January 28, 2010
Greetings from Ouanaminthe,
The picture that you see above is of 10 students from Port-au-Prince, all survivors of the earthquake. Fortunately, they lived through the horror of the quake, although they survived with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. While Joseph and I were distributing rice to our families throughout the afternoon yesterday, a man stopped us on the street and asked if there was any way we could help these young people, now refugees without even a pillow to lay their heads upon. Joseph invited him to bring the students to his house at 6 pm and we would talk. Before they came, we stacked 5 bags of rice in his front room to give to them.
When they sat down on the grass and a couple of chairs and a single bench out in the airfield in front of Joseph’s house, there was silence ~ except for the roosters crowing, some people walking by and the ever-present motorcycles racing up and down the enormous and rarely used airstrip. After the gentleman who had stopped us on the street said a few words explaining the plight of these kids in their late teens and early twenties, I was asked to say a few words. I began by telling the group how sad I was for each of them. I know they lost many loved ones ~ family members and friends ~ in addition to classmates, teachers and acquaintances. I told them that I knew their hearts were heavy beyond words, that their lives were broken and shattered, and that they probably wondered if anything could ever be okay again. I explained that Aslan had been coming to Haiti for 15 years and that we are here to stay. I told them that our hearts are here and our hearts are breaking with theirs.
I then asked if I could take a few pictures with the explanation that I wanted people to see the first wave of people who had left Port-au-Prince to try and rebuild their lives. I told them that I would not take pictures if it made them uncomfortable, but they said it was okay. After snapping a few shots, I went to each of them and hugged them and asked for God to watch over them. Each of them warmly thanked me, and one young man who spoke a little English returned to thank me 3 times. They were so grateful for a half a bag each of rice. Not only will we be helping with more rice, but we asked for their shoe and clothes sizes so we can bring things back from America for each of them as soon as possible.
As I watched them slowly ride away, carrying the rice on bicycles and motorcycles, Jesus’ words kept going through my mind, “I was hungry . . . and you fed me.” Just before this took place, Joseph and I had taken rice to an extended family of 19 others who also just found their way to Ouanaminthe a few days ago. The man they’re staying with came to Joseph and explained that he does not have enough to feed them and his own family. They also have nothing but what is left of their lives and the clothes on their backs. That made 29 people we were privileged to serve yesterday, in addition to the many Aslan families we delivered rice to. Below are two pictures ~ one of the motorcycle stacked with rice; and yes I was on the back holding one of the bags in my lap before I struggled off to snap this picture. The other picture is of Joseph’s closet stacked to the ceiling with rice that we’ve bought so far. There will be tons more, literally, in days, weeks, and months to come thanks to the generosity of all of you who have given to Aslan’s Haiti Relief Fund. May God bless your hearts. May God bless your lives, for caring for these precious people in such need and this nation in chaos. I spoke briefly with FaFa, my dear friend and Aslan’s attorney in Haiti, yesterday. He somberly and sadly said to me, “Craig, my country is gone. I no longer have a country. It has been destroyed.” FaFa is a highly educated attorney who received his degree in France. I am so happy that he chose to return to Haiti, where he has helped Aslan in so many ways. He now has a prominent position with the United Nations throughout Northern Haiti, in addition to continuing his law practice. Please pray for this wonderful man and for his brother, Aviol. Aviol is also an extremely gifted attorney who works in the Haitian government. Aviol lost his precious wife in the earthquake.
Craig
