See Jesus.
It is interesting to have a team of Americans in Haiti. Especially a team that is not full of seasoned veterans returning to Haiti for their fifth or sixth time. Having a team of new people has its challenges, but it shows me how much I have really acclimated here. When teams come they have obviously never drove through Cap Haitien before. I see them shocked by how much a woman can carry on her head, or by the lack of street laws, or how many people (and things) you really can fit on a moto. They are amazed by the beautiful colors and how many people are packed in a small area selling so many things. I realize two things- first, It is comforting in a way to see that I really have acclimated more than I think.
The woman carrying a two gallon jug of water plus about 20 fruits on her head and leading a cow with her hands is no longer foreign to me. The people coming up and trying to sell you random things as you are trying to leave a restaurant or the kids asking to have your left overs are no longer shocking to me; but now an expected part of the experience. When teams ask if we can get them chocolate, cheese or basically any snack besides Pringles, and I say without even thinking about it- You can't really get that in Haiti- and that seems normal to me. It is amazing how quickly things have just become my new norm here in Haiti. Its fun to have teams here to realize how much I really do soak in the culture and have accepted a lot about this culture just for what it is.
The second reason it can be fun to have people around who do notice these things is that it keeps me grateful. It keeps me appreciating the beauty of Haiti. It keeps me in awe of the people here. People in Haiti are hardworking, community-oriented, smart, innovative and loving.
To see a little kid pulling a toy car he made from an old soda bottle might seem sad to some. Or you can see the beauty in that this child saw a broken soda bottle and thought- this could become something new, something fun. You can see a woman carrying pounds and pounds of things on her head and be shocked by the weight and skill of that. Or you can see that woman and know how much she loves her family that she is willing to do physical labor of that sort to provide for her kids. You can see kids walking alone on the side of the road and be shocked. Or you can understand that people in this area know each other and it is culturally normal because of the sense of community to let young kids walk to school knowing that all the kids will watch out for each other.
At first glance you may not see the deeper rooted cultural beauty in every little detail of Haiti. It's easy to just see chaos, confusion, color and people. But if you look deeper and get the chance to talk to these people and understand them, you will see Jesus.
The woman carrying a two gallon jug of water plus about 20 fruits on her head and leading a cow with her hands is no longer foreign to me. The people coming up and trying to sell you random things as you are trying to leave a restaurant or the kids asking to have your left overs are no longer shocking to me; but now an expected part of the experience. When teams ask if we can get them chocolate, cheese or basically any snack besides Pringles, and I say without even thinking about it- You can't really get that in Haiti- and that seems normal to me. It is amazing how quickly things have just become my new norm here in Haiti. Its fun to have teams here to realize how much I really do soak in the culture and have accepted a lot about this culture just for what it is.
The second reason it can be fun to have people around who do notice these things is that it keeps me grateful. It keeps me appreciating the beauty of Haiti. It keeps me in awe of the people here. People in Haiti are hardworking, community-oriented, smart, innovative and loving.
To see a little kid pulling a toy car he made from an old soda bottle might seem sad to some. Or you can see the beauty in that this child saw a broken soda bottle and thought- this could become something new, something fun. You can see a woman carrying pounds and pounds of things on her head and be shocked by the weight and skill of that. Or you can see that woman and know how much she loves her family that she is willing to do physical labor of that sort to provide for her kids. You can see kids walking alone on the side of the road and be shocked. Or you can understand that people in this area know each other and it is culturally normal because of the sense of community to let young kids walk to school knowing that all the kids will watch out for each other.
At first glance you may not see the deeper rooted cultural beauty in every little detail of Haiti. It's easy to just see chaos, confusion, color and people. But if you look deeper and get the chance to talk to these people and understand them, you will see Jesus.
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