Soul Exercise

Haiti builds the muscle of Cypress. It is working to increase the connective tissue that binds us together and gives us strength to do more. There is some sweat involved but it is a labor of love. There was an interesting dynamic at work when we first arrived - a simultaneous desire for Thought and No Thought. It is an overwhelming sensation for a first-time visitor, one that none of us will ever forget. The struggle is that it can be so overpowering, it is incredibly easy to give it no deep, meaningful consideration and just live in the moment. It is an onslaught on the senses - a tent city seen up close has infinitely more meaning than as viewed on the television or the computer. Be able to process the input is extremely difficult because of the sheer enormity of the situation. Can we, as a few representative of Cypress make much of an impact? The answer of course, is a resounding Yes, because we are also representatives of a loving Father and Son.

Spending time in the cretch (Creole for crib - a orphanage for the very young), we all had our hearts broken open and filled to overflowing. It was amazing to be able to share the gift of Love. It also shook us awake, as we realized that we are not being called to build walls, bring safety to the electrical system, hang fans, build a roof and floors....we're doing that too, but we are called to be like Jesus. Welcoming and loving the children, the poor in spirit and to bring smiles and joy.

On Saturday, we broke into two teams with our electrical experts (Hans, Peter and Paul) heading to the orphalina - the orphange for older kids and teens, and the rest of us heading to a jobsite to rebuild the home of a woman widowed by the earthquake. It was another battle with frustration, at the difference in how work is accomplished - our norm of instant results and repeated trips to the hardware store just aren't reality here. The lumber is warped, the nails are few and the tools are primitive, and it takes forever to restock supplies. But the children flocked to us, shy at first but warming quickly. Kirsten and Lindsay put their medical skills to use, literally caring for the feet of these children - cleaning and bandaging their infected wounds. Michelle was maybe the favorite of the day for sharing the music on her MP3 player with everyone - the love of music is universal. The house did come together with some very tangible results, despite our initial frustrations. The roof is framed with corrugated metal sheets ready for installation, the walls are sealed and the guys in all reality, probably saved a few lives with their electrical work and increased safety. Spent some time with the older children from the orphanage when we got back to the guesthouse. Dr. Bernard, truly a Renaissance man, runs the guest house and manages the orphanages, among many other noble pursuits.

Today is Sunday and while most of the team is heading to Dr. Bernard's church in Port au Prince; Tim, Jim, Logan and I are currently meeting with WMI Haiti - the org. that will help us bring clean water to St. Louis du Nord and then heading to the airport for our flight up north. Gotta run! Will try and get some pics uploaded!

Thank you for the prayers, we continue to need them! Love to all the families and friends from us all!