We’ve made it through 12 whole days of lockdown due to the unrest throughout Haiti. It has been just Kenny and I as the Americans here at Grace Village the past 6 days, and he begins his morning by checking the roads we can see from our apartment balcony for signs of traffic. We overlook a great distance, and if skies are clear, we can see ships in the bay and fires along the roads. We can see how many people are at the local market and if there are only motorcycles on the roads, motorcycles and full-sized vehicles, or neither. Kenny’s favorite response is “looks like yesterday out there.” It is amazing how quickly one becomes disoriented toward things like what time it is and what day of the week it is when there is no schedule to follow!

It has been quiet here-much too quiet as roads have been impassible and businesses closed. WiFi has been limited, and non-existent for days at a time. We got notification that Haiti was being categorized as a Level 4 travel advisory by the US State Dept, moments before the WiFi cut out for a stretch of four days. We had to simply trust that the organization would reach out to us with any necessary information directly on our cell phones. And then the helicopter evacuations began-an endless parade of helicopter traffic, which we watched from the same balcony.

Some of my friends have evacuated, and they made the right decision. Some of my friends have stayed, and they made the right decision. There are no easy answers here. I don’t know if me staying is more burden or more blessing, but I have peace. I have peace that I am where God has led me to be, and because of that, there is no place I would rather be! And we have peace in our village tonight. The children have been playing dominos with Dieufort, our temporary live-in elder. We have a store of diesel, propane, water, and food to keep ourselves sustained for the time being.

The roads between here and Port Au Prince have been mostly open for two days now, and while we don’t know if it will last, we are hopeful that life may begin to resume. We are hoping to have both our school and clinic open tomorrow.

Fleri bakery has been meeting a huge need in the community with bread sales this week. Without access to many of the usual shopping venues, there is consistency for the community to know that there is and will continue to be bread available. Bread of life is taking on new meaning as I see bread truly as a sustaining necessity.

All that being said, I don’t want to downplay the severity of what is happening in Haiti. Days-going on weeks of lost incomes and services. People with no access to food or water. Prices doubling overnight. Shortages of fuel. Protests. Robberies. Violence. Blockades. These are real things happening, not always in my line of vision, but happening throughout Haiti as people beg for changes in the government and exploit one another to gain power, meet their own needs, or catch the attention of international media.

Things that are happening in front of me are Haitians with incredible work ethics and concern for one another. Haitians pulling together to keep their families and communities safe and fed. Haitians finding a way to get to work, not knowing if there will be a job for them that day. Haitians who don’t know if they can get the medicine they absolutely need. Haitians who are hungry and thirsty. Haitians who are sad because of what they see happening around them. And Haitians who will fall asleep tonight, praying that God will provide tomorrow because today felt far too much like yesterday.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

Sometimes in Haiti, the entire country shuts down over protests, and then I am out of reasons to not sit down and type up a blog. 😉 Yes, we are grounded to the compound as a precaution today because of protests planned throughout the country.

However, the past couple of weeks have brought changes and blessings that you may like to hear about.

Attached are a few photos. First is a typical “bed” in Cite Soleil. You can see it is elevated on cinder blocks to keep it dry when the house floods, which it does regularly after heavy rainfall. Instead of a mattress, a homemade pad, filled with fabric scraps and clothing serve to provide the body some comfort at night.

There is also a before and after photo of Maxime, one of our elders who received a bed this past week through our elder program and some individual donors. He had been sleeping on a blanket on the concrete floor. Now, he excitedly points to his bed when you step into his home and even offers it to you as a place to sit if you want. There is dignity in having places/things worth sharing.

Benita is another elder who was blessed this week to receive a new wheel chair. After multiple strokes, she has recently been bed bound and unable to speak. With her continuing medical care and personal care from staff and volunteers at Hope Church, she is recovering. Her speech has gotten clearer in just the past few days, and her wish came true when she was able to go back to church this past Sunday!

This week, we were also visited by a team of four nurses, who did blood pressure checks and some training with our EKS group in Titanyen. They were able to serve in both Cite Soleil and Titanyen, and both communities were open and appreciative of their visits. They discovered high blood pressure among unknowing staff and missionaries too (gulp, I was one of them-please send veggies!). One of the staff at Hope Church came in looking concerned and said that his blood pressure was “very big!” Change starts with education; it’s hard to fix problems you don’t see.

I am learning a lot of things from working closely with Haitians. Just like working with any individual humans, it isn’t all good. We don’t always see eye to eye. We miscommunicate and offend one another, but we are united in Christ, brothers and sisters on the same mission. There is a regard for community here that is special. In conversations with staff and the elders we serve, there is a recurring theme of helping one another with whatever resources one might have.

The day we bought the bed and wheelchair, I was sent a driver from the guest house in Port Au Prince, who did the shopping and delivery for me. He is a friend of mine from multiple trips I took before moving here, and I was explaining to him what we needed to buy. His response was to ask if we could buy a pillow too, if there was money for it. I hadn’t thought of that. I was thinking checklist-wise; our instructions were to purchase a bed frame and mattress. He had the wholistic view of caring for the individual and getting him as comfortable as possible. Yes, he also has a pillow now.

“But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 John 2:27b