Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Oct. 29th, 2012: Higher Heights

Haiti Day 7: Reiser Heights



We landed softly after a bumpy two-hour mountain ride; the children don't overrun you at such an altitude. I would imagine the school had once been as beautiful as Grace Village appeared yesterday. And one can't call it neglect as I surmise corralling 380 students in those small rooms sucks every last drop of the staff's energy. TLC with paintbrushes and patchwork are badly needed for goodness' sake. And how sad is it that their kitchen is empty? Providing spiral notebooks and a basketball is a start, but so much more is required. Required of all of us. We must help if we can. And can't we?



This trip redefines your vocabulary. It puts "un" in a completely new category when you describe unbelievable people, unfathomable poverty or the uncanny faith in Jesus found surrounding Port-Au-Prince. Superlatives used in your world before arriving just don't fit here. The "over" in overwhelming, if used to describe the emotional experience in Haiti, will reach too high if used back home. Should someone describe anything using "incomprehensible" or "inconvenient" how much discipline will it take not to interrupt with a Haitian comparison? So please give me a moment if eyes appear distant. I'll ask for your patience with my inability to adequately answer questions.

Jim




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