Haiti Day Five

Today was a very relaxing day. There was no food distributions to make or sheds to organize. I went with Pastor Debbie to the food mart to pick up fixings for American hamburgers. I asked the Haitian workers if they wanted to taste American food and they got very excited. They all want to come to America. I tried to make it a great experience for them. The problem is that I needed to cook the meat well done. Everyone knows burgers are burgers unless they are medium. The buns here are very dry so they fell apart somewhat. But all in all they group like American hamburgers. I gave them dill pickles too but they did not like the taste of them. "Too sour."
After lunch, I sat down with Pastor Debbie and put the final touches on the menu (in Creole) for the ladies who do the cooking. It helped me learn more Creole. Its easier than French. The ladies tried my hamburgers too. Linda really liked the pickles. Louisa ate half and took the other half home to her husband. Both were very interested in how to prepare American food. Their typical meal is rice and beans. They probably eat that every day.
We also finished the Foursquare Haiti Mission Statement:

"A Beautiful Haiti Living Abundantly in Jesus Christ"

The Mission of Foursquare Haiti

1. Advancing the Kingdom. Make disciples and plant churches. We teach people to do what Jesus commanded. Matt 28:19,20

2. Education. Raise the standard of education with ongoing teacher training, superior curriculum and resources and a lunch program. Enable the Haitians to do for themselves by looking to self sufficiency projects like raising chickens for eggs and meat, operating a fish farm or raising fruit and vegetable crops. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and feed him for a lifetime.”

3. Relief. Bring food water and shelter, the basic necessities of life to Children of Promise Homes for orphaned and abandoned children. Facilitate medical care and medicine to assist those who are in need.

4. Compassion. Establish Children of Promise Homes and raise the level of care and nurture to orphaned and abandoned children. Provide loving training and teaching because they are our future leaders. Through these relationships we reach out other such homes in Haiti.

We ended the evening at the Sugar Cane Restaurant for dinner. Despite our 6pm reservation and preordered meal, we did not get served until 7:15. What can I tell you. We are on Haitian time. It happens when it happens. Time is different here making plans hard to keep to.
Earlier in the day when we went to make the reservations, the traffic in front of the US Embassy was halted to a stop. A group of Haitians were demonstrating for the return of Aristide. They were chanting and yelling in the middle of the street. With the news that Celestin has withdrawn from the election, maybe they feel Aristide will come back. But why would they want him back?

Personal reflection: I have been feeling a little low today. No particular reason that I can think of. Lonely maybe. I usually have Harry to share my experiences with. This is one adventure I did by myself. I felt like a stranger going through my work email today. Do all people on a mission trip feel this way?

Tomorrow is promising. We are going to another children’s home with 60 kids. They are not part of Foursquare but we help them often. We are taking some Manna for the kids. I understand the conditions at this home are just as deplorable as Bishops was. It’s easy to show compassion, but hard to say goodbye at the end of the visit. They are desperate. We are doing what we can.