Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Hope and Differences
I was sitting down at the Center and working on photos and gallery things on the computer. I shared with Lee that I really needed to work on a blog idea, needed a little inspiration. Shortly after that a little girl ran by the center in her little school uniform. I made a joke. I said “Where is she running to? She isn’t late. In Haiti no one is ever late.” Haiti is common with other tropical countries I have experienced. Things start, when they start; and it can be at least start a half hour late, really at best. A friend of mine told me in Mexico for weddings that they don’t even leave their houses until an hour after it is supposed to start.
This can be very, VERY frustrating for people coming from the American culture. The director of Storm Mountain Center a Dakota’s UM Camp used to say when I worked out there (and I am sure he still says it) “If you are not 5 minutes early you are late.” Many other Americans have this same philosophy also we have the saying “Time is Money”, so I have worked with many a person on a mission trip who is frustrated with the laid back atmosphere of those countries that are close to the equator. I have learned to appreciate it, although there are still days.
But back to the little girl running, Lee made the comment “Usually if you see Haitians running it is from something, not to something.” This seems to be a profound metaphor for Haiti. The country takes two steps forward and gets knocked back 3 steps. This has been a rough week here in Mizak. We had 4 deaths this week and 3 of them were under the age of 30. None of them were related just fluke things, sicknesses, and one just had a headache and then didn’t wake up the next day. I imagine if these people had access to good healthcare such as we have in the United States, they might not have died but we will never know. In the mean time the community, friends and family are left to wonder why does this happen to us? Are we cursed? Feeling this sense of being cursed, a sense of fear, and hopelessness is a common state of being for many people in Haiti.
This is one reason I feel it is important to be here living in Haiti with my Haitian brothers and sisters. To show them that people care, they are loved and there is hope for a beautiful future that we can work for together. You have to keep planning and looking forward to the future. The other day I brought some cookies home and my friend Papi saw them, he said something like ‘oh give me them’ and I explained that I was saving them for tomorrow. He said jokingly, “What if we aren’t here tomorrow, what if we die.” It struck me what he said, he was indeed joking but I know there is also a true belief at the heart of that. Don’t be sad for that, I think we can learn from it. You do need to seize today and do what brings you joy. Do at least one thing every day that brings you happiness.
I was walking down the road the other day and this old man was walking behind me. He said, “What do you think of the Life?” I asked for clarification and he said, what do you need to do in life. I said just that, you should do things that make you happy but more importantly do something for someone else, help other people to make their life happier too. You should also look to see what God would like you to do to help the future, and I think God is happier when we help one another. We are all here together and we need to see what we can do to help one another and that happiness will be contagious for us all to have more hope for our future.
This can be very, VERY frustrating for people coming from the American culture. The director of Storm Mountain Center a Dakota’s UM Camp used to say when I worked out there (and I am sure he still says it) “If you are not 5 minutes early you are late.” Many other Americans have this same philosophy also we have the saying “Time is Money”, so I have worked with many a person on a mission trip who is frustrated with the laid back atmosphere of those countries that are close to the equator. I have learned to appreciate it, although there are still days.
But back to the little girl running, Lee made the comment “Usually if you see Haitians running it is from something, not to something.” This seems to be a profound metaphor for Haiti. The country takes two steps forward and gets knocked back 3 steps. This has been a rough week here in Mizak. We had 4 deaths this week and 3 of them were under the age of 30. None of them were related just fluke things, sicknesses, and one just had a headache and then didn’t wake up the next day. I imagine if these people had access to good healthcare such as we have in the United States, they might not have died but we will never know. In the mean time the community, friends and family are left to wonder why does this happen to us? Are we cursed? Feeling this sense of being cursed, a sense of fear, and hopelessness is a common state of being for many people in Haiti.
This is one reason I feel it is important to be here living in Haiti with my Haitian brothers and sisters. To show them that people care, they are loved and there is hope for a beautiful future that we can work for together. You have to keep planning and looking forward to the future. The other day I brought some cookies home and my friend Papi saw them, he said something like ‘oh give me them’ and I explained that I was saving them for tomorrow. He said jokingly, “What if we aren’t here tomorrow, what if we die.” It struck me what he said, he was indeed joking but I know there is also a true belief at the heart of that. Don’t be sad for that, I think we can learn from it. You do need to seize today and do what brings you joy. Do at least one thing every day that brings you happiness.
I was walking down the road the other day and this old man was walking behind me. He said, “What do you think of the Life?” I asked for clarification and he said, what do you need to do in life. I said just that, you should do things that make you happy but more importantly do something for someone else, help other people to make their life happier too. You should also look to see what God would like you to do to help the future, and I think God is happier when we help one another. We are all here together and we need to see what we can do to help one another and that happiness will be contagious for us all to have more hope for our future.
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