He Calls the Stars by Name

Papa makes us spaghetti for the morning. Haitian spaghetti isn't even remotely similar to what we know to be spaghetti. After breakfast we clear out Manman and Papa's bedroom to start painting. It is a beautiful day. Papa mixes the paint with water so it goes farther and we paint their walls.

Papa had things he had to do in town and Manman is out and about so it is just Claeme and I painting. She has been so helpful. She copies everything I do. It's so cute, but I'm not sure if it's a good thing haha. I feel like God continues to put little girls like sisters in my life to give me patience and improve me. I am really starting to love this little Claeme. She works diligently on her painting. The paint is so thin and it looks terrible, but it is what it is.

Papa returns and Claeme and I go to the orphanage. The kids look good and are happy. We talk and laugh and they say they want to go to the beach again. I'll take them one of these days. We walk all over the town. We visit Marie Claude. Claeme is getting tired and so we head home. James and Chancley drive by and pick us up. They give us a ride to the bottom of the mountain and we meet Manman halfway up the hill. I stand outside with Papa and we look up at the stars. I show him the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt. I explain North Dakota and how big and flat it is. There is something about Haiti's sky that is bigger than the North Dakota sky. I ask Papa why I feel like that and he says because Haiti is so small the sky swallows it up and in North Dakota the earth is bigger than the sky. That's exactly how I feel as we stand on this mountain. The sky surrounds me. It swallows me up in its great deep sparkly mass. I look at Papa as he stares at the stars and my heart is full. Holding Claeme's hand all day through town. Making sure she didn't fall.

Manman bringing home fried fish for a treat. Papa always taking the time to talk and to listen. The stars here are so big. So bright. So beautiful. There is no buzz of electricity. Crickets chirp and dogs howl. Life. Isn't it absolutely beautiful? It's moments like these that make me so thankful for living. "Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by name. Because of His great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing." --Isaiah 40:26 Calling each by name. Every single star has a name. A beautiful perfect name. Every single one created just as it should be. Just like every single one of us. Haitians and blan. All created perfectly just as He sees us. Beautiful beautiful people. Everyone has a place. Everyone has a purpose. Not a single one is missing. I love that. God sees us and He is with us. He counts us just as He counts the stars. He knows how many hairs we have on our heads and He has given us a name. So let us get up. Go where we are called. Be where our hearts are because if we really live with purpose, knowing we have a name, knowing we have a place, what can we miss? I love this simple and complex, perfect and tragic life.