na mitan

March 3-5, 2010

Wednesday, I had a few conversations with the youth who were around helping the Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) team or just hanging out and watching. The first conversation was with a 19 year old young man named Jubert. We had a lesson where he quizzed me on the words I knew in Kreyol which also allowed him the opportunity to practice the English he knows. The entertaining part was how confused my brain eventually became as he would switch back and forth between Kreyol, Spanish, and English. I literally couldn't understand him towards the end, even though he was merely asking if I was sick and I knew the appropriate words in all 3 languages. Somehow the connections were not firing in my brain for comprehension to occur. I was grateful for his determination to have some communication, no matter how trivial or nonconsequential.

The same day, I spent time with a few of the youth who attend bibliotec and were just watching the work on the compound. It was nice to continue developing these relationships to see what purpose God will have in the interactions one day. Rubenson, Jetson, and Dutchie were also willing to help me with some vocabulary when I indicated a specific item. We tossed around a ball briefly, and I swung Dutchie around in circles until neither she nor I were able to walk.

One of the first words that the children use is zanwi, which means friend. Each one wants to clarify that he or she is my friend and that I am his or her friend. They will come up next to you, grab a hand or swing their arms behind your back for a sidehug, and just stay that way. They seek physical contact through hugs and games. A large part of these interactions seem to be just a part of their cultural.

During bibliotec on Thursday, I had two of the girls attach themselves to me for the hour's duration. We walked up the beach to speak with some men who turned out to be surveyors trying to determine where exactly the fault line runs (which apparently is extremely close to the compound). Nicole translated her conversation with the men and asked their questions to the youth as they gathered information about the water receding and returning after the earthquake. It was fascinating information, but I enjoyed the interactions with the youth much more. It amazes me how a smile or gesture can speak words despite language barriers that exist.

On Friday morning, I went up into the mountains for the first time to view some of the CODEP project area. The beauty of the mountains was stunning, but the apparent poverty was also breath-taking. Homes are now just piles of rubble. Schools that are no longer and others that we are just waiting to crumble to the group. Life continues regardless. Some people were clearing mud from the road that had been washed down with the previous night's rains. Men were moving mounds of concrete from the slabs that once served as house floors. Laundry hung in lines. Children played games and watched the blancs on their hike. Women instructed the youth. Coffee was still being harvested. The tree nursery was being tended. Temporary structures have been built, or belongings have been moved into newly purchased or attained tents and tarps. Every where we went, the people graciously took time from their present tasks to speak with us, answer questions, grant permission to take pictures, explain their current living situations, etc.

That afternoon, some local vendors came to hold "market" for the BGF team before their departure the following day. The Haitians set out their merchandise in the outer courtyard next to the beach, allowing the team members an opportunity to purchase local art or handicrafts. I decided to wait on purusing what was available, but decided to go down to the beach and spend some time appreciating God's creation. I started singing Amazing Grace and pretty soon realized that someone had come up behind me. One of the teenage girls, Chilene, who is 17 or 18 had joined me. She was just listening and I invited her to sit next to me. Over the next hour and a half, we had a stilted conversation as I used the Kreyol I know to learn more about her. I was excited to be able to converse, no matter how simply, with her in Kreyol. I was even more pleased that she had sought out the interaction and choose not to leave, even though it required work to maintain conversation.

Again, I was struck by the importance of laughter in spanning the canyon created by a lack of language. It would be easy to remain in my sphere and not attempt conversations. In reality, I spend so little time with Haitians on my own that I wouldn't HAVE to learn. However, even my few interactions with the youth speak to me as a reminder that God has placed me in this place at this time for a specific purpose. I want to learn more Kreyol to continue learning what that may be. Sometimes I wonder if the purpose is merely to learn from the Haitians. I hope that I can adopt their worldview which allows them to continue praising God and recognizing the blessings they do have instead of harboring on what they don't have. Then I think about the groups that come down to work and wonder if it is more for those interactions that I am here. I had some interesting conversations with the BGF team members about how I ended up in Haiti and the growing that I am already going through as a result. The piece that struck me in these conversations was how confused words like conviction and how explanations like "God has been preparing me" made no sense to some of them. I am a firm believer that a large part of missions is learning from the people with whom you work. In this situation, that philosophy offers many avenues down which to venture ...first with the Carlins, second with the Haitians, third with the teams, and fourth anyone else who comes into contact with the project whether by stopping in or just emailing information for us to use in the recovery efforts.