By Henk V.
August 18
Lightning lights up the night sky. It has become our ritual to star gaze in the evenings. Tonight however, most of the stars are hidden by dark clouds that skid across the sky. Lying here now, I reflect on the day.
The morning began early with a 5:30 a.m. visit to the local market. Obed and Thony, our two translators, accompanied us. As we walked the sky slowly lit up as a new day dawned. The closer we came to the market the more people and donkeys joined us.
When we arrived, vendors were busy setting up. Some arranged a few neat stacks of mangoes and limes on a mat on the floor, while others organized a wide assortment of imported goods such as rice, juice powder, cookies and spices. You could also purchase shoes and clothing, veggies, goats, smelly fish and charcoal.
Later, we walked by a lumberyard where rough cut lumber and poles for fencing could be purchased, a cock-fighting ring which wasn’t being used at the time, and a place where people could winnow their seed and grains.
Before we were picked up in the truck, Thony bought some bananas and sugarcane for us. Back at the mission we had a delicious breakfast of baked oatmeal, cornflakes, hardboiled eggs and sweet bananas. After breakfast we spent the remainder of the morning painting tables and installing windows at the school.
For lunch we had Bulgar wheat with a fish sauce. After lunch we relaxed a bit in the hottest part of the day and then continued working.
At 4:00 p.m. we went out to deliver twelve bags of food to the blind, lame and elderly. This was one of the more moving experiences of our trip. We went to visit people who lived in mud huts and had so very little. Some were blind, others lame while other had simply become old and frail. They could do very little if any work for their sustenance. Many of the recipients told Thony, who translated for us, that they were happy we could come for a visit and that they thanked God and us for the food. We were also asked several times to remember them in our prayers. It was a humbling experience that made us think about how much we have and the huge support systems we have in our lives that we take for granted. We have our climate controlled spacious houses most with garages much larger than the small huts the people here live in. What a difference and how thankful we ought to be!
After returning to the mission we had some wonderful soup and home baked French bread for dinner. The interesting variety of food we have eaten this week has been a great experience!
After dinner we played soccer with the locals at the airstrip. When it got too dark to play, some of us relaxed in the mission house while one of the girls had her hair braided.
Now we lay, flat on our backs on the airstrip, our final night in the village before heading back to Port au Prince in the morning.
Suddenly I hear a yelp. Jake leaps up shaking his shirt vigorously. "Do you see something on my shoulder?" He asks. I look, but see nothing. “I felt something crawling on my back! When I tried to brush it away it stung my hand! It feels like a bee sting!” Cell phones click on as we search for the culprit. All of a sudden a scorpion crawls from under his shirt. I swat it with a towel and it falls to the ground where it quickly meets its death. Jake remains rather skittish; every time he feels a little bug land on him he leaps into action. Fortunately no other scorpions appear. Meanwhile, the clouds have dissipated and the stars glimmer down on us once again.
Some pictures.
At the market.
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