It has been said that when one looks into the face of God's humanity it is as looking into the face of Jesus. Recently, my husband and I and a group of others, had the opportunity to serve in a place where we felt we could see into the very heart of Our Lord on a daily basis. We traveled to Haiti, out of the city and up a very, very steep mountain to a place called Soliette. The purpose of our trip was to build walls for a school for Heart of Compasssion International Mnistries (see here :) and in honor of a servant of God, Pat Kaufman, who was killed in December while doing his labors among and with the people. see here :) Cheryl, his wife, went along with us as tour guide, interpreter, and resident nurse.
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| Popular way to travel in Haiti- Tap Tap |
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| Prayers as we drive up the mountain |
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| The evening sky |
My first thoughts when arriving in this place were the stark beauty of the surroundings. Mountains touched the hills and the sky was peppered with fluffy white clouds, while below on the ground millions of dusty white rocks encircled our every step. The sheer incline to where ever we needed to walk constantly kept us with our lungs gasping for air adding to the ethereal feeling of dizziness. Green valleys and sweet spring waters made our visit very restful and energized us for the task at hand. The song of the Ascents kept running through my mind almost hourly and when finished quoting, would begin again:
I lift my eyes unto the hills,
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Pslam 121
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| The Children waiting on us to come out the door each morning |
After our arrival it did not take long for the appearance of many, many beautiful faces of the young and the old all so very excited to see Miss Cher and to greet the other Blahs which is Kreyol for whites.
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| This is Daniel- God is my Judge |
Each face told a story as we walked with them for two weeks, some a story of Pain- Daniel who was orphaned and alone in the world but was looking to Jesus for all the answers. His heart had been broken again by the death of Pat who had become a father figure to him and he asked several of us if we would be his parents.
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| Our very large tub of laundry |
We saw Joy in a lady named Serre who carried and laundered all of our clothes to the bottom of the mountain on her head all while being 7 months pregnant with her sixth child. Every greeting was a loud proclamation of happiness and you felt her love surround you.
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| All the male members of the team with Jeremy |
Hope was seen in many eyes, especially Jeremy and Verline, a young couple who had lost a baby but now were expecting again and also about to move into a new house once they could get their money saved for a concrete floor.
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| Masuke |
Masuke is a young man who has been mentored well and has a amazing vision for his life, from the walk to and from school, each way 45 min. to his goat herd he is growing in a confined space, something very foreign here in the mountains, to his ministry for God. In Faith, he was baptized over Pat's memorial service and has been leading in some of the church meetings including one we were privileged to set in on.
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| Miss Evna and her mama, grandma, and Miss Cher |
Evna is a young lady who has found healing from a possession of the darkness and who was unable to walk or speak for several weeks until thru the prayers of the saints she was completely healed and now proclaims the name of Jesus in her smile and peaceful spirit.
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| Memon and family |
There are several proverbs 31 woman who we met and who inspired us girls. One named Memon a entrepreneur of sorts who made our lunch and baked a amazing bread was very poised and self controlled in her manner to all. It seemed many looked to her for guidance and truth.
Rizze was the cleaning lady and she cleaned the bathrooms, the church/school building and even Kris' fingers when she got to much super glue on them. Her heart for Jezi was pure and right.
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| Rizze cleaning off the plaque to honor Pat |
And so it went as we experienced our time with these mountain people and walked alongside them that we began to realize that maybe...just maybe they were the blessed ones. No, they did not have running hot water, electricity, or flushing toilets.
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| Papa and Baby |
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| the children |
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| Machete Man |
They were completely ignorant of technology save their cell phone that they struggled to charge here and there and two sets of clothes- one for everyday and one for church on Sunday was the extent of their wardrobe.
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| The local Verizon store- cell phone charging only! |
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Weekday clothes
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| Family time |
While we are struggling to meet all of our deadlines via email, voicemail, or answering machine...they are sitting at the neighbors house visiting while shelling pwa congon beans, having leisure conversation or singing a song.
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| Visiting and Shelling Pwa congon |
As we hollar at the children to turn off the lights they are looking up at the most beautiful sky every seen by mankind- no light pollution for miles around and a starry heaven that the Pslamist spoke of on more than one occasion.
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| Rice and Beans anyone? |
And then there is the worship- Sunday is a day for your best and that includes the singing and praying that fills the church house. Loud voices that call on our Heavenly Abba with abandon and praise that can be heard all the way to heavens gates. It is for certain that our dear Brother Pat could hear them loud and clear and I believe that I heard his strong baritone join in.
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| Waiting for Worship to start |
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| Sweet face |
These lovely mountain folks also laboured along side us as the men built the concrete block walls that would complete the school. There was never lack for willing hands and the men found it quite interesting to try to communicate thru hand gestures, expressions of the eye, and the universal communicator- the smile.
