Today was confusing to
me.
Today was a very special
day. It was Water Day. We’ve heard about
water day a lot as we prepared for our trip here. It seems to be one of the main tasks of the
team. I was excited and curious.
We had instructions from our
Leaders and one of the things I have learned through them and from the couple
of days in Haiti is to always leave room for the unknown. The unknown can take any form in this place.
Today was also very different than yesterday. Different because, we left the
house with a purpose. I knew what we were going to do. Deliver water. I did not know what to expect, but I knew there
was a specific purpose and we were on our way to fulfil the purpose: provide
water to the people of the Cite Soleil.
I was very excited and
curious for the unknown. The task was
known, it was the unknown part I was anxious about.
We faced things that we
may never expect or at least me since this is my first time in Haiti.
Traveling to Cite Soleil was
like seeing the scenes from the movies and magazines (sad faces, happy faced, naked
kids, garbage all over, skinny dogs, even skinny pigs, etc) and also the smell
of poverty.
Yet, the people of Cite
Soleil also seemed to move with purpose in receiving the water. Sometimes, they
also worked in cooperation to get the buckets filled.
I remember thinking that what
I was seeing was sad. Yet, there was
really no time to think. The water ran
from the tanker truck, through the fire hose and into a bucket, barrel, pail or
whatever was in front of us. As coming
from a place where things get done fast, I knew we needed to move quickly in
order to make the best out of our day. The dirty buckets mean so much to the people
of Cite Soleil and they fight very hard to get them filled. As for me and my
group, the thousands of buckets mean the fulfillment of a dream (be the hands
and feet of Jesus), the fulfillment of a purpose (serve the way Jesus teaches
us to serve), and the acknowledgment of the sacrifice and commitment of the
people who started this organization (Healing Haiti). An organization that does
more than deliver water.
Then seeing all the kids
begging us to hold them and fighting hard for our attention. They only wanted to be picked up and hugged,
it seemed to me that they needed that love as much as they needed the
water. Maybe they were just looking for
acceptance, but I really think they were looking for Love. The momentary love and attention of a
stranger.
The toughest part of my
day was saying “no” to the kids.
Sometimes, when they asked us to carry their water buckets, we had to
say “no”, those were the instructions from our leaders who had to protect us
and make sure we are safe. At the first water stop a young girl asked me to
carry her bucket. She pointed to her
house, but it was a long way off. My
leader said no, I should not go. It would take me out of sight of the leaders
and our translators and, it would be dangerous.
My heart was broken as I had to leave her alone with her bucket.
Some of these little kids
were carrying full pails of water on their heads. I was amazed by their strength. It made me think about how God give us what
we need. He gives those little ones the strength
to carry the buckets. We live in a very
nice bubble in comparison. The
difference is significant, and really should not be this big.
Everything we had seen was
ugly (kids playing in a mountain of trash, pigs slopping in the muck along the
street, houses made from anything someone could scavenge). But then, a deeper
look though, a look to see beyond; We stopped at Hope Church while we waited
for the tanker truck to be refilled and I saw beauty and hope walking together,
I saw Jesus at his best. Inside those walls that were built based on hope and
trust, there is hope for the kids of Cite Soleil. There is hope for a better
future, there is a place where the kids are being blessed but there is also
room for many of us to be a blessing. I saw hope for more teachers and more
kids in the school. This church and school
amidst the poverty of Cite Soleil shows me there is hope.
The school provides those
kids an education, a place to be safe, meals and is just a hopeful place. As I looked at the school and everything they
did, I realized how much love was put into the project.
We walked behind the church
and school. The ocean comes right to the wall.
I saw the little bay behind the church.
It was a small sea of garbage and
refuse. It was so unlike the beachfront
properties we see while on a vacation, or on the television. Shanties scattered as far as the eye could
see, right up to the edge of the ocean.
I feel like no one should
need so much. What I did see, the kids
today, seemed relatively healthy. These kids
were strong. Compared to the kids we saw
yesterday, these kids almost seemed fortunate…
How do we share this with
others who may be able to help? Sometimes
people don’t help because they do not know.
Some choose to turn away. I feel that what is here needs to be exposed,
shared, and we need to grow the awareness.
Help me spread the word!
~Laura
