I still really didn't have any idea of what to expect on this trip, but I was excited to get going! Brittney on the other hand was ready to fast-forward this day and the next, so we could get straight to meeting Mirveneldine! I told her that was like eating dessert first! Anyway, we had to get up early and get our breakfast because the bus was leaving at 10am. We had a 2 hour drive ahead of us. Once all of the sardines packed into the can, we struck out for Project HA-336. While the Project took over 2 hours, the facility was really only about 50 miles north of our resort. The drive is so time consuming due to the conditions of the roads and the fact that we had to take a detour due to a bridge that has been washed away from recent flooding. Honestly, the drive felt more like 20 minutes. I was so captivated by the beauty, destruction, filth, splendor, color, it's bustling streets and laid-back natives. What I loved most about our drive was the raw, unadulterated, tour we received. There was no touristy hype, no putting-on-airs, it was just Haiti, pure and simple.
If you look in this picture to the right, you will see that those are homes along the edge of this river. And there are piles and piles of trash slopping into the river. And if you notice the man squatting on the river's edge, well, I'm not going to tell you what he's doing. What isn't in this picture are all the women, standing and sitting in and near the water, washing their clothes. It's no wonder water is as contaminated as it is. The government's infastructure is practically non-existant, so there's no hope for establishing a system for clean water in the near future.
Finally, we arrived at the project. As we pulled up to the facility we found Herculian sized gates protecting the Project. As we entered the gates, even as we were still driving forward, we could hear beautiful singing. In front of us were about 30 women, all singing songs of praise and welcoming us. I know this will come as a surprise to those of you who know me, but I was so moved by this that I actuallys started crying.
Once they greeted us we went into their chapel for a short service. As we walked toward the Chapel I couldn't help but notice the run down look of faded, peeling paint. A door tottered on one hinge, shades of brown colored the tiles on the roof and the remnents of by-gone rain showers streaked the walls from the leaky roof.
Despite the cover of this book, what lay inside was pure joy! There were about 30 mothers, and even a few fathers. Even though the lines of hardship were etched into their faces joy, praise, and thanksgiving exuded from every ounce of their being. They didn't wallow in self-pity, they didn't lament over what they don't have but delighted themselves in the opportunities they'd been given. They praised God for His love, mercy and favor. I expected down-trodden sorrow, but received glory (no pun intended) contentment, and peace of mind.
If you were surprised at the fact that hearing these women sing songs of gratitude when we arrived made me cry. You maybe even more surprised to learn that I cried a second time during that short service. We sat in a church, with no windows and no air conditioning. Two groups of people from two different countries singing, Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art in two different languages was more moving than words can describe. There were no instruments or microphones. Just the sweet sound of voices, half in Creole half in English, all giving glory to God.
After a beautiful young lady read the 23rd Psalm 2 women put on a short skit. They were speaking in Creole and our translator hadn't yet translated the skit for us, but it was still clear what was taking place... Kind of like watching an opera. One young woman was telling the other about Compassion's Child Survival Program and the 2nd woman was trying to blow her off. The first woman gave her what-for and told her she needed to lose her attitude and about all of the benefits for both her and her child from the CSP. In the end, the 2nd young lady came around and became part of the CSP. Afterwards, one of the women from the skit sang a song she'd written herself about vaccinations. You see, in Haiti, vaccines are extremely expensive, and since most Haitians live on less than $2/day, vaccines just aren't an option. Her song thanked us for our donations. She told how, because of Compassion she and her child were able to recieve vaccinations and were now healthy.
Project HA-336 is both a Child Survival Program facility and a school, something you don't see too often. The school was a horseshoe shaped building. It had concrete floors and cement block walls about 4 feet high. Above that were metal bars and tin roof. The only electricity was in the offices, which were just as open to the elements as the classrooms. The bathroom had a small toilet and a bucket full of water. Once you'd used the restroom, you had to refill the toilet with the bucket of water. Toilet paper had to be thrown in the trash because what little sewer system they have can't handle flushing toilet paper.
After our service we were given a tour of the facility and we had the opportunity to chat with some of the older children, and simply love on and play with some of the littler ones. There was so much joy in that place, that I'm pretty sure it was coming out of my pores... or maybe that was just sweat, but either way, there was so much love you couldn't contain it. It was facinating to watch these children. You could tell most of the children had never seen a white person before because, they would walk up to us and touch us, as if to see if we were really real! And even funnier was to see there faces after taking their picture. From their reactions you would think that they'd never seen themselves before. I took a picture of a little girl and I turned my camera around and showed her the picture of herself. She lit up, beaming from ear to ear! A few of the other children saw the image and they were like moths to a flame! They all came running over, encircling anyone with a camera begging for their picture to be taken! It was so funny! They'd push and shove and give one another "the hand" to get their turn in front of the camera! Several little girls knew instinctively threw their hands on their hips, kicked one hip out to the side and put on their best sassy face!
