Relationships and a Car Battery

May 20
It is 11am in Chambrun, and I am not sure how to handle the heat today. Yesterday was a cloudy day—still hot with high humidity, but no direct sun. Today there are no clouds at all and the cactuses suddenly make a whole lot more sense.
We got to the ministry grounds near the village of Chambrun, bumping all the way. Once we got out of the bus, the sunlight on the white, stone-covered ground was almost blinding. The school was in full swing, a goat/sheep herd was wandering through the grounds, and one lady was already set up to sell candies and treats outside of the clinic. (The locals saw the blue bus arrive yesterday—the “circus” has arrived!)
I followed Scott Hendrix around as he explained where all the aid was stored, who shipped it (like GAiN Canada, GAiN Germany, and of course I recognized all the GAiN USA stuff). He explained what stories we really need to collect for the donors. I saw blankets, tents, water filters, water bottles, baby food, sleeping bags, family packs of seeds, hygiene kits, and the rice-soy meals.
The first week of June 46 American college students will join up with 25 Haitian college students for ministry. The GAiN team is currently racing to build a tent city for the young missionaries—including a kitchen (to be run by Mercy Chefs), showers, bathrooms, and tent area. There are three men leading a team of Haitians to lay pipe, pour concrete, run electric, and more. Please pray for the completion of the tent city for the volunteers.
In the clinic, a young girl came in with a terrible sore. The lead nurse thought that maybe it was a bug bite that got infected and was never treated. The poor girl was in a lot of pain. The Haitian doctor was working to release the fluid buildup—which hurt the girl immensely. She cried out and the nurse help her tight in a hug. My heart was hurting for her so. I had to walk away with tears in my eyes. She was getting help, I reminded myself. And God cares even more than I do.
They wrapped her arm in a bright pink bandage, gave her antibiotics, and sent her home with the instructions to come straight to the clinic in the morning before school.
Relationships are everything in Haiti. I have heard it, I have seen it, now I feel it. On the first day at Chambrun, I met the two ladies who cook the meals for all the students at the school. Today I wandered back over to say, “Bonjour.” They came straight up to me and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. It was as if we are friends now! And we do not even speak the same language.
It is 7:45pm now. I am sitting at Pastor Pierre’s house in the dark. The city electric is out. The first generator (that runs on a car battery) has stopped three times this evening. The main generator that runs the AC is out too. Interesting night. So I think I will go crawl in bed, swelter, and hope something kicks back on. And I realize, down the road, people living in tents are hoping something in their lives will kick back on, too.