Haiti 2011 Day Four

Like a breath of fresh air Haiti is gradually changing and the evidence is very clear. You wonder how in the world something good could come as a result of an earthquake or tsunami or any other natural disaster that might strike the earth at any moment. Mission of Hope is literally exploding on the scene of a hopeless situation. Since last year the progress and completion of building projects is mind-boggling. I sit in the cool of the afternoon overlooking what will soon be a new guest house that will house 150 guests (short term missions groups). The buzz of conversation fills the air as some bask in the cool breeze after having showered and cleaned off the dust of the day. Others are arriving from the field having completed their assigned task for the day.

Dust is a constant. We are north of Port-au-Prince just in the foothills of dirt, rock and brush. The dust infiltrates your sinuses, hair, skin, clothing and well just about everywhere. But it’s good to know that the water pressure here is far above any youth camp I’ve ever attended. A Haitian shower is really simple; get wet turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and you’re done. There is no hot water and there is no reason to waste what is so precious to these people – fresh water. I’m sure that it is a matter of life in the villages that we’ve visited – but most people are just covered in dust and it doesn’t even seem to bother them.

We went to a village and picked up trash along the road side and hauled it back to the Mission for disposal. You’re probably asking – why don’t they just pick up their own trash? Good question. But let’s stop and think about that for a moment. There are no trash trucks in Haiti. Trash bags are a premium and most struggle just to eat one meal daily and maintain what they call a home. So the luxury of trash disposal is not high on their list of maintenance issues. I’m amazed that more people do not cut themselves on razor blades, broken bottles and metal pop lids scattered seemingly everywhere. This is not Kansas Dorothy and the Mission of Hope does what they can to help clean up and demonstrate this with the help of teams dispersed to serve the community. Really it’s not much different than what Woodlake has done to go out and clean up our community. So before you think Haitians or even your neighbors are slobs stop for a moment and put yourself in their place and offer to help and serve as God leads you.