Christina and a friend
We officially encountered our first Wifi issues today, so I am sending this article later than I wanted to. (Welcome to Haiti, where the government shuts down the power whenever it decides to.)
Day 2 of our Mission Youth October mission trip to Haiti saw the four of us heading out early to join the Missionaries of Charity for 6:30 am Mass. After breakfast, we made our way to the Children’s Home where we spent our entire day.
We were a little unsure as we climbed the hill to the home, but since it was breakfast time for them; we were quickly put to work feeding the kids. The women who work with the sick and malnourished children have it down to an art, and we were able to help it go even faster this morning. What a joy to be able to help in that way! We were also put at ease by the children themselves. They were so excited to meet us that some ran to greet us as soon as we entered the door! We spent the whole morning feeding, changing diapers, holding, and feeding them!
One of the beautiful and difficult moments we had today was when some of the children’s mothers came to visit. It was great to see the joy on the children’s faces as their moms scooped them from their cribs. But it was hard to console those whose parents were not there. We didn’t have enough arms to hold them all! And the very worst was when the bell rang, signifying that visiting hours were over. If we thought we had a hard time with the kids whose parents weren’t there, we had no idea how to console all the crying children after their mothers left. Thanks be to God it was feeding time again soon after, and the kids were once again sufficiently distracted.
We went back to the Guesthouse for lunch and a siesta, corresponding with the time when the sisters have their own lunch and siesta, and the children too can rest. It is very hot in Haiti, and we thoroughly enjoyed the A/C in our room as we rested.
In the afternoon, we returned once more to spend time with the kids. We met a family from Belgium that is also volunteering this week with the Missionaries of Charity. One of them brought his guitar and the kids listened to and sang along to his songs. The time flew by and we found ourselves once more at the Guesthouse–ready for dinner and a well-deserved shower!
We had a moment at night to share our experiences and a common feeling among all of us was the helplessness that we felt when faced with all the needs of the people. We also mentioned how different here are the sights and smells and sounds, from roosters crowing and dogs barking at all times, not to mention the trucks passing on our street honking!
Tomorrow it is back to the Children’s Home for Mass with the sisters and then we will join them at the Wound Clinic. Please keep us in your prayers as this will most likely bring us quite far out of our comfort zones.
