Humbled

I am alive and well! Tired but alive and well...

I am humbled by the people of the mountains of Haiti. They live in a beautiful but harsh land. The people throughout history have been very harsh on the land in return it is harsh back. The topsoil has washed away and people of the mountains farm on hills that are 45 degree angles or worse. They try to cultivate their land under the leadership of CODEP in order to not only provide means of supporting themselves and their families with crops that produce food but also plants that has the sole purpose of slowing the erosion that is so devastating.

I am humbled by how much I take running, drinkable water for granted. I helped put in a cistern in a home in the mountains. The woman told us that she typically walks 1 hour both directions for water. And so she tries to limit her travels to that water source as much as possible. With the cost of $1000 (from CODEP and Americans, not this economically poor family) providing it rains she will have water at her finger tips. I must confess “helping” consists of handing Rick tools as he calls out for them much like an OR nurse would hand a surgeon a scalpel but it was interesting to say the least.

I am humbled by the leadership of Kathy and Rick Land. They are the interim directors of CODEP. In my last night there we stayed up “til past (their) bedtime” talking about the missions, there 20 year service in Haiti and the love of the people, and short term missions in general. I know the new directors will be fabulous but I am humbled by their servant leadership. It is evident by the interactions I observed that the people love these two. One cannot walk down the beach without a child asking if I am friends with “Miss Kathy” or work on a project without Rick joking around with the people.
I am humbled by Monica who I met on my first flight today. She is an American that moved to Haiti 5 years ago to work as a nurse. She has since married a Haitian Pastor and left her nursing profession. She felt God calling her to care for the orphaned children. She and her husband run a home where 10 children aged 1.5-12 make their home and call them mom and dad. She was returning to the states not for pleasure but for Cancer treatment for her newly discovered tumor. She is hoping to return amidst her treatments to see her kids despite the drain on her health and the cost to her pocketbook.
I am currently in between stops- I am sitting in the LAX airport. I have completed 2 flights and have 2 more before I arrive in my next stop, Seoul Korea!