It has been a rather routine and uneventful week for me. We have been going to the school in the morning to pray with and encourage the children as they start their day. The entire school assembles in front of the school before class where we pray, they hear general announcements, recite their pledge, and raise the Haitian flag. The feedback has been very positive and they look forward to us joining them.
I developed a head cold so I take it easy for a few days, but only a few. People have seen me so much around the village that some of them greet me by name as I journey to and fro. It is rather amusing because most people butcher my name. I realize “Vernon” is difficult to pronounce in the Kreyole dialect so I will respond if it is anything close to Mr. V—–. Each day I report to the soup kitchen where I enjoy interacting with and serving the residents of Village. I usually spend my afternoons at the orphanage reading books, playing Connect Four, blowing bubbles, or just running around being silly, like the rest of the kids.
On Wednesday, Cullen and I venture out to follow up on two people we visited a week ago. As we head back down the mountain he takes different route, to a ridge where we have an unobstructed view of the mountain ridge above us and the valley below. I am often caught up in the breathtaking views of this beautiful island.
On Thursday we so goodbye to the team of men who have been working hard at the mission for the past 7 days. These guys shared their amazing testimonies with us. One lost his wife of 30+ years on September 30th. He was admittedly depressed when he began this mission but found joy in the smiles and hugs of the children here. Two others overcame serious health challenges: one had a stroke earlier this year and the other has totally recovered from stage IV cancer. None of them allowed these setbacks to deter them from serving the mission in a powerful way.
I captured a photo of this lovely sunset earlier this week.