Above All

January 16, 2014

Day 4 – Cap-Haitian, Nord Haiti

The week thus far has been such an amazing experience! Coming to Haiti was something I thought I would never do, but I have been blessed beyond measure. Today we woke up to a delicious breakfast prepared by the wonderful ladies in the kitchen. They are all so generous and do anything they can to make sure we are as comfortable and welcomed as possible. After breakfast it was on to day 3 at the work site. I am not one to do much construction work, but the Haitian team we have been working with have shown me that I am oftentimes more capable than I think. I helped to tie rebar together, mix concrete, and help to put together the frame for the stairs, all of which I have not done before. The communication barrier, what I thought would be a huge problem, has hardly slowed us down. We are able to work alongside the Haitians and interact without even needing to speak. Our actions and gestures say enough, and the huge smiles they always have make it all worth it. The children of the school are so fun to be around. Today we all danced together and laughed and just interacted together, yet again having the language barrier but not allowing it to divide us. Hearing the children say hello Taylor, especially one little boy named Christopher, just melts my heart.  He remembered me and wanted to continue to talk daily so he could learn English and build a friendship. I always enjoy being at the school surrounded by the children but today I heard from a classroom the choir practicing and they were singing the song “Above All,” one of my favorites. It was beautiful to hear and even more amazing that we were able to sing along in English as they sang in Creole. It made the division seem invisible and proved that we are all serving the same God and we are truly all one.  Being able to love on the Haitian people has been an incredible, humbling experience. I thought I was coming to Haiti to serve the Haitian people, but I have learned so much about myself and they have served me in ways I never thought possible.  

Love and miss you,

Taylor