As I sit on the 3rd floor rooftop of the Terre Noire church facing the rising sun a white dove just flew by making its way across the ramshackled rooftops. It weaved with the wind in and around the moving palms and papaya trees. With the sun cresting over the low eastern mountain a young boy in a green soccer shirt with the number eight seems to be playing, throwing tiny pebbles on a concrete roof slab. He is now searching in the overgrown vines for something alive. Life is moving along in Port au Prince.
The blue sky starts to brighten with long wispy clouds amidst bright colors of orange and yellow. Pink abounds everywhere. The sun brightens and songs of joy and serenity resound from the church below. The voices, all in unison make you want to cry for the Haitian people. Goose bumps begin to crawl on my skin as the sun decides to come in all of its full glory. I cry for them now. The cool breeze blows in my face as I try to recover from my sadness wanting to know their pain just a little.
Today I head back to America, the land of the free and wealth. With our short stay here we were able to bless one widow with two children building one home. One tiny speck in a mountain of need. The pastor and his associate stopped by at the house site yesterday checking on his flock like a good shepherd. He was the one who recommended her to Forrest as one of the few lucky ones to receive hope for her future. Many neighbors stood by and watched as we worked, some showed signs of jealousy while others watched with joyful hearts for her bounty. Some even helped. I feel good that we were able to do this for her but why do I feel this way? I do not want to feel good until they all have brighter futures. I know that I have wished for the impossible. The pain is real as joyful songs rise from under the steeple.
A prayer – God you seem like a distant God to me now. I sit here about to leave a humanity that seems to have been treated much like all the trash that flows in its streets and streams. Teach me to have hope and faith for these people. Remind me to pray for them as I go back to my home with electricity, heat, and air conditioning. Where food can be had at a moment’s request. Teach me to love others better, teach me to give more, teach me to pray more, teach me to be thankful more, teach me to desire only what I need not what I want. Please God help me change deep inside my soul so that I can change and do more for those in need. Amen
It is now 6:37 a.m. and the roosters are still crowing and the sun is now providing warmth to my face as it continues to climb higher off the horizon. The southern mountains are washed white while the northern mountains resemble the bumpy Haitian roadways.
Waterfall and swimming hole we went to in Furcy, our first day.
This is a close-up of a stone wall in Furcy.
Children who were late to school had to wait behind this rope.
Part of a mutal I saw in Port au Prince.
Family photo taken with a nice view on our way to Furcy.
