It was very overcast as we took off - the kind of overcast that keeps sane folks tucked inside with a wary eye on the sky, because those billowing angry clouds promise stormy weather - not only rain but gale force winds, lightning and thunder! That was my thought as I climbed aboard the four-wheeler and we set off for the day's adventure.
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| Whatta ride! |
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| Wilnor Jean-Louis, Chair of G.A.S. |
The chairman of G.A.S. ( see September 7th post ) and his cousin were on the moto ahead of us. Wilnor had made plans with the school administrator in Pointe des Lataniers, and he was expecting us. What's a little rain when we were going to be able to meet our sponsored children and those of our friend Nancy, along with their mothers/families?
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| This was the best road we rode on. Larry yelped with joy when when our top speed reached 27 miles per hour! |
Our destination was a area of about 4,000 people which is located on the northwest tip of La Gonave, a very poor community about 25 miles from Anse-a-Galets. We bumped along slowly and painfully (!) for three hours over Haitian non-roads,
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| Yes, you read right - it took three hours to travel 25 miles! |
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| We had several opportunities to ford water deposited by the storm that swept just ahead of us. |
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| I remember this LONG stretch very well!!! |
Along the way, we saw the terrain and foliage change. We were on the coast road most of the way so got a view of the beautiful sea to our right as we traveled. The area I looked forward to seeing was where the vivid pink flamingos were gathered. What I didn't expect was that there was hundreds of them - but only a blur in the distance when photographed!
We could not pass through villages unnoticed; the roar of our vehicles brought all ages to the path to check us out.
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| Local playground |
And the children's screams of "BLAN", "BLAN" (white stranger) announced our presence no matter where we went!
I was not sure I would be able to walk when at long last we reached the village of Lataniets and parked in the church/school yard. We tested our gait in the semi-privacy of the group we traveled with - but I really did feel like I expect cowboys felt after a long day in the saddle. And, I am just thankful no one was filming me as I wrestled with my leaden spaghetti-legs!
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| The Wesleyan Church of Litaniets |
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| The school rooms were behind the church. |
The principal greeted us, the customary greetings and inquiries were made and finally we were with the children.
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| This little three-year old doll is one of our sponsored children! |
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| This brother and sister are from a "vulnerable" family and will be sponsored this school year by G.A.S. participants. |
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| (Larry said my hair do was a "hair don't" after the ride! Oh, well!) This is Wexley - a very serious third grader who I fell in love with at first meeting when he shook my hand and said "Thank You!" when we were introduced. |
We were able to visit the home of one of our sponsored children and to meet her parents. The father is a fisherman but was not able to fish that day because of the gale-force winds off the sea. We took a minute to look at the water while the little girl put on her Sunday best for the picture!
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| This doesn't do justice to the force of the wind! But, that is the fishing boat, beached this day - therefore, no food for the family. |
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| A precious family, so very appreciative of their daughter being able to go to school through the G.A.S. program. |
(We discovered that one of our supported children was in the hospital here in Anse-a-Galets,
so we shall visit her here.)
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| After meeting the students, we accompanied Wilnor into the principal's office to complete paperwork and to get receipts for the money that had been donated to provide schooling for the sponsored children. |
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Business over, we just hung out with the students who were dismissed from school. Larry was naming parts of his head in English and the kids were yelling them in creole! Language lesson - |
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As we walked around this very poor village, we marveled at the joyful
happiness of children playing the universal handslap game.... |
... enjoyed seeing the artistry with the decorative use of the dime-a-dozen conch shells
... the beautiful setting for such poverty-stricken families
.... and began praying for these
children who were on the streets.
It was a day to remember.
A day of appreciation
of the vision of G.A.S. -
that of improving the future of the children of Haiti
by providing for schooling for those whose families can't afford it -
and of the natural beauty of the island of La Gonave
and her people.
Today, as I write this blog, I am pondering more than ever,
Jesus' words about caring for the "least of these".
Matthew 5: 37-40 "Then those sheep are going to say,
'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'
Then, the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored,
that was me - you did it to me.'"
I am moved to tears...
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