March 2, 2014
Today our group experienced our first full day in
Haiti. We began the week like we would
have back in America, with Sunday Mass.
We traveled by truck to the town of Verrettes with the whole group plus
two Haitian friends. Roaming along the
streets of Haiti in the back of a pick-up is an unforgettable adventure! So many faces turn to watch as the “Blan”
whiz by. Children wave and chase after
our vehicle while adults stare intently.
We are merely an arm’s length away from other traffic and pedestrians
along the road. The Haitians seems to
enjoy “people” watching on the road as we would in a mall back home – searching
for familiar faces, shouting to friends, and looking on curiously when seeing
something out of the ordinary.
When we arrived at the church I immediately felt a sense of
familiarity as Catholicism knows no land barriers. The Mass was spoken all in Creole with
speckles of Latin. I only recognized the
word “Hosanna,” and yet I felt my heart understanding more through our universal
Catholic rituals and gestures. I could
feel the raw emotion in the Priest’s voice and sense the honest adoration in
the harmonic singing of the choir. The
first several rows of the church were occupied by school children. They looked dashing in their matching
uniforms of white and brown. The girls
all sported white bows and vibrant smiles while the boys rocked ties and wide
innocent eyes. When they departed as the
Mass ended each held the hand of another in honest camaraderie.
Later in the day we assisted with a food program benefitting
some of the most in need children from the community. The kids in the program receive food and
assistance with school supplies until they graduate. During this time I was able to interact with
a few boys who spoke English! At times
it was difficult to interpret their accents on specific words, but I realized I
was listening more with my heart than my ears.
Words can carry meaning, but the body can convey true emotion that
exceeds cultural barriers. At times we
were laughing and at other instances I could sense feelings of passion,
awkwardness, hopelessness, and joy. One
boy, John Le, confided in me his desire to become an English teacher. This of course cut straight to my heart as a
fellow educator. He spoke of his longing
to help those in his community and inspire younger children. I identified with this passion, but was
saddened when I saw the distant look in his eyes yearning for an easier way to
accomplish his heart’s desire. John Le
knew there would be no easy path to this calling, but still he held tight to
this dream. He hoped to see me again as
I did him when we said our goodbyes. I
became overwhelmed with emotion upon his departure as he hugged me. So many times in life I have met children and
wondered what their future holds and how I can help them to recognize their God
given talents. John Le seemed to already
know his. I hope one day I will be
blessed to see him again spreading his joy and passion with the world by
teaching others as he taught me on this blessed second day of March. ~ Jacque
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