The fun of walking in Haiti

Tuesday evening, Carolyn, Jenny, and I decided to go for a walk to get off the compound and see more of the surrounding area. We started walking down the main street in town. On the main street we passed the church we have attended for the past two Sundays. The community was having a soccer game in the church yard and there were a number of people hanging around and watching. We stopped and watched for a little while and talked with a few people there. That was a fun thing to see. Continuing we walked down the main road and took a right off onto a country road.

We walked up and down a few hills and the road slowly narrowed into a foot path. The foot path led us by some houses and connected fields. The houses started to get farther apart as we walked, and I couldn’t help but enjoy seeing the country in its simplest form. I felt really blessed to be venturing in a part of this country that most people may never have a chance to see. We were able to see out over the country side and feel like a bigger part of Haiti as a whole.

As we walked by a small group of houses a group of kids ran out of their yards and began to follow us. We hadn’t really noticed they were following us until we heard them giggling behind us. We turned around to 5 small children examining everything about us. We said hello and asked them all their names and they said that they wanted to walk with us. So we continued down the foot path with our entourage. I lead the group, there were three kids behind me, then Jenny, two more kids, and Carolyn brought up the rear. To have a little fun I began to make fun movements with my arms and the kids copied. Then Jenny and I switched places and we all copied Jenny. It was really cute to see these little kids copying what we were doing and eager to interact with someone new and different from themselves.

The foot path made a loop and opened back up to the larger road that we had walked on before. This was fun because the kids began to walk beside us then. One of the girls on my left grabbed my hand and we walked holding hands. She gave me a large smile and seemed so content to receive a little physical affection. Out of the corner of my right eye I could see a little boy walking a little to my left and behind me. He was eyeing my hand unsure if he should grab it, or perhaps wondering what my white skin felt like. I held my hand out a bit and watched him muster up the courage to grab it. As soon as he took it he seemed excited and proud of himself for accomplishing this feat. He held my hand limply at first, but after a few minutes his grip tightened and his smile widened. So we walked down the uneven dirt street with kids in each hand chattering away at what Creole we know. It was a really special moment for me. I was reminded why Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” and the importance of child-like faith.

At that moment I was walking an uneven muddy road in the back woods of Haiti with the God of all creation and some children that I know are so precious in his sight. What an amazing thing!

I was blessed again today to get off the compound and out for some exercise. The weekend began just like most others with Tim, Paige, and the interns piling into a HAFF truck and heading to Pignon. In Pignon we visited the market, which is becoming less intimidating as my language skills increase. It’s amazing how much calmer you feel surrounded by scores of people bargaining and walking from vendor to vendor when you can actually understand some of what they are saying. We bought all the food we would need for this next week and returned to the Pignon Hospital to eat at the snack bar. Instead of a Coke and hamburgers I ventured out to try a plate of Haitian spaghetti and a Limonade (a Haitian soda that tastes kind of like 7-Up with a citrus flavor). Satisfied we returned to the truck and braved the muddy roads back to Bohoc.

In the truck I asked Tim if there were any good hikes in the area or fun places to walk to. He suggested walking to a nearby town called Monac because of the scenic views. Excited about the opportunity to get out and hike Carolyn and I helped put groceries away, lathered on some sunscreen, grabbed our water bottles and headed for the hills.

The walk to Monac takes about an hour and provides beautiful lookouts as you climb up the hills. Carolyn and I stopped at the top of a hill overlooking Monac when an elderly man from a nearby house came out to say hello. He introduced himself as Benold Pierre and asked where we were from and where we were going. We told him we worked at HAFF (which everyone around here seems to know) and that we were just out for a walk. He asked if he could walk with us and we agreed. We walked down the hill, along the river, and through a couple of fields. As we walked Benold told us of the levels of the river, things that he has planted in his field, how many kids and grandkids he has, and the Creole words for a couple of things we passed. He was a lot of fun to interact with. Just a very friendly and caring old man!

Eventually Carolyn and I said we should turn around and Benold walked with us back to his house. We thanked him for walking with us and continued on our way back to HAFF. Not long after we left Benold’s house the storm clouds that seemed so far in the distance caught up with us. It started sprinkling followed shortly by full out rain. Carolyn and I were soaked from head to toe before we knew it with about an hour walk left to HAFF. The rain began to puddle in the foot path turning the trail into a river and becoming fairly slick. Carolyn and I laughed as we slipped off our shoes and ventured the rest of the way in our bare feet. I must say that Haitians have feet of steel. They can walk anywhere in their bare feet and I confess that my feet were sensitive to every single rock in the path.

At one point in the walk Carolyn and I descended steep ravine to the river and up the other side. This was challenging as the ravine has become somewhat of a river of its own feeding into the river below. We found the best footing we could and walked down, crossed the river and up the other side. Definitely a challenge, but fun just the same.

When was the last time you got caught in the rain and didn’t have anywhere else you had to be? It is definitely the simple unplanned things in this life that make everyday a gift. Thank you Jesus for this day!