Stuck deep in the mud! No way to get it out by itself. I was
eying a couple of oxen that squeezed by the truck but was told it they would not be of any help without having their yoke. The owner was just moving them and disappeared
as quickly as he came. A few onlookers fast became a crowd and as always there
were more opinions than people. We tried a few suggestions but the truck stayed
stuck. We always carry some straps with us and I asked all to line up and pull
together as in tug of war. It took some convincing but a bunch of them finally
grabbed the strap which we attached to the truck. Slowly and with a lot of
moaning the truck moved forward and out of the deep rut. A shout of victory
erupted! We had beaten the mud and confirmed that Haitians can do great things
together! On we went.
Just a few minutes further, the road became too steep to
drive. Now an exhausting hike in the hot sun followed and before long the
Haitian women in our group decided to stay back in the shade of a tree. Half an
hour later I had to give up as well. I was sweating up a storm and it was just too hot for me to continue. Mark, Jeff and
Fonbwen, the leader of the feeding center, went on. The destination: a plot of
land with a hundred bananas trees we donated and that had been planted in an
effort to encourage the local families. We needed to see how things were taking
shape. Since last November we had been
talking with the leaders and made plans to join forces to see if we could
improve the food situation around the centers. Parents would participate by
bringing in water for the banana trees whenever they brought in their kids for
a meal. The leaders would provide the land and work it. Finally the day had come to see how it was taking form. Earlier that morning
we had paid a visit to another feeding center. Their bananas looked wonderful!
The 78 year old man who was working the garden had shared his joy over this new
idea! He just loved it. But now I would not be able to see this garden.
Disappointed I started following a local man who walked to his nearby
house and began a conversation with him. He opened the gate to his yard and
invited me to come in. A nice big mango tree offered some shade. Although I was
just trying to cool off a bit by standing under the tree, a woman quickly came
out the house with a chair and urged me to sit down. The customary greeting
took place and several persons popped out of the house to see the stranger.
Soon we were involved in a lively conversation about the challenges of living
in their area! A tall man, dressed in a ball cap and a nylon jacket, entered
the yard. He carried a large machete, looked upset in my direction and was
quick to share with those present that he did not like white people. What was I
doing here? My new friends took up for
me. It was okay they said, I was a good “blan”, the term used all over Haiti
for white people. When I asked him how he was doing his attitude slowly began
to change and he calmed down. Looking around me I had noticed that the people
were as poor as everyone else. Just a simple stick and mud house, no more than 15
by 12 feet, and it probably was home to at least seven or eight people. A large
wooden mortar and pestle to pound corn and a few rickety homemade chairs of
which she had given me the best one with the least holes. That was the extent of
their possessions. The conversation went on and soon it became clear to me that
they would like to see a mission doctor come to their community. They could not
afford to go to the hospital in the nearest city, something I had been painfully
aware of for many years. Knowing that a medical team was about to come with me
in October, I promised that we would come to the feeding center so they would
have a chance to see a doctor. Smiles came all over their faces even the big
guy cracked a grin! It felt so comfortable with them.
Right at that time, a girl maybe 18 years old, came through
the gate and without hesitating walked up to me. With a bright smile, she stuck
out her hand and greeted me. Then she bowed down and kissed me on the cheek. I
was completely surprised. What a welcome to a total stranger! These people may
have been very poor but oh, how rich in love they were. I started to realize that
ending up in that yard was maybe not a coincidence. What a joy it would be to
come back in a few weeks and take care of their sick. What an example of love I
had run into, a treasure hidden deep in the mountains of rural Haiti. What a wonderful day!
