Dear friends,
It is a good feeling to spend your last ounce of energy in the day to do things you feel are at the core of your value system. I see value in people and relationships as we navigate the process of caring for orphans and the disenfranchised. The members of this current sojourner group are amazing people. I feel as though we are creating lasting bonds with each other. They are Coptic Christians - Americans - who are of Egyptian descent. I love the way they approach their faith,and relate to people here regardless of the status of the people. Hat's off to Joe, Minard, Miriam, Dave, Monica, and Terry!!
Tap Tap Trouble
This morning I awoke early and drove up to the guest house to pick up the team. We were headed to church with the church but as we rolled down the road, there was a clanging sound coming from the rear left wheel. We looked to see of something was caught in the tire... but could see nothing. On we rolled but the sound didn't go away... Finally I pulled to the side of the road and we discovered that there were only two nuts holding the wheel in place. Upon further inspection, one of the of the nuts was loose on a broken bold. so actually there was only one bold and nut holding the tire on. Soon we also discovered that someone tried to steal the rims off the tap tap, but succeeded in breaking off the bolts instead of being able to remove all of the nuts. All of the wheels were missing nuts and bolts. Good thing that the chrome rims were ill maintained, and the nuts tightened too tight. The morning was taken by that so we returned to the guest house and called it a day...
Negotiating the City, Weather, and Bad Drivers
The plan was to return to the mountain in the early evening to have our parting dinner with the parents of one of our team members (happens to be a Haitian). One of our young translators (Ruth), our all around driver/go for guy (David) and our logistics man (Jeff) were spending the afternoon doing their own thing until Monday. The problem was that the team was leaving Monday and would need a vehicle to transport them. Jeff took the truck downtown for new bolts and nuts while David and Ruth tried to figure out transportation back up the mountain... We settled on two motorcycle taxis, one being David and his borrowed junker of a bike. To add to it, he didn't really know how to drive so I didn't let Ruth ride with him - she is becoming like a daughter to me... Soon it was apparent to me that I was going to die on that motorcycle. I was actually relieved when the back tire abandoned us in the middle of the road. To make matters worse, the black clouds coming down the mountain were full of rain. The driver of the other taxi - our friend Roman, told me to get on the bike with he and Ruth. I declined.
I sent Ruth up the mountain to be with the team, while David and I dealt with the broke down motorcycle. Soon I realized that we were near a small tent compound where we knew a family. We went in to visit for a moment to let the rain pass over us. Two and a half hours we got word that Ruth made it up the mountain... drenched. The tent I was sitting in was one we had earlier donated to a family in need. It was a large 10 person tent. Inside were sisters, cousins, and one aunt. One of the kids was vomiting and had a high fever. I did my best to supply her with fever meds and water. We talked about all kinds of things about God, Haiti and the upcoming marriage of Jeff to his fiance. They have asked me to pay for the wedding and be the God father to their first child.
She asked me if I would take the baby, I said... yes.
While I was in the tent, one of the young women, Ketia, informed me in an "oh, by they way..." sort of fashion, that she had a baby to give me? "Give me a baby," I asked her? Wondering if she meant her young daughter, I asked her, "What baby?" She explained to me with her sister and boyfriend looking on and verifying her story, that she knew a young lady who was planning to kill her baby. She, six months pregnant, confided in Ketia that she would kill the baby the same day it was born. She already had two children and the man she was with now wasn't the father. Ketia closed her hands in a strangling motion to show me what she meant. All of the young people explained to me that this was not all that uncommon in Haiti. Ketia asked me what I wanted to do. Did I want the baby? She said that she had to pick up the baby as soon as it is born. I said yes. What else could I say? A life is a life, and this baby isn't going to die... not if I can help it.
Widmia
Many people have asked me about Widmia... I love this little thing. She is so precious, and I have noticed that she isn't cared for well. There is a small group of us planning to work together on this project... We want to see these kids find a sustainable program and much love. I truly believe that this has come about because we have been called into this work... without a doubt. I am not to sure what say about Widmia... I just know how I feel about her, and that I want to care for her... It is not the rational part of me it is the sentimental/love part of me.
More to tell, but it is 1 am again... can't get it all done
Shane
