Reflections on Haiti: No More the Sound of Weeping

Our theme for VBS was "Creation." We talked about the creation story, how sin ruined perfection, how Jesus came to redeem, and how God will one day create a new heavens and a new earth. The morning of the last lesson on the new heavens and the new earth, I asked Jim (one of the leaders) how he was planning to approach it with the kids in his group to make it understandable to them. His face lit up.

"Can you imagine what Haiti will be like when God makes it new? I'm going to tell them how these old things will pass away, and there won't be pain and poverty and sadness anymore! Isaiah 65!"

His enthusiasm was contagious. When I had a minute, I looked up Isaiah 65 to get familiar with it for myself. I want to be that excited about what I'm telling the kids. My eyes filled with tears when I read it.... they filled with tears when I read it just now to get ready to write this blog post--

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create;

for behold, I create [Haiti] to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.

I will rejoice in [Haiti] and be glad in my people;

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days. . . .

They shall build houses and inhabit them, 

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They shall not build and another inhabit; 

they shall not plant and another eat; 

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 

They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear....

Haiti is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. You probably won't hear a lot of people say that, but it's true. But it is covered with layers of dirt and grime and... well, poverty really. But some day it will be completely and utterly transformed.

I was only there for ten days, and I didn't understand the majority of the names that were told to me in answer to my pathetic "Ki jan ou rele?" ("What is your name?"). But Jesus knows each person's name. From the kids at the orphanage to the patients in the village medical clinics to each one that watched us or waved to us as we drove past in Ric's large truck. I think how much my heart overflows with love for the children that I met; I'm overwhelmed when I try to fathom how much God loves each of them.

Haiti will be utterly transformed someday. There won't be children crying because they're hungry. Or pushing each other to get to the front of the line in the hopes that they don't get left out. Or grieving because a parent or sibling has just died from a disease that could have been treated-- if they'd only had the money for it.

I think of the day when "no more shall be heard the sound of weeping and the cry of distress" in Haiti, and again I am overwhelmed. All of creation suffers as a result of the fall, but in Haiti it is so much more obvious. It just makes me think that the new creation will be that much more obvious in Haiti, too.

And that makes me really excited.

Reflections on Haiti: Dirty, Beautiful Feet

[From Tuesday, July 3]

This girl today kept holding my hand and wanted to be by my side non-stop before we went inside to start the program. JB, one of the translators, tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to her feet. "It's hot on the pavement," he said. "The other kids have sandals. She's going to burn her feet."

So I lifted her and let her stand on my feet, her feet on top of mine.

Another man tapped me. "Your feet are getting dirty."

It's okay-- I told him-- it's just dirt; it'll wash off.

He was right. My feet were dirty. My feet are dirty. They have been all week. I thought they were tan-- until I got in the shower and realized it was just several layers of dirt. But tonight one of the women reminded us that our feet are beautiful because we are spreading the gospel.

He was right. They sure were dirty. But he forgot to tell me what God reminded me of later-- my feet were dirty, but they were also beautiful.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation...." Isaiah 52:7.

Reflections on Haiti: Bondye Gen Yon Plan Pou Ou

[from Sunday, July 1]

Last night Ric taught us some Creole. I'd been supposed to go back with the other girls to join up with the rest of the team, but I got to stay with the medical team to finish out the last clinic on Monday. So last night we sat around the table and Ric taught us Creole sentence structures and some Creole vocab words.

Today when we got to church there was a Creole phrase painted on the wall: Bondye Gen Yon Plan Pou Ou. And I actually knew what it meant! God Has A Plan For You. Always a good reminder, and really fun to be able to recognize it even in Creole!

When Bruce started talking at church he said, "The Bible tells us that one day every tongue will worship in heaven together. We pray that God's kingdom would be on earth as it is in heaven. So today, we are practicing for heaven!"

It sure felt like it!

God has a plan for me. I just wonder what part Haiti is going to play in it....

Reflections on Haiti: I Wait for My God

[from Friday, June 29]

First day in Haiti! I'm with the medical team for now, and this morning we started our day by going to an orphanage. The medical team did a clinic for them; I took the names and ages of the kids. (It's one thing to learn the phrases for how to ask their names and ages; it's a whole other thing to learn what their answers mean!!) Oh my gosh, though; it was so fun!

After I finished the forms, I taught some of the kids how to play Ninja. Entertaining with the language barrier! There was one boy named Steve (when I heard it, I said "I have a brother named Steve!!" and Ric had to translate for me to explain to the poor confused kid why I'd gotten so excited. But when Ric explained, Steve's face lit up); he was awesome at Ninja-- we started calling him Ninja Steve.

There was another girl named Emmanuela-- she wore a red, tattered dress, but she had one of the most beautiful smiles. I took pictures of the kids and showed them on my camera; they loved it so much. I think I could have kept them entertained doing that for hours! They got really into making funny faces for the camera. I was so sad when we had to leave. Who wouldn't be, right? They all lined up at the gate and sang a thank you song.

One of the men from the staff was holding a baby. He motioned to her and then asked me "Do you have one?" I said no.

"Are you married?" Again, I said no.

"When will you get married?" I shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

No idea-- I told him.

I motioned to the baby he was holding.

Is she yours?-- I asked him. "No," he replied.

Are you married? "No," he replied again.

I smiled. So when will you get married?-- I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders like I had done. But he didn't leave it there like I had done. He was smiling, but now he got serious. "I wait for my God," he said, "I wait for my God."

Lord, why can't I have that same simple and strong faith??

Reflections on Haiti: Haitian Hugs

I guess I'm not sure I can articulate what makes a Haitian hug so special, but maybe a picture is worth a thousand words. There's something amazing about kids being so excited to see you, being so eager to have you love them even when they've known you for less than two days. When we'd drive up to the school, the kids would start singing the song that Pastor Bruce had sung to them-- "We Love You"-- at the top of their lungs. And then they'd sing it again-- every time they saw us.

I feel special here when people smile at me and say "hello." But that kind of pales in comparison to those Haitian hugs.

Back from Haiti

I'm back in NYC.

I'd say I'm "home"; but the definition of "home" is increasingly confusing if home is really "where the heart is." Because my heart is spread all over the world. A little piece in New Jersey, another in England, another in Michigan, another in Philly, another in Cape Cod, another in England, another in Maryland.... and now I've just left yet another piece in Haiti.

We lived to the fullest every moment of those ten days in Haiti. It was one of the most incredible ten-day spans of my life!

Stay tuned, though. I'm hoping to post a mini blog series of Reflections on Haiti from my time there. You know, once I catch up on some sleep and get back in the groove of American life once again...

But for now, just wanted you to know I'm back safely on American soil. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for and thinking of me over the past ten days!