The story of the day — and definitely of the trip so far — came as we were driving through Port-Au-Prince. As we stopped near the rubble of the Presidential Palace, we had several children run up to the truck and ask for money. The only thing Chris could say was “Not today. Hold on, hold on. Just hold on a little while longer. It’s going to get better.” The shakiness of Chris’ voice and the desperation of the little boys as they ran after the truck because it was their only hope just slapped all of us right in the face.
The hardiness of the Haitian people continues to overwhelm me. It was amazing to see people emerging from the dirt and squalor of their tents dressed for church. And not just dressed — dressed better than many of us do for our own churches. The Haitian people refuse to give up on their dignity, although they have had to learn to balance that dignity with their need.
Tomorrow, our team will begin serving Yahve Shamma, a community about 15 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince. Our medical team will be pulling teeth, checking eyes, and doing some overall general check-ups. The orphan care team will be running a camp for the 30 orphans sponsored through Help End Local Poverty’s Help One Now initiative. Please pray that our doctors and nurses are able to work efficiently and effectively so that we can treat a maximum number of people. Pray that our orphan care team will make lasting connections despite the language barrier and that they will be able to bring joy and fun to (and receive joy and fun from) the children.
(by Ken Nussbaum)
Praying for you guys and the people of Haiti. Thank you for the update…I’m blown away that Haitians don’t victimize themselves and keep pressing forward. Praise God for giving them strength!
So excited to hear about your work at Yahve Shamma. Praying for the team and the work.
Thanks for the updates for us back home. Love you guys.
Thank you for taking the time to update us after an exhausting day. There are countless people praying for your team and awaiting these updates. Keep em’ coming! God Bless Haiti!