canez

{haiti day 6}
Dear Candice,
Today we went to the village of Canez in Haiti. Its a very small village with a population of no more than one hundred people. Last night they tried to prepare us with what Canez would be like. But when we got there, I realized that they couldn't prepare us for something like this. Canez was so far from anything I have ever seen or could ever imagine. But I absolutely loved it. The people's houses were these mud huts and were very small. Women would walk up to us with their babies and give the babies to us to hold. The children didn't wear pants becuase that's how they potty train their kids. There was one tree there and the rest of the area was dirt and thorn bushes. it was right on the coast of a big lake so there was a constant breeze which was nice because it was very hot. It was beautiful.
There was such a peace there. There was just this feeling of a serene joy that was overflowing from the village. It was amazing. We split into groups and went hut to hut to pray with people who lived in the huts. Every hut we went to, we would ask if there was anyone in that home who was sick, anyone who was converted, and we asked if we could pray with them. Almost every single person said yes, there is someone who is sick, yes, everyone is converted, and yes, we could pray with them. That blew me away. Yes, they were sick, and yes they were converted. Sickness in Haiti, especcially in Canez, isnt like having a cold in the states. There is no doctor there. There is no medicine there. And then on top of that, when we would ask them how we could pray with them, more than a few times, they would say something like, "That I would serve God better," or, "Thank God for all that He has blessed me with." WHAT?!?!?!?! These people are living in the most impoverished country in our hemisphere and they have NOTHING and yet they want to THANK God for ALL that He has blessed them with?????
What is wrong with me? Why do I not have that mentality. Man, it made me think long and hard about what I thank God for.
At one point, I was holding a little baby. He was the tiniest baby I have ever seen. He was all bundled up and sweating like no ones buisness. And he was dead asleep. So I sang to him. I sat down with him in my arms at the shore, and Sang to him every old hymn i could think of for a solid 45 minutes. It was the biggest blessing in my life. I just sat there and rocked this beautiful creation and sung to him about how good God is. I would do anything to get those few minutes back. They were amazing.
I may never know the name of that baby boy, but I know for sure that God loves him more than anything.
Only two more days.
I love you.
Love,
Sara