Haiti Day 2

 Tuesday

I’m sitting out on the patio as I write. The geckos are chirping and I hear a horn every once in awhile. A little rain came through and it is still sprinkling a bit. This morning I got up early and helped the Haitian ladies make breakfast. They have been making American food and it has been amazing but I can’t wait till they make Haitian food. We had pancakes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and the best bananas and mangos. After breakfast we were gonna go to the grocery store to get supplies to make peanut butter sandwiches for the kids. But we are on Haiti time so it was much later than planned. The peanut butter was the cheap brand and it cost $9 a jar. Wow. Some of the other food is very cheap tho. After we got back we quickly made up 50 sandwiches and headed out to Smiths’s neighborhood. (Smith is the main guy around here. He is a Haitian and he make sure everything is coordinated between all people involved and is always with us.) They are trying to build a relationship with the people in that area and the best way to do that is through the kids. We took a tap tap down streets barely wide enough for a vehicle. We walked back in to a little tile courtyard with two school room off of it. Pretty soon little kids came pouring in. Almost 60 by the end. And we had fun. Football. Coloring. Bubbles. Lots of hugs. And fist bumps. Some found the toy drums and bells and one of the guys (teacher maybe?) led a parade and the stepped in time and sang and chanted to a rhythm. They soon had all the kids dancing too. And they kept on till sweat was pouring down their faces and still more... I held several different kids... one sweet little girl about 2 years old didn’t want to play. She just wanted to lay against me with her arms around me. She looked so sad... her hair was orange. A sign of malnutrition. Later we handed out sandwiches and drinks. Some took a bite and carefully wrapped it up to take home to their family. They were so happy for them. And I who would think cheap peanut butter on sandwich bread would be nasty.... these children are so content. And there faces shine with happiness. We took a break at the guest house for a bit and the went to a home for sick and dying babies. It is a place ran by nuns and a few other workers. We went into one room with at least 20 kiddos. They seemed to be about 1-2 years old. We each grabbed a bowl of what was maybe cream of wheat and fed it to them. And yes they ate a big bowl full. Then we cuddled and played and changed them. I haled a beautiful little boy. What broke my heart .... the lack of emotion in these dear children. No smiles. No tears. Blank faces. But they do hug you and want to be held constantly. This may be the only time the get held for the week until the next healing Haiti team comes. The staff are so busy with taking care of the other room of babies which are the dying babies.... so sad. They also had an orphanage upstairs. Some moms drop there babies off and never come pick them up again. Some mothers were there spending a few minutes holding there very sick little one. I want to stay there. To give them the care and love all those little babies need. As we left and put them back in there little metal cribs they began crying... they did not want to be put down. After we got back we went for a swim. We are truly soaked in sweat all day long. Supper was amazing again... pasta with white sauce and beef. Team time... each of us said the word of the day... devotions. We sang on the patio later.... 

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