Rebekah Final thoughts on her first trip to Haiti.
Haiti. The Jewel of the
Caribbean (at least that’s what it used to be called).
The landscape is breathtaking with the sprawling mountains and palm trees
to the beautiful “sea” with a “Caribbean blue” color.
The food was unbelievable considering most of the country goes
hungry. The accommodations were
similar to a lower class “States” hotel.
We had purified, safe water whenever we wanted and were catered to as if
we were special guests. With all
of that said, the take away for me was the spirit of the people.
In Jacmel there are roughly 6,000 people with roughly a 90% unemployment
rate. The area is devastated by
poverty unlike anything I have ever seen.
Children and adults move about without shoes, fitted clothing, proper
shelter, and without adequate nourishment. One highlight was the relationship I
built with a group of ladies that I worked with in the feeding program. I learned each of their names and their
children’s names over the course of the week. We share so many things:
Being a woman; Loving our families; Wanting what’s best for our children;
Working hard; Loving God; and Loving the beauty of human relationships. Language was a minimal barrier as our
nonverbal cues demonstrated a mutual admiration and respect.
The second highlight was the opportunity to share with teachers,
caregivers, and parents how to assist children who have been traumatized. What an incredible time of
training. The natives were so
invested in this learning demonstrated by their attentiveness, attendance, and
questions. To see the application
of things we had discussed the next day showed that this is a community ready
for change. This has truly been an
experience that has shaped me in big ways! Thank you Lord for your provision!
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