Haitian Adventure: Part 2

{Part 1 found here.}

These colorful houses were the face of hope for so many people.  They weren't any bigger than my bedroom, but they were castles compared to the "tent city".  The tent constructions were meant for immediate aid, not for long term residency.  The tents didn't block the rain that would come with night fall, or the wind that came in the mid afternoon.  

Mission of Hope plans on building 500 individual family houses on this specific piece of property.  Not only would that have their own home, they would also have enough area for a small garden to provide food for their family.  Their two year mortgage is equivalent to $10.00 US dollars a month.

My team spent two and a half days painting houses, I never thought painting could be so challenging.

Weather.com said it was in the high 90s, but that estimate wasn't valid after 2PM, needless to say the afternoon heat was intense.  I would be painting with my back to the sun, and cool sweat was constantly dripping down my back and running into my eyes.  We would try and time it right so the sun was always on the opposite side of the house we were painting, when we'd get it everything was a little more doable. 

On our first day of painting I forgot to put sun screen on my caves, they were almost blister red when the day ended.  After that I made sure to cover everything, twice with sun screen.  

During our two and a half days at the housing project, I always kept ending up with one of our leaders.  No one really knew her history, through those two and a half days I was privileged enough to learn her story, and I was amazed.  No one ever would have ever guessed unless she told you, she was a living example of God's power to heal.

  

Background story --- Whenever someone would have a new baby I never want to impose and ask to hold their baby, instead I'd anxiously wait until the Momma almost shoved their little bundle into my arms. ---

God knew my background story, he knew I longed to hold a sweet Haitian baby, loving the best way I knew how.  He knew I wouldn't come out and ask someone to hold such sweetness.  

During the children's Sunday School lesson, the helper had her hands full with two babies, looking around she locked eyes with me and handed me a sleeping baby boy, all the while without saying a word.  I couldn't believe it.

God knew the desires of my heart even when I didn't, and He came through bigger and better than I ever could have imagined.

I got to hold that baby boy for a good forty-five minutes, those forty-five minutes made the list of top five moments in Haiti, not only did I get to love on a sweet baby, I also felt God loving on me.