Helping & Hurting

Up @ 5:30am, had pancakes, coffee & conversation, then off to the construction site by 7am.  Forming a line we passed LOTS of block to each other & up on the roof to continue the process of finishing the home for an elderly couple that came from the Village of Hope that had been flooded out (the one Jared refers to in his blog) It was HOT, but so rewarding to be able to be apart of such a great team including the Haitian crew!  Emilie & I are the only 2 girls on the construction team & the guys make us feel just like one of them!  Chuckie, who spent 24 wks last yr in Haiti & has been coming here for the last 3 yrs, is an AMAZING individual who is the most compassionate man, so soft spoken & loving & everyone knows CHUCKIE, as they call out when he drives past or is walking down the street, he really reminds you of how Jesus was, loving the children & humble!  He's a modern day Jesus :) After we finished at the worksite, Chuckie took us into downtown Jacmel to meet Charlotte, who was in charge of the largest tent camp in the Jacmel area!  What a powerful woman, so full of energy, assertive & strong!  She took us to the tent camp today & I couldnt believe it, these people are living in filth, feces, urine, they're starving & most are covered in scabies...I can't believe that our government doesn't do something about this & that they're government is to corrupt to care!  It makes me MAD, I don't get it...we wouldn't let our animals live in the conditions, so why would we be so inhumane to let men, woman & children live in it!  As soon as we got out of the truck I had 2 little ones hanging on my arms, holding my hand, playing games & all I could do was let them, love them & tell them I'm sorry.  All of us who visited tent camp today were followed by several children, pointing to their bellies, because they are so hunger & food is not getting there...where did all the money that was donated go?  There hair is red on the ends because they don't get enough protein & their eyes are yellow from jaundice.  This should NOT be happening, it's not right.  I feel ashamed for the things I have & nice home I live in & for the bed I get to sleep in.  These people don't even sleep when it rains because inside their tents its like a mud hole, a bacteria infested mud hole!  Sad, so sad!  So many question my motives for wanting to go on a mission trip out of the country saying, "why can't you help people in the United States?"  Well our people have opprotunity & the resources to be able to do something, shelters to go to, food banks to feed them!  Haiti doesn't have that, again the goverment doesn't care & prohibits them from doing anything.  The only help they get is outside help, people like our mission team, so that's why I do it, because if people from the outside didn't, then no one would!  All we can do is pray that God will help them find a way out, help as much as possible & do what Jesus has commanded us to do!!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty & you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger & you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick & you looked after me, I was in prison & you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger & invite you in, or needing clothes & clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'  The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:34-39

Humbly in His Grip,
Rachael