A Wide Range of Emotions

Ah....it's amazing how sleep and a shower can completely make you a new person!!!!  The team woke up early ( I mean 5am early!) and got ready for the day. After breakfast, we arrived about 8am to work; however, the Haitians that we were working with were running on their own time....so we actually got started about 9am : )  We arrived to a building with about 8 Haitians ready to help us work. Within about 30 minutes---the number grew to about 20!

It is really hot out here today so everyone was doing their best to stay hydrated. A couple of the guys got more than a little sick so had to take a little bit longer of a break. However, by the end of the afternoon, the frame for the roof has gone up. We will come back on Wednesday to put the tin on. For those of you wanting specifics, here you go:
 *Todd is doing okay--little weak at times, but he is doing fine.
 *Matt (i.e. "bigman") over worked himself and had to take a little long of a break but he is fine
 *The "Bobsey Twins" (Bob L. & Bob C.) both managed today. Bob C. was also dubbed "the shiek" because of his constant white towel on his head : )
  *Pastor & Ed worked well with the Haitians getting trusses built--though at times, the lanugage barrier was a little interesting! Pastor even had to drive the bus today---boy that was an adventure.
 *Lille helped with roof and with Bible school and is falling in love with the kids...who can blame her?!?
*Mark was shooting photography all day which is a HUGE blessing to all of us
*Josh is right at home! His language has come back and he was working incredibly well with the Haitians...I think it is fun for him to be home :
 *Terry is being set up by every guy on the team with some sort of mail order bride : )

We were also to have a Bible School for the children. It made me smile because we had about 5 kids there, so Cathy told them to run and tell the other children that we would be having a bible lesson at 11am...the kids starting pouring in this tin roof. I believe that when we started we had about 40 children there...with just a 10 minute warning : ) We had a short Bible lesson and song time and gave the children candy (can I tell you, there is no candy company in the world that could supply these kids with enough!!!)

Today was a huge blessing with a great feeling of accomplishment, and I think that I would have been happy to end today on that note...except that God had another plan in store. Right before we pulled into where we are staying, Cathy came back and asked me if I wanted to go with her to the hospital to pick up a baby that has water on his brain and take him (his name is Collins) to an American team of doctors that are here in Gonaives. To give you some history, Cathy met this woman (Anette) at the hospital in Gonaives shortly after the earthquake. Anette has lost 15 family members in the earthquake including her husband, mother, father, and a child. Cathy happened to meet her. Anette has basically latched on to Cathy and Cathy has taken a special interest in here. Anette's home town is 2 hours away. Today, Anette called Cathy to tell her that she had traveled the 2 hours to Gonaives because Collins is very sick. He has a very high fever. Yet, once she got here, there were no doctors in because of the weekend. Cathy immediately called this American team of doctors that she knew was in Gonaives this week and made arrangements for them to see Collins.

I cannot describe to you what I felt when I saw this little boy. He is dying--the doctors have told Anette there is nothing they can do but try to make him comfortable....and it tore out my heart. Here I was with him, holding his hand and rubbing his little legs. I said "bonjour" to him, and he looked at me and touched his hand to mine and said "bon..."---he was too sick to finish the rest of the word. But, he kept smiling....by the end of the trip, his eyes were rolling back in his head and he was fading quickly. I am not sure how much longer Collins is going to be present here on this earth, but I know that he has a forever home in 2 places....heaven and in my heart. Please pray for him and for his mom Anette....I cannot even imagine how she will deal with one more loss in her already empty world....

Outside my own little world today, I found hope & helplessness; smiles & tears; laughing and crying; determination & defeatedness....all range of emotions. And each of those emotions are slowly chipping away at this neat little box I call my "own little world"--I have a feeling, God has a ton more of carving yet to do...