Day 2 Church

We’ve had a great day here in Haiti ! After a nice night sleep in spite of the battling roosters and the dogs, we had a relaxing morning and took some time to get to know the rest of the people in the guest house. There are several people here form California and other places, working on rebuilding projects and starting up the orphanage school. We are enjoying getting to know each other and making plans to have an effective week here!

Haiti has a way of humbling you, many ways in fact. And to start off our first full day in post-earthquake Haiti by attending the first service at Port-au-Prince Fellowship since the earthquake…that was a special treat for sure. Those of you who have visited MDL before know may there’s nothing quite like a morning ride to church jammed in the back of the black pickup truck with Susette driving! She has a reputation as a fearless driver, and didn’t disappoint the team as she helped remind us all of our mortality, the thin slice between this life and the next, and the need to get in a proper state of humility for church worship ; ) The service was outside, because the usual building is now used as a school…the school grounds partially taken over by US military after the quake. We were told it was the Navy “SeaBees”, go Navy! Their tents cover the soccer field, and it seems like a lot of the school rooms are now being used by various people and organizations doing stuff to help Haiti . Everywhere some things are different in Haiti than they were before! The church was out in force, and I got to see many people from trips past. It’s sort of a homecoming a bit for me and I always enjoy Sundays in Haiti . We sang a lot of songs, with the street noise just behind the wall behind us…the sounds of life in Port-au-Prince , trucks revving, beeping, backfiring, people shouting, selling, surviving, and the ironic blend of sounds of our voices, guitar and sweet saxophone in music of praise. I thought about how much of a mess things seem to be here especially now in the fragile life of a tenuous recovery from mega-disaster, and how God is really interested in what it looks like on our insides, and maybe not so concerned about what our eyes see and our ears hear as a mess around us. People shared their earthquake experiences, and it was a time of healing for many. Ever for those who weren’t here for the disaster you could sense healing happening, and that’s a really good, and humbling thing.

As I meet old friends on this trip the first thing I think is “man, I am so glad you are alive”. Sometimes I actually say it, but sometimes I’m not sure how it might be taken, and sometimes reminding people of personal tragedy is not the best move. So many here personally knew the recently dead. How can we even attempt to relate to that?

After service I connected with some old friends from some of my Haiti past experiences, one of them Summer from the orphanage our family adopted from. We shared our family’s experiences and struggles endured throughout our adoption journeys, and it was astounding how similar they were. Sometimes in faith you are lead to do very tough things, things that hurt and could destroy you and the ones you love, and any rational person wonders…why? I don’t have all the answers but I know it helps to know you aren’t alone on that mountain, and that others may have walked a similar trail. Healing happens when you get the blessing of time with those who know the trail…

Volunteers like us who come to MDL get the chance for a very special treat once a week, and that is lunch at the Manassero’s cooked by the most excellent cook in all of Haiti ! After church, we enjoyed Haitian fare and got to see the earthquake damage to the home, which is not overly major but is concerning due to large fractures in parts of the foundation. The home is on the side of a deep ravine, and the fear is that erosion could further weaken the base and endanger the structure. There’s talk of having to find another home, just an additional concern in the lives of these intrepid missionaries!

Life after lunch on Sundays is easy and relaxed, with lots of chatting and napping going on. Plans for the week were made, and we have a full list of projects to keep us busy! Rob will start teaching, Josiah helping Ari teach pre-school and then some sort of athletic events in the afternoon, and the rest of us working with other people here on facilities stuff.

Oh, a final news flash for today! The concrete tables our team made are intact, and get used as tables, stages, beds, cinder block holders, and 2000-lb lego platforms. Go GH2!

--Mark 7Mar10