Trip 24 – Other Highlights – Bout Savane, Abel, Terra Noir

(Photo above: Children at Bout Savane)

Monday:  Returning to Bout Savane, which has been a “team favorite” place the last 3 summers – Jim had already seen the well we had drilled there in 2016, but this was the first time he had seen the new church building, which was just being finished last August when our 2017 Summer Team was there.

Tuesday:  JT has things to do, so Jim and I end up riding around in the truck w/Bwa and Abel (I comment to Jim that, sitting behind him, Abel’s shoulders look as wide and muscular as they ever did – but obviously he’s having to use a lot of upper body strength to get around these days) – Bwa and Abel are talking fast and loud and animatedly, in that ever-so-Haitian kind of way, and then laughing hysterically – I have no idea what they’re saying, but they sure are having a good time saying it (and it sure did my heart good to see Abel like that).

Wednesday:  Returning to the Terra Noir Orphanage (the smaller orphanage that our 2017 Summer Team went to as our second stop on Sunday afternoon), another Team Favorite.

A few stand out moments/impressions…

• I ask the children if they remember “Bondye fè pwason naje,” which we had taught them just that one time last summer – they all nod their heads and smile, and start right into it – hand motions and all

• The preacher there who runs the orphanage has been teaching the children to memorize scripture – he calls out “Sòm Yon San” (Psalm 100), and the children close their eyes and recite it in near-perfect unison – then “Sòm Swasanndis Kat” (Psalm 74), and they do the same thing – I’m not sure how many they did, but it was pretty darned impressive (I told Jim afterward, I’d like to find one single kid that age in the U.S. who has as much scripture memorized as these children obviously do)

• We had a bit of unstructured “hanging out” time with the kids while Bwa was changing a flat tire on the truck (another iconic Haiti experience, right?) – it still never ceases to amaze me how the language barrier disappears immediately, as the children find and create their own ways of playing, interacting, and communicating with you – Jim and I had most of the 18 children there all sitting around us, climbing on us, jockeying for position to get as close to us as humanly possible, doing the usual “playing with your hair” stuff (and someone has apparently taught them the “thumb war” game, which – of course – once you do it with one of them, you have to do it with all of them)

I think every one of the 18 children, boys and girls alike, insisted on hugging me and Jim both before we left.  I told Jim later, I really can’t imagine a more peaceful and idyllic way to spend a couple hours than what we did at Terra Noir today.