Haiti Love: Bonding with a Rock 11/28/13

So it's Thursday finally, we're going home the day after tomorrow. This was the hardest day. Another paint day and I was in no hurry to leave in the morning. We were actually painting the house of one of the MOH kitchen ladies. Of course she was working so she wasn't there in the morning to chat so we got straight to work. The paint in Haiti is very low quality, very thin, but on Thursday we got a bad batch and it was so thin it was like tinted water that wasn't covering very well. Finally we realized that we had to let one hardly noticeable coat dry before applying the next so it was a very long process and very frustrating. Also we were ALL painting inside today and although this was a relatively large house there were more of us and the lack of personal space was hard for me. On top of all of this, apparently, none of the kids we were with had a father like Joel Smith or Dan Lindsey to teach them how to do a job efficiently and effectively (not to say they didn't have wonderful fathers but they certainly weren't like ours). Jo, Amy and I were very frustrated after a long morning and didn't really want to go back after lunch but Jolie pointed out (how many times have I said that and not yet said how PERFECT it was that I was on this adventure with Jolie, how thankful I was for her presence and God's planning) Jolie pointed out that what she wants to do is not always the right thing. Of course the purpose of this amazing journey was to give something to the people of Haiti, especially those feeding us, so we went back.
The afternoon was even harder but I learned a lot about myself that afternoon. Another time where I can't explain everything that was going through my mind. I found that the Haitians have no concern for personal space which is kind of endearing but something I have a problem with #thestruggleisreal people. So, because dad and Uncle Dan were not present there was paint ALL OVER the floor of the house so while everyone else (including Amy who has the skill of controlling frustration) were painting the outside of the house Jolie and I went into the room we painted in the morning and scrubbed the floor. This is Haiti so the floor was concrete but the quality was low so we were putting water on the floor and scrubbing the top layer off with a rock, yes you read that correctly, a rock. For over an hour I was cleaning an unnecessary mess with a rock! What I learned while scrubbing the floor with a rock: Not only am I blessed to live in the U.S. and have everything I want and need and have freedom and safety (mostly) and education....Not only am I thankful to my dad for a good work ethic and the sense to do a job right the first time but even more importantly the ability to care for myself and my home and also that he taught me to have respect and consideration for others. Aside from all my frustrations and discomforts with personal space what I really wanted was for this woman to come home and be happy with the job that we were blessed to have the opportunity to do for her.

So I kept the rock. To never forget these lessons.

After dinner we had a debrief meeting where it was suggested that we think of one comprehensive thought to explain our trip. I think mine is: Haiti is a place where the people have nothing but the beauty of their land yet their faith is stronger and more truthful and more uninhibited than any I have seen and my life has been changed in a way I didn't expect and couldn't have imagined.

While in the debriefing the group was asked to share the highest moments of their trip and while others were sharing, that's when the full effect of the blessing I was given to come to Haiti and meet the people and witness God's love really hit me.