sometimes Haiti

with Fanie's son, about
an hour after his birth
(photo courtesy of Tara)

sometimes Haiti is miraculous

On Thursday, I showed up at the maternity center for prenatal day and was informed that one of the ladies was in labor---and would I be her doula?  Of course!  Fanie's labor progressed pretty quickly, and at 3:05pm, her beautiful baby boy was born.  I'm so thankful that I "just happened" to be there that day and that I was able to witness the miracle of birth once again.

sometimes Haiti is hilarious

On Tuesday, after child development class, 24 dead rats were discovered in a storage room, along with 5 live baby rats (approximately the size of large cockroaches, just much pinker).  Since rats are hardly the preferred occupants of the maternity center (prevalent though they are), the decision was made to drown the baby rats in the toilet.  In so doing, we made an observation that supports the theory that rats in Haiti are a "higher species"--- rather than dying quickly once submerged in urine/water, these rats managed to stay alive for at least a minute-and-a-half.  Maybe we're entertainment-deprived, but several of us crowded into the small bathroom to watch the rats succumb to their fate.  "Oh look, they're swimming!  That's kind of cute." (Beth McHoul) The rest of us were of a different opinion...  Melissa then commented that the rats are "so proliferative right now", which led to some very enlightening/amusing/disturbing googling of rat reproductivity...

sometimes Haiti is heartbreaking

I vaguely mentioned the other day how there are times when circumstances here can be so painful to see (and I can't even imagine what it must be like for those who are actually in the midst of them); Melissa wrote an amazing post on some of her experiences here that have caused her "heart to hurt".  Even in the past few days, I've learned of several unimaginably hard situations: a young mother whose baby was taken against her will and given to someone else to raise (and with the way things are in this country, she has very little power to be able to get him back); a young woman who is in the hospital tonight because her brother beat her badly and broke her arm; a family who lost several children in the earthquake recently lost another son; a mother whose five-year-old daughter died last year now has another daughter who is very sick.  Please pray for these people and for these heartbreaking situations.  Psalm 91

Mama Eman with her husband
and baby Raphael

sometimes Haiti is refreshing

On Wednesday I tagged along with Troy and Dokte Jen to visit Mama Eman and her family in Ti Guave.  It was so wonderful to see Mama Eman, Manu, and baby Raphael again and to meet her husband and daughter.  It was great to see the whole family together; they're so loving and fun.  It was refreshing for me to see a family interact the way they do; too often I see children neglected, women abused, families broken.  Visiting Mama Eman's family, though, was beautiful and encouraging. It also was fun to get out of Port au Prince and to get away from the city pollution; it's amazing how much easier it is to breathe out in the country!

sometimes Haiti is frustrating

...and if you've ever been here, you're probably thinking how much of an understatement that is.  From the terrible traffic/roads that make it impossible to get anywhere quickly to knowing when someone is telling you the truth, living/working in Haiti requires much patience and prayer.  And grace.  So much grace; how very much we all need it.  It's frustrating that it can take an hour to drive 6 miles.  It's frustrating that many people lie in order to get what they want (or to say what they think you want to hear).  It's frustrating that efficiency is often a foreign concept.  It's frustrating that many things that are accepted/practiced in this culture are not based on truth and are difficult to overcome.  Frustrating.  But not insurmountable.

sometimes Haiti is beautiful

Sitting on a motorcycle earlier coming back from church, I had a very good view of the city, the mountains, and the ocean all at once, and it was beautiful.  Yes, I rode past several collapsed buildings that have yet to be cleared, two years post-earthquake.  Yes, I saw people working so hard just to make a little bit of money to take home for their families.  Yes, I saw children begging in the street.  But I also saw people coming out of churches, laughing, knowing that God is their joy and their strength.  I saw people who have been through a terrible tragedy and yet are able to go on with their lives, one day at a time, hopeful for a better future.  I heard Ronald, my driver, say how sad it is that children in orphanages aren't able to be with their parents; he loves his four children very much and can't imagine living apart from them (this is a rare perspective in this place where too often children are sent off to live with relatives, friends, or in orphanages).  These things give me hope---hope that despite the pain and hunger and need, all is not lost.  There are Haitian churches coming together to help and encourage each other.  There are individuals who have little to call their own but who exemplify such faith and joy and gratitude to the Lord that is truly humbling (and convicting) to see.  There are ministries such as Heartline and the Apparent Project that are working to keep families together, by providing training in both life skills and in a trade.  God is at work here, and it is beautiful.

sometimes Haiti is home

Not long-term at this point, but I'm thankful for whatever time I get to spend here for now.  Haiti is irreversibly and inextricably part of my life, and for that, I am so thankful.  I cannot imagine what my life would look like had I never come to Haiti; it's so strange to even try to think about.  I love this place.