Today has been long, hot and, for many of the team, physically taxing. The guys on the team started early this morning (about 6:30) moving rubble out of the “pit” bucket by bucket. This is a process of breaking up the rocks and dirt, shoveling it into 13 kilogram buckets, creating a human chain to lift and move the buckets out of the pit and once all the buckets are used, hand-carrying the loaded buckets up the hill and off the property. I’m pretty sure that the buckets of rubble being lifted out might only be rivaled by the gallons of swea
t that pours off these very hard workers. There was a break early in the day, around 8:30, for a brief service (with the message being, “What Are You?) and communion as led by Sally Bates and some of the boys from St. Joe
’s. I am sure that it probably was just the respite and the inspiration needed to return to the pit and begin our work again.
As for Sally and me, we were tasked to complete a project inside that included more unpacking, repacking and labeling iron artwork that is being sent home with the other team who has been here for the last several days. This artwork will be sold as a means of fundraising for St. Joe’s. There is so much creative and beautiful art here in Haiti which contradicts the dismal and destroyed surroundings of the most immediate area.
To say destruction almost doesn’t seem to adequately describe places I’ve seen here. There are so many tent cities, I stopped counting. As soon as you see one two-story house high pile of rubble, you see more and then you see buildings that look like they could topple over with the smallest of shakes. We drove down a city “road” yesterday on our way here that completely buckled and now is practically impassable and yet, cars and trucks and vans keep going each way, somehow not toppling over or coming to a complete standstill when there is no room to maneuver around each other. Somehow, these people keep going. I don’t know many people who truly understand what it means to be resilient more than the Haitian people.
Last night Michael shared his story and the story of St. Joseph’s (and Hearts with Haiti) with us. He is a remarkable story teller and I’m sure there is even more to his story than he told or I understood. But the striking thing to me was, with each incredible hardship he and/or the family of St. Joe’s has faced, they have eventually been brought to the idea that God has given them, yet again, an opportunity to do something else. Sometimes it has been to start again after having nothing. Other times it has been to create something when nothing was there or even recreate something new that had gotten old.
The boys here at the home are as remarkable as any I’ve ever met. I can’t even imagine how they have had to recreate their lives over and over again. We have all been partnered with one of the boys. My prayer partner is Emerson. Emerson, who I heard all sorts of stories about before I got here, is 13 going on 23. Emerson is sure to be a leader of some sort. He told me he wants to be a doctor although his first word to describe what he wants to do was “healer” not doctor, which I found to be completely telling of his true desire. This afternoon I had the opportunity to sit with Emerson, give him the gifts that I brought for him, and just take some time to get to know him a little better. I taught him how to play Sudoku, looked over his new calculator, filled in our Prayer Partnership Friendship
Booklets, and ended by playing a “what kind of jellybean am I eating?” game that was made up on the spot by Emerson and was highly entertaining. As you can imagine, and not to be cliché, I received the best gift by simply being with him.
So between Michael’s story, Sally’s message this morning, and my wonderful one-on-one time with Emerson, it is clear that it is always worth it to not shy away from opportunity, even in the most difficult, chaotic or unfamiliar situations. But to grasp onto opportunities, try a little resilience and see what gifts might come into light.
Peace.
Nancy
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