IT SLAYS ME GONAIVES,
I HAD A GREAT TROOP OF BOYS…FOUR, TO BE EXACT.
They greeted me more than eager to show me what they had done, watering the plants, caring for things…and they wanted to work. They stood ready to move rocks, build cities or tilt the earth if need be…just let us work. So we made a little plan to build some “mi” walls for planters around the places we want there to be trees.
i wanted to address the “payscale” as we are trying to not always be the white people with bags of money to give away. So i suggested we work together and then i could share with them a bag of rice for them to take to their families…totally expecting them to balk and ask for cold hard cash.
To my suprise, they lit up, asked “for our family” like, enough for the entire family to eat? I said , yes. absolutely. Teenage boys stood grinning from ear to ear because of a bag of rice. It took my breath away.
A bag of rice.
At the end of the day, i gave them each 2 small bags of rice, for which they gave thanks. A little while later one of the boys approached me again…and i thought , hear it comes..he wants money now…. but instead he told me he has eleven people in his family to feed…could he have one more bag? Umm, of course you can.
It slays me that a bag of rice can make a teenage boy smile. That he is more than willing to work , moving dirt, moving rocks…for a bag of rice.
Honestly, i don’t want to understand this. Because to truly understand this, well i will have to feel that hungry and watch my kids be that hungry and i honestly if at all possible, i don’t want to ever go there.
Spent about two hours in the gazebo today, talking, listening, praying, eye to eye with mommas and papas in this community. They want nothing but work. We were talking about how to start businesses and what kind of skills were needed, the possibilites of micro loans etc…and one man said, ” i don’t want a loan, i want to work with my strength” Then i can give money to my wife and she can start a business.” Such an earnest cry for work. For help that is work.
I see hunger in their eyes for a better way.
O God show us how to be a part of that way. We begin classes Monday for the Haiti Trade School.
May it bring real hope and open all kinds of opportunities in this community!
