Three more days of Haiti. Then, I will be heading home to my family. I can't wait to see them. I woke up this morning missing them. I realized today that this is the longest amount of time I've gone without talking to Mark in the nearly 10 years we've been married. I wonder how he is and if he misses me...
It rained all night again, but we woke up to clouds. The soccer field was a swamp and it was almost comedic to see the kids slipping and sliding around, splashing in the puddles. They/we were so dirty!
It was a rough day with the kids today. The problem was that the middle-grade kids were not in testing or class this morning when the littlest ones were having their soccer camp at 8:30 am. So, while we tried to get the little ones playing, the middle ones were stealing the balls and running off. We tried to chase them down and keep them off the field, but it was futile. We were all so frustrated and disappointed for the little ones.
What made it all worse was that the children were very irritating. "Give me my shoes." "Give me a dolla." "I am hungry." "Give me my cap." Grrr....They were relentless. I was reading last night about Jesus spending time with even the dirtiest, most diseased sinners. If he could do that, surely I can be patient with these children.
We talked to Prisca and she decided to cancel the 10:30 camp for the middle grade students. She called them all into the church--all 300 or so--and yelled at them. I couldn't understand all that she was saying, but I'm pretty sure she said that she was very disappointed in their behavior because it ruined the camp for the younger children and because it was disrespectful to us. She told them not to come tomorrow until 10:30 or, if they came earlier, to stay off the field. If they disobey again tomorrow, the camp will be cancelled again. But, if they behave better, they can play. After she was done, she came over and told us, "I told them you all were REALLY mad!" That wasn't quite what we were trying to convey. So, Kim asked if she could say something to the group. Prisca translated as Kim told the children that we would pray for them to be forgiven for their bad choices and for them to do better the next day.
They all filed out of the church somberly. I was feeling the same way. Their punishment was punishment for me, too. I felt bad for the ones who did behave well.
So, after lunch, I went "calling." We walked with our interpreter, Parice, in the streets of Pillatre. He took us into people's houses and I finally got to see firsthand the extreme poverty of the majority of people of Haiti. Manno's house is very different from the houses I saw today. His house is big and modern and in a nice neighborhood. (He said his neighbors are doctors, engineers and drug dealers.)
The first house was a one-room box with walls of concrete bricks. There was a big opening in the brick for a door and other smaller opening for a window. There were strips of cloth hung over the door and window as curtains. There was no bathroom, no kitchen. Just a small bed and a couple of chairs and shelves. 10 people lived there, including a 2 week old baby.
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Side note: I just heard Talia call out, "Maman!" and it made my heart ache to hear someone calling that name for me.
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There are always dogs at every house. It's their security system. The dogs are locked up all day, just like Manno's dogs. Then, they're let out to be guard dogs at night. The next house we stopped at was also full of people. The elderly man who greeted us explained that one house was his first house with his wife. Then, as their children grew and married and grandchildren were born, they built houses up around that first house. They were clustered together, but not quite touching. A young girl was sitting outside washing dishes. She was beautiful. (Don't you think? See her photo above.)
They were a very welcoming, very happy family. His wife hugged me and touched my face, saying something sweet in Creole. She made me think instantly of my grandma at home. Several grandchildren loitered around, examining us and playing, so I photographed grandma with all of them. One of the women had a 2 month old baby boy. Megan held him and I took pictures. The grandfather asked us to pray with the family before we left, so we did with help from Parice. We prayed for the baby and for the family and their homes.
We then went on to meet a witch doctor. While some folks in Haiti are Christian, most of them practice voodoo. The witch doctor showed us candles he was making for a voodoo ceremony. People come to him with problems or tragic situations to be cleansed. At the end of the ceremony, the witch doctor eats the remainder of the candle. Yes, you read that correctly. He eats the candle. Mmmmm...!
Next, we met a woman who thought we were rich and wanted money to buy a new dress. Then, we saw a man who was making a big round flatbread over an open fire. He coated it with coconut and sugar and then flipped the whole thing over like a pancake. I wanted to taste it, but we have been advised not to eat food on the street. I decided not to take any chances.
Now, the day is almost over. I'm praying the next few days are not as long as this one. I need some rest.
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