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| Bernard sifting sand |
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| Setting up for bond beams |
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| Mixing mortar |
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| Hauling water from the river for the mortar |
The walls took form as sand and gravel were sifted , water was carried from a mountain stream a quarter of a mile away on donkey and man, and the mortar was mixed by happy fellows with muscular arms like iron. It was so fun to see the delight in their eyes and the desire to work and please. Our team was brought to tears many times by the simplicity that was exhibited in the daily workings to bring this school house/ church house to completion.
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| Children having school out under the trees |
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| Making desks for the teachers |
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| The very first thing that was wrote on the new chalkboards |
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| First morning of school in the new redone building |
When all was done, each teacher, 9 to be exact, had a new desk to administer lessons from, a brand new chalk board, and several pencil sharpeners that fascinated their pupils immensely. The appreciation of these things that we so take for granted here in this America country of ours was pure and fresh to this heart. Why is it I wonder that we so forget to see the many, many blessings that are so very small yet so very real in our lives. What if we did take notice and thank God for them? How very nearer to the heart of God would we possibly find ourselves. Just a observation!
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| Amazed by the pencil sharpeners |
While the men worked on the building project, us women did alot of visiting. We put on our walking shoes and hooked on our water bottles and off we would go, Cheryl leading the pack. Each home that we visited we would herald out a "Bonjou" and receive one back in return. The house woman would invite us in or out...sometimes we would just set by the front door...and always we were offered a chair or a stump or perhaps just the rich dirt ground but always a seat. Then we would visit, Cheryl acting as translator.
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| Three sisters living together with their niece and nephew |
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| One of Cher's many good friends |
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| Just visiting |
We talked of things that women talk of...cooking, childrearing, husbands, the goodness of Bondye...and of course we laughed...alot!! The culture barriers were gone...and it was just us women...doing what we do best! Enjoying each others company. Oh, how my heart cherishes those moments and I feel that we established a bond... us crazy Americans and those courageous Haitians... a Christian bond that will not easily be broken. Somehow, I think when we return... and we will...it will be as though we had never been apart!
I suppose as our time began drawing to an end all of our hearts began to have that gentle melancholoy feeling that we all know when we must part from one another. There were so many factors figured in and so many emotions to go along with it. Several of us had a strong bond with Cheryl, either in friendship, family, or both- and we knew that the time was coming where she would have to truly say goodbye to the place that her and Pat had called home for a year and a half.
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| All the beautiful little faces |
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| A praying nurse |
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| Learning how to grind coffee |
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| Why walk when you can ride? |
We also knew that our bond with the people and with each other as a team would be coming to a close as we left and arrived back into that place called reality. So the tears became more frequent and the hugs more prolonged.
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| Sisters of the heart! |
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| Nothing like the evening meal for the men! |
Two couples of our group left down the mountain earlier that the rest and it seems that what we had had for several days- that closeness of a family- was beginning to diminish. The mountain folks felt it too. They questioned Cher as to when she would come back or would Bondye put in the hearts of some of us to remain.
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| So many goodbyes |
I suppose it is the impertinence of the imagination but it seemed that during the weeks we were there that we could actually feel the presence of our dear brother who now is with Jesus.
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| Glimpse's from Heaven |
Sometimes just like hearing his laugh, or seeing the little things he had made to make the life for the people easier, in the songs that the children sang, and in the tears that the people cried when his name was mentioned-but we were saying goodbye to this as well...sorta like we were leaving him and his memory there with those gentle folks. So sentiments were flying high and hearts were very tender.
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| Look into the eyes of a child and realize how simple life should be |
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| Preparing for the Fete |
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| Schoolhouse is full |
One the last day the schoolchildren, teachers, and school administrator had a Fete for us. They decorated the school and set chairs in the front for us to set on. Then each class had a song that they sang for us, as well as testimonies on the accomplishments of the team. So very underserving of this we were!! They were the ones who had given to us! Click on link below:
Chldren singing for us
Humility and more tears were present as we listened and marveled at their stedfast faith with so very little to call their own, but so very much thanksgiving, grace, joy! There was a prayer time where all glory and praise was given to our Heavenly Father and then the team was able to give the people a little surprise that they had tucked away in the mortar and block to leave as a constant testimony to what the wonderful mountain saints should continue to strive to be. A Sevite' Bondye! A servant of God! For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 2 Cor. 4:5
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“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
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| Loving hands of a friend |
In our family we have had a longstanding statement because of having to say goodbye to so many- that there are not any goodbyes only see you laters! When Jesus stated His farewell discourse in John 17 to His disciples He prays peace and love over them and reminds them that they will be together again someday-this we know of our dear friends here in Soliette.
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| Pat's Garden |
As we began our dissent down the mountain our heart overflowed with the beauty of the love and fellowship that we experienced among these people and each other. The journey that we had been on had taken us across the ocean. Across cultural and economic barriers. A journey that had joined us together in a way that never would go away. We felt we had indeed seen into the eyes of Jesus thru the hearts of the individuals that touched our very souls..."If this is earth, how greater Heaven must be." Longing for that day when we all will be as one forever!
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| Live simply, so others may simply live- Mother Teresa |
