Our team was split into two teams on this morning. The nurses, and those studying to be nurses, went off to a medical facility called HHF. They were to help Moms and their babies with wellness check ups - the rest of us went shopping for bread, rice, and, as it turns out, machetes. It was fun to see more of Jeremie, though we could not do the shopping ourselves. We watched from the car as Adrian (Yvrose's husband) negotiated all purchases. (Blanc's get charged much more than Haitians.)
After we finished shopping, we went to Yvrose's to deliver 50 lbs. of rice to a Mother of five, soon to be Mother of six, who was staying in a tiny room on Yvrose's property. This woman's husband had been murdered because someone thought he had brought cholera to them. It was a very sad situation and our team, prompted by Debbie, did several wonderful and helpful things for her and her family. (The two men on our team, Randy and Marvin, built 2 sets of bunk beds for them, we gave her a suitcase full of clothing and supplies that she would be able to use, as well as the small fee of $10 that it would cost for her to go to hospital to have the baby) **update: we found out that she had a baby boy, named Joshua, on Tuesday - all went well**
Later, we went to prepare lunch for the kids at Yvrose's. We were going to have a special peanut butter sandwich lunch with them. We had the fresh bread that we picked up in Jeremie and we added the peanut butter to make filling sandwiches - the kids loved them. (now we knew why they wanted us to bring peanut butter in our suitcases) They all had their fill and some even ate two. It was a simple, sweet and happy time for all of us.
After lunch, the nurses on our team went to a hospital called Mother Theresa's while the rest of us went to a rural Church for service. The service was amazing, the people were lovely, we all sang together in our two different languages and Pastor Thomas, who had preached at the Airport church, sang a beautiful song for the offertory. Pastor Randy preached and Yvrose translated for him - it was an amazing sermon and the people were very responsive. All in all, it was a stunningly beautiful service in the most humble place I have ever had the privilege to worship in and one of the biggest highlights and spiritual moments of the trip.
Meanwhile, the girls that had gone to Mother Theresa's were dealing with, perhaps, the most tragic and disturbing time they have had to date. When we all met back at the compound that night, none of them could speak. When they finally started to speak they were completely broken, crying and intensely disturbed. The picture that was described was that of a room in which many starving babies, barely clinging to life, lay. Parents, perhaps that live in extreme rural conditions, or did not have a good understanding of how to take care of their children, or didn't have any food, had brought their babies here as a last effort to save them - for many, it would be too late. The precious women on our team had became nurses for the right reasons and it was very difficult for them to feel that they could offer no comfort or help to these children. For whatever reason, the Lord chose them to see "the least of these" - I know they won't waste it.
Here is a video from worship at the little rural church:
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