the children, the world

Friday, March 12, 2010

Today Nicole, Riah, Tessa, Sophie, Sam and I went to visit Mr. Kingston (the man who helped teach them Kreyol when they first moved to Haiti) at the tent camp where he lives and has started a school. He had requested that we come see his school, little did I know what this meant. I rode in the back of the truck with Riah and Tessa, while Sophie, Sam and Nicole rode in the cab with Mimi and Clement. We were receiving a lot of attention as we drove the half hour into Leogane.

When we arrived to the area where the school was located, Kingston greeted us with a large smile and hugs for everyone. He seemed incredibly excited to have us there and escorted us

through the small gathered crowd to a tarp-covered section where 100 or so children stood singing and clapping. Kingston had been holding Tessa's hand and took her right up front. As I looked closer, I realized there were 4 chairs front and center reserved for us. It was that moment when I identified the fact that we were the honored guests that day. I quickly collected my thoughts and set aside my lack of comfort with the situation, recognizing this moment was not about me but about these beautiful, courageous children and adults who had invited us to join their morning.

I thought the children were just singing as part of their school routine, but it only took about 45 more seconds to conclude that they were actually singing for us. Kingston then made that apparently clear when he encouraged us to sit down in the provided chairs. The youth continued to stand and sing to us. Their voices were stunning. I worked hard to avoid tears. I no longer find it difficult to show emotion in front of others, but in Haiti crying in public is reportedly the first sign that one is going crazy.

The boys and girls of all ages finally sat down... on tarps on the ground or, if they were lucky, really old and dirty theater seats which had been salvaged from the nearby auditorium. They continued to sing for us ...songs in English and Creole... many of which focused on Christ and hope. The youngest children who were sitting on the ground next to my chair worked hard to gain my attention by reaching not to brush my leg or touch my hand. They wanted a little wave, a thumbs-up, or a smile. I tried to look into their eyes and allow my eyes and smiles to speak the words I did not have/know.

After a while, Nicole asked Kingston to translate for her as she shared her thoughts for us all. She recognized the honor that had been given to us and thanked them for sharing their day and hard work with us. Nicole attempted to encourage them in their plight. As we exited, the children sang a song that I had heard only one other time ...but it had stuck with me. The first time I heard the song was on February 13th, the day before I traveled to Haiti, on a television commercial. "We are the World" lyrics from these children almost made it impossible to keep my eyes dry, but God helped me maintain my composure in that moment. It was beautiful ...and almost haunting.

As part of the journal routine that afternoon, Nicole and I had the children discuss their impressions and then record those individually. We talked about how it was the 2 month anniversary of the earthquake, and without Mr. Kingston's school, none of the children in that camp would have any structured activities during their day. The schools are not even scheduled to begin again until April 1st, but the previous "start day" of March 1st has come and gone. There is still much to do, but for the Haitians our visit means that they are not forgotten. The faith and hope of these children and adults has left a lasting impression.