Saturday in the Village

March 11, 2017

6:50 a.m.

My cellphone alarm is whirring. I blindly reach for it and turn it off. It is time to get up! Still drowsy from my deep sleep I stumble out of bed and find my glasses. I push open the screened door of our bedroom and step outside. 

The sun is already rising over the horizon, bathing the compound with its golden glow. Outside roosters crow, donkeys bray, and birds chirp in the trees. It is another beautiful day! i walk to the outdoor gazebo for breakfast. 

After a tasty Haitian breakfast, Brad, a new staff member at Lemuel, gives us a tour of the compound. We visit the church, school, cafeteria, and kitchen. I am excited to see how much progress has been made since the last time I was here a few years ago! 

We then head over to Samuel’s trees, a reforestation project about a five minute walk from the compound. 

Our first job for the day is taking down a stick fence surrounding the property.

A fence is important to keep animals from eating the small trees, but goats and other animals have been getting through the stick fence so we hope to replace it with a chain link fence instead. As we start to dismantle the fence we are surprised to see it has been tied together with very narrow strips of rubber tire. Who would have thought to cut up tires and use them as rope? Our hands quickly turn completely black from the rubber.

10:15 a.m.

The sun continues to rise, burning brightly above us. Feeling faint from the heat, I take a quick break in the shade. The water in our bottles have warmed up, so it gives little relief from the heat. At 11:00 a.m. the team heads back to the compound to escape the hottest part of the day. We won’t begin working in the sun again till 2:00 p.m. since it’s not safe to work during the hottest part of the day.

Lunch consists of fried plantains, rice and beans, fish, and picklies (a Haitian coleslaw type 

salad).

At 2:00 p.m. we head back to the job site and start working on setting up the chain link fence. Discussions soon spark between our group and the Haitian crew we are working with on how to best set up the fence. The Haitian crew graciously lets us try it our way before we come to the realization that their way simply works better with the supplies we are working with and the conditions we are working in. This of course proves to be an interesting learning experience for all of us. 

At 4:30 p.m. we leave the work site and begin our home visits in the community. It is very interesting to meet the various families living in the community and hear their stories and see how they live.

Everyone we meet is very friendly and welcoming and many share their faith in God with us, and how they trust in Him to provide for them. “If God wills,” they say, “It is all in His hands.” 

There they were again. Two small words, yet their meanings are vast: faith and trust. 

“Help my faith and trust to grow more and more,” I silently pray. He gently reminds me of the words of Psalm 62:8. Trust in Him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah