Praise God for Strength and Support

Good morning Haiti!

As we awake to the jubilating squawk of the plentiful roosters we awake to another beautiful day in Haiti.

We begin our day celebrating Mass at the Home of the Sick and Dying Babies, and once again surrounded by the spiritual aura and beautiful voices of the nuns.

After another delicious and hearty breakfast prepared by the wonderful Haitian women we once again board our beloved Tap-Tap.

The Tap-Tap, our mode of transportation in Haiti, is a cheerfully painted pick-up truck with brightly painted religious slogans on the exterior, and with multiple Bible verses inside. The bed of the truck is encased in a metal mesh, which allows for not only much needed air circulation, but also allows us to soak up the sights and sounds of the busy lives of the Haitian people.

The Tap-Tap is where we have shared many stories and excessive laughter, along with some uneasy and very suspenseful experiences as our driver navigates thru the extremely crowded, rocky, rutted and jarring roads of Haiti. As all of us squeeze together on the long narrow bench seats that line both sides of the Tap-Tap its essential that you either hold onto the metal bar above you, or grasp the classy leather straps that swing overhead.

As we bounce up and down, and oscillate back and forth it sometimes feels like our driver navigates like an experienced but doomed sea captain. We have been launched into and onto each other while somehow still managing to hang onto the above bar or leather straps, yet we all seem to look forward to the next wild adventure.

Haiti is comparable to New York City on steroids. Hundreds of people on the streets, the extreme congestion of traffic, and the never ending huts filled with clothing, Haitian art, homemade crafts, fruits, vegetables and coal are endless and overloaded.

Today we had a few hours after Mass and breakfast to tour the Rebo Coffee Factory.

Coffee is a tradition in Haiti. It is drunk strong and sweet. The average coffee vender on the street of Haiti can make up to 2-3 times the average hourly minimum wage. If a vender sells $10.00 worth of coffee a day, that is considered a very profitable day.

We then visited the Haitian History Center. We had a guided tour and learned the history and struggles of Haiti.

The Haitians are beautiful, joyful, and resilient people. If they are fortunate enough to afford it they make sure their children go to school. Most all education is private education. It may cost any where from $100.00-$400.00 per year to send them to school. The Haitian children are beautiful and delightful children, walking to school every morning in their brightly colored, fresh and clean uniforms. The girls have beautiful color coordinated barrettes and bows scattered throughout their neatly braided hair. Both the girls and boys are always smiling as they walk past us with their soft and polite “bonjour”.

After the history tour our destination was Sacred Heart Home where we spent the afternoon with the elderly and abandoned women. We polished fingernails and toenails, while providing lotion massages on their legs, feet, arms, and hands. We also brought and served pastries and juice, and then concluded our visit by singing and dancing with them. Even though there is a language barrier their eyes, the smiles on their faces, their laughter, and their spirited hand clapping was both heart warming and joyous for us all.

Our days in Haiti have been filled with much laughter, many smiles, tears, hugs, and a closeness that has brought us all together in a way we could never have imagined.

We praise God for His strength and support he has given us.

Bev Tillges