Life turned upside down update #2

 September 28th. Update on Haiti. 

I got a call around 11pm last night, there’s no water. 

Running water is a luxury many don’t have. Which means for my community they must walk to my house to get semi clean not filtered well water in buckets or walk to the closet river to get dirty water that’s used for washing clothes, washing dishes, washing motorcycles, bathing babies, cows to drink, and trash to gather. 

The wealthy use to pay 42cents for 5 gallons of filtered water. But now because of lockdown and all that that entails they bumped it up to $1.25 which is a lot when the nations legal minimum wage is $4.16 A DAY for an “actual” job and statistically 80% live on less than $2 a day.

There’s no gas. 

No fuel means these water companies don’t have electricity to run their generators because the government doesn’t give electricity in our town, we each own our own system. Without electricity they can’t filter water so they’ve shut down or they’re only letting each person buy 2 jugs in order to save for everyone else.

We need fuel for cellphones to work. The towers need gas to create service and without service there’s no calling or texting. I’m going hours and hours without hearing from my children until signal comes back and then I might have a 5 minute conversation until it freezes up again. Which then causes the floodgates to open because I was so blindsided by this whole thing and all my heart wants to do is wrap them up and hold them tight.

There’s no transportation. 

Without gas vehicles can’t move. And with majority of people not owning a car in my village that means you pay a motorcycle “taxi” to take you to the local outdoor market to buy food. 

Except…there’s no transportation even if you have gas because of road blocks everywhere. Which means the vendors in my town can’t get to the capital city to buy food to then resell so there is less and less food available to buy everyday in my town even if you’re willing to walk miles to get it. 

Along with those roadblocks and no gas for cars, our local doctors who mainly live in the city, can’t get to our town. Oh, and without fuel hospitals can’t run machines, lights, or anything else because the government doesn’t give electricity, everyone has their own personal generators but no diesel to run them. So hospitals are shutting down, the sick can rely on a couple nurses with barely any medical supplies left, because no one can restock… or you just die from a simple fever or a miscarriage or a broken bone with internal bleeding or whatever else we need doctors for. 

Those are just a few of the complex issues people are dealing with. I know I sound all negative but I wanted to try and explain the magnitude of a small glimpse into what these people are going through. 

I had thought about taking a charter plane to the island next to Haiti then a boat to my village but now the gangs are attacking people on water by boats.

And it’s easy to just say “Haiti’s problems” and group everyone in the same pile of “they’re” hurting their own people and “they’re” destroying their own places etc. 

But let me remind those people, my ten girls do not deserve this. They did nothing to deserve to live like this. To be threatened like this. To hurt like this. To have no hope like this. 

They deserve to go to school like every child in this American town I’m in. They deserve to have fun and eat cookies and play with friends and ride in a car but instead they’re telling me on the phone that they hear gunshots as they run inside. My employees are doing everything they can to keep La Limyè afloat while everything else is sinking. They are good hearted, God fearing men and women who deserve for us to fight for justice and demand change even if I don’t know how I’ll pay them this month because banks are closed. 

I know Gods plan is ultimately a good one even if I can’t see the whole picture. I know He loves my girls and will tend to their needs. But the unknowns, the what ifs, the heartbreaks, the utter catastrophe that my family of 9 years is suffering through- I don’t think any human has the amount of faith to just say “it’ll be ok” and not allow the tears to fall. I’m grieving for the country I call home and yet I’m not the one who needs prayers, they do. They are literally suffering. 

For the sake of humanity it can not get any worse. We are begging for help, troops, a miracle, anything to stop the gangs and fix the government and restore some type of order before more innocent people die.  

I’m furious that outside help isn’t coming. But I guess when things don’t affect you personally you tend not to care as much. Or if nothing can be offered in return…. 

Haitians are strong and resilient. I have confidence they’ll get through this. 

I was told the other day that it’s better that I’m in America instead of Haiti because of my nationality. The girls might actually be safer if I’m not there. That was gut wrenching to hear. 

But I’m still amazed at Gods plan to send me out blinded by what was about to unfold. Not prepared, leaving behind necessities because I thought I’d be right back. But perhaps He knew I’d be forced out by now and it was best to pull me out thinking it was just for a week rather than trying to get me to leave after chaos erupted knowing good and well I’d never leave my girls during unrest. 

You know my therapy is writing so thank you for reading this far. 

If I can give any advice it would be to never ever take for granted the gift of stepping into your vehicle and driving alone wherever you want to. 

Never take for granted the blessing of having multiple grocery stores within a few miles of home where you can buy any and every type of food and have the money in the bank so that you don’t have to think twice on if you can splurge on the $3.99 donuts. 

Thank God you have a hospital down the road you can rely on. 

Remember the beauty of living in a structured country with laws. 

Thank God for the heat and air so you’re never uncomfortable. Thank God for the roof so you don’t get wet and the electricity so you can see. These are all gifts, blessings that we should thank God for everyday. He has been so good to us. Let us not forget that and live life complaining over the petty issues. Life is a gift. A beautiful gift. 

All this to say please continue to pray. 

Please pray for safety 

For supplies 

For good health. 

The country is paralyzed. But God knows this. He sees this. And we still put our trust and hope in Him. Because he is the only way. 

Where there seems no way, part the Red Sea, Lord.