We Rejoiced in Today
This is the day the Lord has made, we rejoiced in it and
were so glad. We started our day in the Tap Tap driving through the streets of
Port Au Prince. What sights, sounds, smells assailed our senses as we drove
through some unbelievable traffic, experiencing the heart beat of the city.
We saw the wonderful Haitian people, walking, selling,
working and driving. (Understand there are no traffic signs and signals and the
roads are a challenge)
Our first stop was at the PeaceCYCLE, a small start up
business which aims to educate and employ the Haitian people. It is
eco-friendly, using recycled water plastics to make a variety of products. The
employees were extremely enthusiastic and proud of their work, creating,
beautiful products from recycled trash. They were using a cast iron filled with
live coals to meld the plastic pieces and a trundle sewing machine to sew the
pieces together. Our team was able to support
this business by purchasing many of their products, totes, bags, aprons, etc.
Back in the Tap Tap, we headed up into the hill area of Port
Au Prince, leaving the main part of town, we had roads which can only be
described as being great for “off roading!” We stopped at an artisan area that
specialized in metal art, transforming various metals into colorful fish, birds,
trees, mirrors, so many work shops, each artisan encouraging us to view their
products. The workers were busy making new creations and we could hear the
hammering of metal throughout the complex. They were extremely proud of their
work and encouraged us to purchase a piece to take home.
The next stop was the Institut Montfort (School for the
Deaf). The school was completed destroyed by the earthquake in 2010, but has
since been rebuilt and is becoming self sufficient with their own farm.
We had the opportunity to visit many of the classrooms where
we were warmly received by all of the students.
They were all neatly dressed in the school uniform and were very
enthusiastic to learn why we were visiting them. They asked each of us our names and were
quite amused as we all attempted to “sign” our names for them. The question
asked by each classroom, “Why are you here?” and “Do you love deaf people?” Our
answer was, “We are here to love you and tell you that you are loved by Jesus. “
After our evening meal, we played a game of twist with the
neighborhood kids. We ended up in a “double knot” to the delight of the
onlookers, which included about 20 goats!!!
We did our evening devotions, our verse was 1 John 2:6, “Whoever
claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” It was a great way to compare
what we have been doing on this journey in Haiti, to living as Jesus did. We
ended by praying for the day with our prayer partner.
We also celebrated Stephanie and Katie’s birthdays with a
Haitian made chocolate cake, which can only be described as “chocolate lovers dream.”
Another wonderfully blessed day and looking forward to
tomorrow and how God will use us.
-
Kathy & Joe
