Sunrise November 3rd. I woke up at 5am, after going to bed at 12:30am, asking myself “Why am I up?” I suppose it was the anticipation of my new surroundings. I do however, love sunrise. As I lay in bed trying to justify reasons to stay in bed, I finally gave up at 6:00am to reflect and watch the sunrise on the outside deck. It turns out I wasn’t the only one as 3 of my 4 roommates were already up and going. Andrew made a delicious strong cup of coffee which was much appreciated.
As I take that first sip of coffee on the outside deck, the sounds of a rising Haiti explode. Roosters, goats, cars and in the not so far distance, a demonstration in full force. I couldn’t see the people but heard the leader through the loud speaker rally his people. Elections have just been completed and some 50 plus candidates are running for the same office. This will undoubtedly change our plans throughout the week as we want to avoid any demonstrations.
As I finish my first cup of Haitian coffee, I welcome my first morning of a bustling Haiti. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for the day.
Our first full day in Haiti! After a delicious breakfast together at the guest house, we took off in the Tap Tap and made our way through town. It was an entirely different picture than the one we witnessed last night upon arrival… cars zipping around on the road, people selling clothing and food along the street, and people walking everywhere, many with huge baskets or other loads balanced precariously on their head. Ten of us would stay at the hospital for sick and dying children, the other seven continued on to Gary’s Orphanage for Disabled Children.
When we arrived at the hospital, there were young mothers lined up outside of the door with their children, waiting to be seen by one of the sisters. Inside we were greeted and given simple instructions that the babies in one room were the sickest and mustn’t leave that room, that we were to keep track of which crib they came from. Each of of the white metal cribs were numbered and corresponded to a number that could be found written on the foot of the child it belonged to. In the other room were the children who were in more stable condition. Those children, we were told, may come outside with us. With that, we all set out to interact with the children. It was hard to decide who to start with. Most of the babies that were in more critical condition were solemn and lethargic but it was clear that they longed to be held. We moved throughout the room, setting down one baby to pick up the next. Mothers came and went, soothing their children during visiting hours while they could spend time with them.
In the next room, the children were slightly more alert and interested in play time. Many of them were down on the floor, playing with toys or walking around. Once they found a spot in your arms, they just didn’t want to let go. It was hard to let go as well. So I found myself multi-tasking, holding a child in each arm while playing with one on the floor. It was heartbreaking to put each child down as you could see in their eyes the sadness of not being held. But there were so many kids that wanted to be held. It was overwhelming at times. I quickly realized the need was great to have more people here to comfort. Just being present and giving love was all that was asked of you. It seems simple but by the time we started to leave, I was exhausted emotionally but forever will remember that being present for someone in life is a special gift.
Around noon, the toddlers started heading toward the entry to their dining room. Inside were three wooden preschool-sized tables, with benches on either side. Once the kids had a bib around their neck, they were quick to find a spot at the table. Out came the bowls of food, but the children sat quietly in their seats without stirring and without touching their spoons; they were waiting until they had prayed before reaching for a bite.
At Gary’s Orphanage for Disabled Children the group was able to hear the kids playing in a room when we exited the TapTap. When inside we met a group of 15 kids with severe physical and mental disabilities in a room with two caretakers. From there, no one looked back. The kids could not wait to start using the face paint kits we brought. Finger painting on themselves moved to using paint brushes on others as well as a few of our group. They also had fun throwing and kicking the soccer balls around the room. It wasn’t all fun and games though. Many of us found ourselves with kids on our laps, holding our hands, patting us on the backs and even leaning in to give us a kiss on the cheek. For the limited amount of time we were their we wanted to show them as much of God’s love as possible. Watching the group members’ faces and heads being painted by these joy filled kids, the peak of the morning was being able to listen to hear them sing “Jesus Loves Me”. Even those who did not talk much during our stay, were singing and clapping as loud as they could. I could feel the Spirit in the room at that time. After all the painting, soccer and signing we were able to feed many of the kids their only meal of the day. While I was in the middle of feeding a beautiful little girl, I was able to experience a selfless act by one of the orphans. From across the room, he made his way over to put a toddler on his lap and start feeding her before he even had a chance to eat… It was truly AWESOME! We went there to be God’s hands and feet and left there learning more than we could have ever imagined.
In the afternoon, we drove to The Apparent Project, a business established in 2009 to reduce the number of orphans by creating work for their parents. In Haiti, 70 - 80% of orphans have not lost their parents but rather their parents were not able to provide for them financially. They employ over 300 people today with a mission of keeping families together.
What we saw today were pieces of a bigger puzzle helping the people of Haiti. So many moving parts that we can only hope will make life better for all. A long process that involves so many emotions- joy, confusion, overwhelmed, incredible, touched, and present. This rollercoaster ride of emotions can only be described as beautiful.
Kristi Hartman, Tom Jacobsen, Brian Schwieters
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