What a week it has been! If you had told me a week ago that my first week in Haiti would be fraught with a 7.0 earthquake, aftershocks, loss, destruction, and constant busyness, I probably would have laughed and said "Impossible!" Well joke is on me, absolutely nothing is impossible with God!
I love this place. I love the land, the green hills covered in cloudy haze, the concrete houses that are stacked on the hillside. I love the people here, and their huge hearts for what they are doing. I LOVE the kids, snotty noses and dirty diapers can't stop you from smiling when you see them running towards you with a big grin on their face.
To be honest, I am filthy. We are conserving water so none of us can shower. We're greasy, we smell, our skin is covered with a layer of grime, and guess what.... we are loving it! We get to play nanny, and help with feeding and diaper changing. I have a white shirt that is covered with poop stains, and I practically wanted to show it off... look mom! See what I did today?
We normally do not work on weekends, but of course these aren't exactly normal circumstances. We're all pretty tired, but I have honestly never truly understood the truth of God perfecting weakness! Everytime I am lacking, God gives me strength. All it takes is one look into the eyes of a child, and I can find it in myself to give more, love harder, hug tighter.
People keep sending me messages about how "strong" of a person I am, and how "inspiring" what I am doing is. I think God is the culprit behind that, because there is NO WAY I could have come this far on my own. I've cried, I've been overwhelmed, but yet in the times I have needed to forget about myself, it's been easy to do, because I'm not here for me. God chose me to be here for these kids, and maybe I will never know the reason, but it's been so cool to see His power and His love in all of this. I personally think that the truest strength is shown by the nannies. Many lost family and neighbours in those forty life-changing seconds, and while they allowed themselves time for grief, they keep working. I'm so blown away, for in the midst of their pain and sadness, they are still changing diapers, washing and feeding these kids. I can only aspire to have that kind of strength.
We received water yesterday and are expecting a plane of supplies in on Tuesday, along with 10 volunteers! God is so good. He has touched so many hearts through our pleas and we are blessed.
The nannies at the toddler house sing praises in creole outside our window every night. I can't think of a better way to end the day. Sure, our days can be long and busy and chaotic, but those nighttime serenades remind us to find peace. Wordless, but yet powerful, music does not require a language and is not restricted to creole or english. It's amazing.
Keep on praying, we appreciate you SO MUCH!
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