And stickers!!!!!!! Oh my goodness, stickers! The children turned into vultures when we broke out the stickers! What a hoot! As soon as someone pulled out a sleeve of stickers, they were absolutely swarmed by children! It was so funny to watch someone standing amid a sea of children, hands raised in the air begging for a sticker! Children and them on their hands, cheeks, foreheads... a few even got creative and put them on their belly to try and hide them, so that they could hopefully get another one!
Above is Sandra, passing out stickers. To the right is one little boy showing off the stickers he collect.
After spending some time with the children we were able to visit with the women again. In the Child Survival Program, besides the vaccinations the mothers and children receive, the mothers also learn about nutrition for their children and themselves, sewing, cooking, reading and writing. The mother's demonstrated all there new skills. One woman showed us how well she could write her name. A month prior she couldn't write at all!
The woman in this picture is modeling a dress she made. This picture doesn't do it justice! It looks like she bought it right out of a store! And below are the 2nd best donuts I've ever eaten! With all due respect to the beautiful woman who made these donuts, there is just nothing on earth better than a melt-in-your-mouth Hot-n-Now donut from Krispy Kreme!
Once we completed our tour of the school and finished playing with the children, we went to the cafeteria for lunch. I wish I could tell you how good it was, but I made a poor wardrobe decision that day and was so over-heated I couldn't eat. I did have a bite of Brittney's fried goat and it was AMAZING! There was fried chicken, bar-b-que chicken, goat, brown rice, black rice, plantains, and several vegetables. In the picture to the left, plantains are in the back, fried potatoes (potatoe chips?) to the left, brown rice in front and black rice on the right.
By then end of lunch I'd cooled off and was feeling better. It was time for us to go. The children followed us all the way to the van, and if we'd let them I'm sure they'd have climbed on board with us. I know where were here to be the hands and feet of Jesus. To shower His love on these beautiful children. The joy on their faces is plain to see. But, if you look at Brittney you can see the joy that these women and children brought to us. I know we were there to serve them, but I'm quite certain they ministered to us more than we ministered to them.
After leaving the project we split into groups and went to 3 different homes of children who are sponsored through Compassion. Brittney and I were in a unique group for our home visit. When we first arrived at the Project, Kevin, one of the men on the tour got to meet a young lady he used to sponsor, Marianne.
The sponsored child program is for children ages 3-20. Marianne is 21 now so she aged out about a year ago. However, Compassion found Marianne and was able to bring her to the Project to meet Kevin. So for our home visit, Brittney and I got to go to Marianne's home. When we arrived at Marianne's home we were stunned at what we saw. The first shocking thing was a chicken that came running past us! While a chicken running isn't shocking, the fact that he had about 6 inches of snake hanging out of his beak was! From there Marianne and her sister brought out some chairs from there home. They didn't have quite enough, but more chairs just kept coming from everywhere! I don't know if all the neighbors knew what was going on, but the were eager to pitch in and help. Marianne's story is a bit of a sad one. Her mother passed away a number of years ago. Her father has been sick for about 5 years and is unable to work. She has a 20 year old sister who lives with her and her father. Both of the girls went to school and Marianne took her final exit exam but didn't pass it. If you fail you have to take more classes before re-taking the test. Unfortunately Marianne had aged out of the program by then and never went back to finish her degree. 
Marianne and her sister are both unemployeed and they live in a home that is about 200 sq. ft. It's made of a rock/mud mixture similar to concrete, though certainly not as sturdy. They had a tin roof and had a sheet on the dirt for a bed. I'm not sure what the building in the back is for, but their home is the building in the foreground. The door on the back half leads into their living/kitchen area. The next door leads to their bedroom. What was most heart-breaking was, when asked both girls stated their dream was to become a nurse. Yet, both seemed resigned to the fact that being unemployeed and living with their father is their lot in life. Our visit was fairly short, maybe 20 minutes.
Afterwards, we loaded back on the van and headed back to the resort to decompress. I can assure you, after all we'd taken in, decompression was needed! The day encompassed joy, sadness, fun, sorrow, smiles, tears, hope, resignation, aspirations and dispair.
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