Sing, Sing, Sing

Greg is getting a short nap before we pack up to leave Hinche for Port au Prince today. He was up in the very early am. He and Jessica and Meghann walked up the hills behind our house, where there a is a view of 360 degrees...mountains all around: the Central Plateau of Haiti. As they were watching the sun rise and glow over all this land, a group of 7 women on the hill were raising their hands toward the sun, worshiping, singing and praying to "Jezi".
He came back from the walk glowing himself; though he doesn't look too spiffy. He hasn't shaved all week...and most of the time is the sweaty man with a concrete drill in his hand. No criticism here-- my housedress that I wear at home has a big brown betadine stain on the front that won't come out, my hair has been washed once this week, and I am sweaty all day, too. Cool showers at the end of the day are a Godsend.

On the hills at sunrise, or anywhere else, Haitians sing. At the hospital this week, the concrete walls just ring with the wailing, and singing of several laboring women in one room, plastic shower curtains barely dividing anyone. Greg came by there with his drill, too--he actually fixed the old broken stool that I fell off of 4 years ago. Yes, it has been broken for 4 years, and was still there, a piece of plywood balanced on a metal frame.

Children sang to us in Naran at the Flower of Hope School, founded by my friends Manno and Theard. We stepped into rooms and kids in bright red-and-white-and blue uniforms stood up and sang "Welcome is the Word for You". I remember when they started with a few benches under a mango tree. Now there is a concrete school, a well that serves good water to the whole community, and 240 kids students who never had this chance go before. I was pretty verklempt at the beauty of the realized dream of these community leaders, and my dear friend. Now they are planning to expand into agronomy and teaching the kids to farm with a school garden.

Here at the Heartline Guesthouse, the Haitian staff were singing as they cooked the dinner. I am learning from them: I need to sing more.