Drop in the Bucket

Even in Haiti I (Andrew) have found my comfort zone. The air conditioner is allowed only at night as we sleep. At the end of a long day we are able to relax into our beds and let the cool breeze fill the room. I am on the top bunk and I have carved out my space with all of my “things.” I am thankful for a good night’s sleep. In the morning, as I awaken, I am thankful for the cool night, the peaceful sleep, the idea of a good cup of coffee. Not wanting to awake those who may wish to sleep just a little longer I have to think hard whether it is the time to get up, climb down, and open the door to the warm, humid air of the hallway and start my day. I literally have to leave my comfort zone to start the day.

Having never been to a third world country, actually never flown to a foreign country, the sights and sounds of Haiti are definitely a reminder that I am out of my comfort zone. Each day I watch the people as we pass by, I hold children at each stop, and I look into the faces of those we are here to help and I wonder what possibly could be a comfort zone for these people. 

And then I open up this morning’s devotion and it happens to be one of my favorite Bible verses: John 1:1-18. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  Suddenly, it all comes together in my mind as I think about comfort zones, about throngs of people in need, and about the task of the day: bringing water to the people of Cite Soleil. As I wonder if we can bring any form of comfort, I remember that God chose to comfort God’s people by showing up in bodily form and living among us.

We leave the Guest House today as a group, together. The first stop is to meet the water truck at the filling station. We pause in the shade as we wait and are delighted to see a young teacher with a group of girls. The girls are students and are all dressed in bright pink uniforms and they skip down the road with smiles on their faces. Suddenly the water truck pulls up and we are off. Cite Soleil is a place that attacks the senses. Smells, sounds, even a taste of the city settles in as we travel to our first stop. And then…

White buckets and water. White buckets and water. Fill the buckets. If they aren’t filled to the brim we are scolded. Fill the buckets with water. It is my only focus as Tom, Don, and I drew the first shift of “hose” duty. There is a line waiting for us and it is striking to realize how powerful and real this is: families are scrambling for such a basic need for life - water.

While the water truck and filling buckets is the focus, all around it there are children clamoring to be held, children playing in the water, children yelling “Hey you!” to get and hopefully keep our attention. While some of the group filled and help carry water, others had arms and laps filled with children. 

This is where another line from the first chapter of John comes into play: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Cite Soleil is a place where homes are made with corrugated steel and whatever materials can be pieced together to make a structure. There is garbage everywhere and the smell of sewage. In the midst of it there are signs that Jesus has made his home here too. 

Just steps away from our first water stop is Hope Church and it is aptly named. Built on a garbage dump and the site where people would bury victims of violence, Hope Church will provide not only a place of worship but also a school for the children of Cite Soleil whose parents cannot afford to send them to school—the same throngs of kids that clung to us longing for attention and affection.

After touring Hope Church, we piled back into the tap-tap and had a short break from the heat and sun while the water truck was refilled. Our second stop was also in Cite Soleil, but in a different kind of neighborhood. Here there were two story cement structures instead of shanties but the press of extreme poverty was just as present. Many of the children at both stops bore the evidence of malnutrition on their bodies.

Today brought to life in a new way what it means that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The theological word for this is “incarnation.” While Jesus is the Word Incarnate,  today the incarnation happens in every moment when one person embodies God’s presence and love for another. We saw this over and over today—in the connections between people, the gift of life-giving water, the physical work of carrying water to care for one’s family, holding two or three kids at a time long past when our backs began to ache.

Then we arrived at the Haitian Soccer Initiative where we were to make and serve food to the 240 kids who are now a part of this program. We knew that we would be preparing Manna Packs provided by Feed My Starving Children. What we discovered when we arrived was a whole pallet of food that had been packed by the volunteers at Incarnation’s mobile pack event in April. The food that these young people are eating was packaged by our community of faith. It is such a privilege to be here representing our church that takes living out the name Incarnation so seriously.

The group here thanks you for your continued prayers. We ask that you also pray for the people of Cite Soleil and the ministry of Hope Church.

Andrew and Jeanne Hartfield