February 21- part 2

Sunday, Feb 21We went to church today in Chambrun. A bus ride in Haiti is always an adventure...we picked up so many people on the way that we were packed in like sardines. There's a couple with a small child who captures my attention. She is beautiful and dressed to the nines for church. The congregation was already singing when we arrived. They are so enthusiastic. They are loud and they clap and dance. There are hands and hearts uplifted. Even the children worship. I am struck that these people have nothing and yet they worship with a fervor, children included. Mel sticks out like a sore thumb with his rigid Mennonite posture while all the kids around him are dancing. After the service we have the opportunity to give each of the children a candy. That is very fun and it made us quite popular. Afterward the children crowd around wanting to talk with us yet are very shy and many don't even speak French - only Creole. They are lovely children. I show them a picture of my family on the camera and can't remember the word for husband so I call Tim 'mon amour'. They laugh. I take pictures of the kids and then show them on the LED screen. They love this and I have tons of wonderful pictures of the children. After a quick lunch that we eat in the clinic out of the eye of the people, we are on our way to the epicenter of the quake. As we make our way to the center the damage becomes progressively worse. Were there are only a few buildings that appear to be damaged beyond repair on the outskirts, the center is total devastation. Ruble is everywhere, some buildings are missing entire stories, some are missing entire sides, some more still are totally unrecognizable. These people have lost everything and many still have loved ones buried in the buildings. We visit the capital building which is now and IDP camp. It is a place filled with despair. There's a stench of fecal matter and unwashed bodies. People are everywhere, they have no privacy. One woman is bare chested as she washes herself. Rape is prevalent in these camps. They have no security. We stop in front of the palace and exit the bus with our assigned buddies in order to view the devastation of the palace. It is only a few moments before we are called back to the bus because we are attracting too much attention and a following. We are yelled at in animosity and also asked for money. I am frightened. It bothers me a great deal that some are so angry with us. The bus progresses toward the water. As we get closer to the water we enter an area that is the worst of the slums. Sewage is in the streets and there is no power. The complete and utter desperation of the situation has affected me deeply. I am grieved. The people are trying to find a new normal. They are working, cooking, washing. Back to the palace... we pass a long line up of people waiting to get drinking water. That image is stuck in my mind. I am struck by the thought that there is no way to rebuild. It is not worth it. 90% of the buildings must be torn down before they can even be rebuilt. It is a mess I wouldn't even know where to start. How does on help in an effective way? Can I make a difference? I know I can because God has called me. I must remind myself of this constantly and pray for his power. That was a rough day and most of the team was in tears at some point. My heart aches