Heat Spray Love Haiti 2012 Day 2

Kellie rigged a mosquito netting over the door and I'm pretty sure everyone slept much better with the air flowing through our room.  I moved to a top bunk next to the wall and I think I relaxed enough to sleep deep.  I totally did.  When I woke up, I was like, "Where am I".  It's weird, when you are hot you dream in black and white.  At least I do.

We are playing cards waiting on the bus to take us to the village to visit with the people.  We leave at 8:30, and will be there 3 hours.  In our skirts, with tepid water.  They caution us to be careful with the kids.  They ask for food, they want your water, they beg for your glasses, hat.

Drove teams to Abraham Village (our translators called it the ghetto) and broke into 3 teams upon arrival, with a translator with each team.  Our group is huge, about 14 people.  Imagine sitting in your house, and 14 giant black people come to your yard.  (we are giant white people, so for the sake of imagining you need to do this with me).  This is how they felt.  Doing their deal, washing their laundry in a tub, or smoking their corn in a pit on the ground, or huddled together just talking, and all these americans walk up.  Can't speak a lick of Creole to save their life.  Bon Jour!  (one of my 3 phrases).  Our group was so big, we just hung behind and felt like a freak show.  My team of 5 finally broke off from the translators and started walking.  We went around the corner, and a family was sitting outside their house.  A little girl was standing off by herself and I went up to her... "Como Rele?"  (what's your name?)  Widlinn.  "Me Rele es Lolly"  (which wasn't even remotely right, I used very bad spanish along with really bad creole) but Widlinn didn't mind.  Her beautiful white smile spread across her face and we hugged and hugged and she giggled and giggled.  Usually the toddlers and babies get grabbed up and hugged on by the americans.. the bigger kids (especially the shy ones that won't step up) get overlooked.  So that's what I was going for...the ones on the outskirts, and boy did I find a dandy.

She learned our names quickly. Kept repeating them to put to memory  "Law-LEE' (emphasis on the last syllable), LEE-see (first syllable)  Ha-LEE.

We met another little girl about Ha-LEE's age, and she came out to play with us (we were teaching the clap, slap hands, clap I went to a chinese restaurant to buy a loaf of bread bread bread) (See I don't even know the words).... they thought we were crazy, but liked to try to play.  We didn't have an interpreter so we just smiled and hugged alot.  English and Creole are no where near alike, so you can't fake your way through.  I stink at charades, so we just smiled and hugged and clapped hands.  

She was taking care of her little brother in their wooden house, and I thought it was sweet she brought him a little chair outside to sit on.  No babies wear diapers there.  That's a luxury none can afford.  Just a few shoes, the houses in a row, with rock paths.  It's all they know.  No electricity here.  But we walk to the top of the hill with our new friends, and What A View.  Widlinn held on to us the whole time.  Austin's little friend, was with him the whole time.  His nose pouring and clearly he was sick, and nothing we could do but hold and love him.  He used his shirt as a kleenex.  Austin never put him down until we left, and they both cried some.  Our hearts were broken.

Hawlee caused a stir when they found out she was 13.  All the kids were running up to compare size.  I was so proud of her.  She jumps right to the front and isn't afraid to ask the interpreter to find out their stories.  There were goats roaming freely, digging through their trash, which was strewn everywhere.  Lacey said, "Oh look mom a baby pig" which all I could think of to say was.... "Yeah".    Walked by 5 young adult men walking back down the hill... "Hi Mommy"  "Au Revoir" (snicker from guys)  "Hi Mommy".. "Au Revoir" (snicker snicker)  "You give us $50?"  I just looked at them.  In my $1.50 goodwill skirt and my flyaway hair.  "Dudes, I don't even carry that much in the US, I'm nonprofit."  It's sad some of the only English they know is "Give? Mine!"  Widlinn did none of that.  SHe was thrilled with hugs, and PICTURES.  She loved to take her picture then look at it.  For one, they have no mirrors, so they have no idea how they look.  

She was beautiful and told her again and again  "Belle"  "Belle"

Went back to the mission and had lunch and a quick power nap.  Loaded back up and headed out again to Bethel Village.  We were teamed with a youth group from Florida, and their leader Alex Willis was just exceptional.  I had already been teamed with the Preacher's Kid that morning and he impressed me with his notebook of Creole sayings, and his ability to CARRY (yes carry) 2 children all the way up the hill and back.    We split our 5 into two, and Hallie went with Austin and Kellie and Lacey & I wandered off with Alex and about 6 of his youth.  Lacey & I were sharing bad attitudes.  We felt like Jehovah's witnesses.  (I'm laughing here)  Really, I didn't mind, we were in a kind of new village to MOH to visit, so we hadn't just worn them all out running in and out and talking to only the close houses.  Alex and team were fearless.  I told him I could get them in the door, and they could sell Jesus.  :)   Our group walked about a quarter of a mile down the dirt road and found a huge group of kids and parents and started talking to them.  Lacey & I played with the kids and WOW, they were happy.  

The kids thought Lacey was the Wizard of Oz with her video recorder.

There was a big girl with them, apparently "Special", and of course she stole my heart right away, the little kids played with her just like she was one of them.  It made me so happy.  One thing about these children, they all have white teeth like you can't even imagine.  Dirty clothes, dirty feet, dirty faces and the whitest teeth ever.  No pop or tea stains for them.  No antibiotic damage.  Just beautiful white teeth.  And some lungs.  You can see them in the video, working "Thumbs Up" with me.  We felt like the pied piper walking back to the bus.  All these kids following us, and our hearts so full, as their parents gave Alex and our translator 3 watermelons.  They GAVE US watermelons and asked us to come back.  People that have NOTHING, give us a gift.  Do you give gifts?  To total strangers?  Haiti does.  Made me ashamed of me.  

Spaghetti for dinner.  Cold shower and a nap with my fan necklace and a wet rag on my face.  two naps in one day....totally wrecked.

Went to the nursery at the orphanage after dinner and met Pierre.  He was abandoned at the front gates of MOH and the nurses think he's about 3 years old and suffers from Cerebral Palsy.  I think he suffers from sweet, cute and adorable syndrome.  We fell in love.  Lacey played "Up, Down" with him and he threw his toy on the ground about 20 times and laughed every time I picked it up  (reminded me of a little someone that used to live in Lacey's house that threw all her toys off the side of her wagon).  We loved him so much, and boy did he love Lacey.

Went back to our room, crawled into the tent and Hallie followed me with bug spray and dang near asphyxiated me spraying it through the net.  Good times.  Hope I sleep tonight.  Two naps.  Have I mentioned it's hot here? I saw God today.  In the little brown faces, and sparkling eyes and sparkling teeth and joy in spite of their circumstances.  I saw God.