Not sure where to start...

Only two short days ago I was in the worst country in the western hemisphere.  The roads have huge holes in them, the people are desperately needy, it’s impossible to find a cool place to retreat, and to top it off I came down with this nasty upper respiratory infection thing.  I know it makes no sense, but other than missing my husband and children terribly, it all felt right.  The Spirit of love that sweeps over me when I stay at Nahum’s Village is intoxicating.        

Today I am back in my air conditioned home, eating food that I’m not sure where it came from, driving on smooth roads, and contemplating what the impossible would look like...you know, if I lived in Haiti with my husband and kids.  You see, I have this fancy little blue passport book that gives me freedoms to come and go as I please to Haiti.  My Haitian family would love to come and visit the US one day but of course they are not among the “privileged” to carry the fancy passport.  They will have hours of paperwork to file for their Haitian passport and visa and after all of that there are still no guarantees. 

I don’t understand why things are the way they are but I know I have an easy life and it doesn’t seem fair.  I know no matter how long I spend staring in the faces of the oppressed, things like my passport book prevent me from fully understanding their sufferings.  I get this nauseated sensation in my stomach as they watch me come and go.  This arrangement was not my choice and I wish I had the secret to know how to change it…how to make it right.  Each time I assure myself it will be easier to leave them but it never is.  Each time I’m sure there is no way to love them more but I do.  Jesus, how long must I wait?  I feel You working in my heart but sometimes it feels more like you are breaking it in smaller pieces rather than mending it all back together.  I trust that whatever You are doing it’s for my good and I thank You, Jesus for every single second You gave me to spend with Pastor Nahum and his family and his orphans. 

The Spirit was evident and moving during our time of investing in Back to Life ministry at Nahum’s Village.  From VBS with 200 children (yes, we had more than we expected but God is good and He provided), 

to the addition of a new orphan at Nahum’s Village, 

to Christian discipleship in the village, 

to praying for the sick, 

to experiencing Pastor Thimothee’s joy in the midst of terrible living conditions when the rains leak through the tarps he uses for a roof

…these were among just a few of the treasures of God’s kingdom offered to me and I plan to cherish them all with the greatest care. 

There was also time for what some may define as child’s play and I’m totally cool with that.  The Haitian’s joke that I am a white Haitian.  I’m not saying it’s pretty but I can now speak Creole without the use of a translator.  I eat all Haitian food and actually prefer goat.   I’ve washed clothes in the spring.   

And now I can add driving in Haiti to the list…I hit curbs and honked the horn the whole time I was driving because when you drive in Haiti that’s just what you do.  However, I'm pretty sure I lost my privilege to ever drive again after word got out to Pastor Nahum that everyone in the car with me performed a Chinese fire drill downtown Mirebablias.  

Oh, and when I got the upper respiratory infection, Pastor Nahum’s wife made me this all natural Haitian tea that when I drank it, it felt like the inside of my chest caught on fire.  I ran fever for two days so Pastor Nahum made me go to the doctor.  After getting a shot at the Haitian hospital, I immediately felt better.   

I learned how to make the bean sauce they put on their rice but I doubt I can repeat what I learned in my own kitchen.

We played lots of pranks too.  Now, I’m well aware that there are probably several items more critically needed to pack when going to a third world country….things like more food and medicine, but my rebellious streak triumphed and I snuck in two cans of silly string instead.  

Usually we wait to break out the crazy play at bed time and get all of Pastor Nahum’s children and orphans involved.  One morning after we spent the night before spraying silly string on many of the kids, I asked Pastor Nahum if we kept him awake. 

He looked at me with definite assurance in his eyes and said “It’s better for me to not know what you are doing but I want you to continue doing these things.  My children never play like this when you are not here but when you are here they play with you and it brings so much joy in this house.” 

Looking back now, if I had it to do all over again, the silly string would definitely get packed again.  In fact it’s so getting packed for our next December trip!!