Wednesday: Food Distribution

More wounds. Some I'm able to see and care for and others I can't do anything for.
Papa (Dieudonne) told me this morning, that before each day he asks for God to give him strength and wisdom. He is so wise and strong. I wish I could be more like him. Poppyseed flies out tomorrow morning. I wish he could stay. He gives me courage. My dad has the strongest and kindest presence. I'm beyond blessed to have him in my life.
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One of my best friends here, Edo said he was hiding under his dining room table when the hurricane ripped the roof off his house. Richard was sitting in the corner of his house with his family and his whole house was blown away, leaving them sitting there in the rain and wind. Can you imagine that? Can I? Now he and his family sleep under a makeshift tin shack with clothes out to dry littering fallen trees. His sister sits against the roots of a fallen tree with clothes spread out on the roots above her for shade. She has her school books and is studying.

Pointing to where his house used to be.

Jacques calls me to come down the mountain and help him distribute food. He was sent donations from YOU and was able to buy food and water in town. We load my two backpacks up with bags of rice and oil. They are heavy. Really heavy. I am stubborn and so is Jacques. We strap them to his motorcycle and go to the ghetto of Jeremie.

As we walk through I explain the little remedy for cholera if they get it and we give the worst off houses bags of food. Step by step through tight alleys. Sweat soaking my tank top and dripping down my legs. The bag I'm carrying doesn't have straps so I am carrying it on my shoulder. My shoulders are burned and hot. Every time I lift it and set it back down it scrapes my shoulders and burns. It's heavy and we continue to climb into the ghettos. Every time I lift it I pray for strength and I am not tired. Everyone needs. It makes it hard but we have to choose. Walking through these alleys. Mud. Trash. Smoke. Dozens of hands grabbing my legs and arms. House by house. Hopeless. Drop in the ocean. Drop in the ocean. Drop in the ocean. I hear a group of men talk about me and one of them says "she has courage." He'll never know how much he helped me.

An old woman stands by her "home." A few sticks surrounded by a tarp. She is sleeping on a sheet on the ground. Someone walks by with music blaring from their phone. I dance. Instant uproar. My mom is a complete goofball and has taught me well. She always made the worst situations the most fun and for that I am so thankful. As I dance here like an idiot I am making people smile and laugh in their misery. Something she always did for us. They laugh and for a moment, just for a moment, they forget their suffering.

The sun has set and the alleys are dark. On our second trip into the alleys to bring food we are swarmed. There is not a space between anyone. People are yelling and a boy grabs Jacques trying to take his bag. Jacques is yelling and trying to calm them. He has amazed me today. He is doing a wonderful thing and has worked so hard all day for his people. It's getting wild and people are starting to get mean and out of control. I start to speak and I tell everyone to listen to me. There is silence. Complete silence. I can't believe it and almost forget what I'm trying to say. Thank you Jesus for making them listen. I say "I know everyone is desperate. I know everyone needs right now, but we are not God and we can NOT help everyone. We will give what we can. Don't be discouraged. Don't be discouraged. God is with us. If He wasn't then we wouldn't be here. When you act like this no one wants to help you. I know you're desperate but yelling and pushing isn't going to help." Their attitudes changed and we gave what we had left. I am brought into a room to take care of some wounds. I leave minimal medical supplies and Jacques and I leave. Now it is time for water distribution. Jacques has had a truck of water come in and fill a cistern. The families in the houses surrounding his house are able to come and get water. Two buckets per house. The line goes down the stairs and into the street. It's never ending and I'm happy for it.

Verse of the day and pretty much my whole life = Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you WHEREVER you go." 

God is with me. God is with you as you raise funds. You are NOT useless. You are not. You are a huge part of this. Be encouraged. Thank you. I can't even begin to thank you enough. You are the reason we can do these things and I can't even begin to express my gratitude.