by Tory Ruark - Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tonight’s post will be a little shorter…I think…because, well, it is getting late and I am tired. The weather is almost as hot as it was in July and the nights are a little bit cooler. But getting good refreshing rest is difficult. Instead of unfolding my top sheet and putting it on top of me to keep me warm, I keep it folded by my pillow to wipe my sweat during the night. Most nights we get to bed somewhere between 9pm and 10:30pm. I am usually the last one as I am up writing an update, checking emails, or taking care of things for the team. Breakfast is at 7am and we leave at about 8am…Haitian time. Haitian time, thankfully, allows me to sleep in a little extra and still be ready “on time.”
Pray for our children’s program tomorrow (Thursday). During this chapter of our story Ti-Fam (the little girl who is the main character) is going to reject Voodoo and accept Jesus as her Savior so we are going to have Pastor Francklin (our Haitian pastor who has a master’s degree in child education) present the gospel to the children. The kids, by the way, are the cutest little things in the whole world! Their big white eyes and bright smiles are infectious. And you should see how well behaved they are! They sit and listen and wait their turn. Of course it helps that their Sunday School teachers are providing a watchful eye.
Today, we had a really neat moment with the work crew. There are four Haitian men that have been hired to tile the floor of the church. None of us are skilled workers but we want to serve and help and get dirty. On Monday they let us carry some buckets of sand and water, but mostly kept us out of the way—fearing that we would mess up their work I’m sure! Tuesday was more of the same but there were a few more smiles and a few more attempts to communicate across our language barrier. Today, though, they actually let Doug fill some grout and then lay 2 tiles! Doug laid them and then the foreman told him where to tap with the rubber mallet to get it level. It was quite a sight to see! I was going to stay and watch to see if the foreman went back and redid everything, but I got called away. We are amazed by how tirelessly the men work, their skill, and by how much pride they take in a job well done. They are a real inspiration!
One of the highlights of yesterday and today was the “Conflict on the Cobblestone.” This is what I am naming our US vs. Haiti soccer showdowns on the cobblestone driveway at the guesthouse. Both days we have played 3 on 3 with the Haitian guesthouse workers. They, of course, live to play soccer. Besides me, no one on our team has played (though we have some pretty good athletes). Yesterday, we played to a 6-6 tie when we called the game on account of darkness. We actually played past dark, but I think they were waiting for them to take the lead (though it didn’t ever happen). Today, we played a rematch and the Americans won 5-4 on Sam Hatchell’s toe poke game winner! I can’t explain why we are competitive, except to say that we are quite lucky and that I don’t think they know what to do with our crazy kicking and flailing. I tweaked my hamstring and have some blisters setting in, but I think I will be good to go for tomorrow (Thursday). Officially I am on the “probable list,” but sources close to the player say as long as he can walk he will play.
In all seriousness, pray for us and the Haitians. Last night we talked a little bit as a group about our impressions and what was going through our hearts and minds. As we talked and I freed my heart to feel, I felt rage. A rage against the evil and darkness of a broken world. My prayer, as I went to bed, was that God would awaken the hearts of the Haitians that don’t know Him. (It is easy to tell the nonbelievers from the Believers by the lifelessness of their face.) I have a feeling this awakening would lead to a rage also, but maybe that is a good thing. Maybe they need a good rage in their heart against this world. I pray that this rage would cause them to feel the Arms of God pulling them close. There are no trite explanations from the God of the Universe for He owes us none. Just the simple words, “But I love you. You are my child,” stated gently but with no uncertainty, and the promise of “I will make things right.” Pray that we would make those Arms felt and those Words heard.
