.
Later I discovered Mama (the Brazilian woman) was broken this night at the lavish worship of these people to a God that allowed them to be in a tent city with next to nothing to call their own. She cried out to God, saying Why? Why do they worship You? What have You given them?
She said His answer was "Life. My life."
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