I apologize that I have fallen behind on getting posts out. We have had VERY spotty internet service here for the last several days. I also have to fess up that I have been trying to juggle my life back in the States which needed some attention. I had a new single come out this past week and I needed to make an effort at promoting it. Man, I wish I had a publicist! Anyway, this post is intended to help get me back to “real time” posting.
I received word that many of our readers were concerned about me after reading earlier posts. I am happy to announce that all is well here and my overall approval rating has seemed to sky rocket to an overwhelming 95%. I would say 100 percent, but I am sure that there is still someone who has issue with me. That being said, I have been accepted by EVERYONE and even my biggest critics here have been very friendly to me. So, thank you all for your concerns, prayers, etc – this is proof that your actions are all that really matter. I also have to give thanks and credit to our housemate that has been working at the Orphanage for a long time and is viewed as an angel by many people there. She went to the demon catcher lady and told her in no uncertain terms to be nice to me and that I was a good, hard working guy. I think that on top of Rhiana and the girls showing their love and respect for me, along with your prayers changed things. That OR the woman “exorcised the demons” and made me good again…lol
Moving on….
We have done so much over the last few days that is hard to know where to start. We had a day of tourism with the group from Texas where we went and saw some historical landmarks as well as had lunch at the Baptist mission. During that excursion, I was able to see a completely different side of Haiti. There was lush greenery and huge farms along our route. This was such a refreshing site since where we are based is only dust and concrete. Evidently, we were supposed to be able to see all of Port Au Prince as well as the ocean from one of our stops, but it was so foggy that you couldn’t see much of anything. One thing you could see was the farmland. I pulled Gracie aside and pointed out some techniques that I noticed were similar to the way that we garden with Harvest 107. The land here is mountainous so they use a lot of raised beds to help with erosion, etc. It made me want to go and buy land here and get to work. After the sightseeing and walking through the street market we headed back to the Orphanage to play with the kids.
While at the Orphanage, Brian who has done a ton of work at Maison, pointed out a tree on the property. It is called the Moringa Tree and has a ton of healing properties. It is also a good food source which I experienced first hand by grabbing a handful of leaves and eating them. They taste like spinach with a hint of wasabi — I loved it. You can read more about the Moringa Tree here. The kids all gathered around and laughed at us for eating from the tree. I have a feeling that this tree will play a big part in what we do next in Haiti, but only God knows….
The rest of the days have been packed full of repair jobs for me and schooling for Rhiana and the girls. I had to spend more hours on fixing the roof above where the children eat. There was a few places that it leaked after a hard rain. This is top priority to the Nannies because culturally they believe that raindrops carry disease. I don’t want my beliefs questioned so I didn’t question theirs. Instead, I put in the extra effort to seal it up tight. One side note that I still can’t wrap my head around is that they have this belief, but use rain water for so many things. They use rain barrels to catch water and use it wash clothes and at times bathe. I will try and find out why the raindrops are feared, but not the rain water.
Gracie has been a huge help with the children and is even assisting Rhiana in teaching some of them. Clover has been on an upswing and no tears have been shed in days! Praise Jesus! We have had both of them attending class, doing their own curriculum so they stay on top of their education. Everything is running smooth in comparison to our start here. We are dreading leaving this place behind. Our hearts are in Haiti.
One last story of the week that just came to mind…
Yesterday, when we arrived to the Orphanage I was summoned into the babies room. They opened a closet door to show me a Cat who had found her way in and given birth to three kittens. I was asked to move them and I explained that I am deathly allergic to cats and could not be around them, much less touch them. After some strategic planning a few of us went in to move them. I held a large tub that had been lined with a baby bumper while the nurse distracted the momma cat. Our housemate retrieved the kittens and we reunited them outside under the shade of the Moringa Tree. In reality – it was a much more chaotic process, but I am short on time and words can’t describe the shrieks that were let out. The point is that there is NEVER a dull moment here…and I love it.
