Tout jounnen m'ap monte desann

Every day I am going up and down.

(meaning I do the same thing everyday)

Moise
4 years old

Haiti is a hard place. The landscape is rough, the streets are often filled with potholes, most children do not go to school and get a proper education, and on and on and on. Haiti is just hard! But people smile, laugh, hug, shake hands, work hard and keep going.

This week I had the pleasure of working with a group who, with the exception of 2, had never been to Haiti before. Things got off to a rocky start because of changes to the schedule...you must me flexible here and that is a hard concept to understand. I know this simply because every day I have to practice patience and flexibility. The group was eager to work and I am especially glad for that, Haiti needs eagerness not only from those who visit, but the people of Haiti need eagerness. I know so many Haitians who are ready and willing to serve and I enjoy knowing them very much!

The church where we worked had been partially destroyed by the earthquake and the group was helping to fund the repairs. The plan was to build an area where the children could have church while the adults were worshiping. We were in Fontamara, which is very hilly. The church was up one of these hills and the truck that delivered the cement and rock for the building could not make it all the way up to the church. To pay laborers to move the cement and rock up the hill it would cost roughly $100 USD. This is a large expense in Haiti. This is where the group from Iowa came in.

The group was enthusiastic about the job and to top it off had some very enthusiastic and eager children to help them. The kids would carry a rice sack or a small pail about the size of a beach pail with a small shovel full of rocks or cement up the hill, while the adults carried 5 gallon buckets filled with 3-5 scoops. I don't think anyone counted how many times they went up or down, but every time there was a smile when you passed someone. Lots of creole words were learned by Americans and Haitians were able to practice their English. It was a wonderful opportunity to build relationships and share the work.

A partnership was formed and the work was enthusiastic for the Lord!

My dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 

1 Corinthians 15:58