Reflections on Tuesday: VBS and Visit to the hospital ( I originally planned to upload Wednesday night, but we talked so long after dinner with Brad and Harry that we ran into the team meeting time …….. then it has started raining, which is a euphemism for pouring …… so will be Thursday morning)
The kids talked about what they saw in our meeting last night. Sarah M. L. sat with a couple of kids at meal time, talking about the filth and the illness, desperation we saw at the hospital. One group went to the medical ward where people were dying. Gaunt, 60-lb women. Practically no family (in contrast to the Peds and Maternity Wards). It was difficult. Some have not seen a person in that condition. It shows physically our need of a savior, a rescuer. We are frail, in need as these people are. And it shows the urgency of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that He gave Jesus for us to rescue us from our sins. The emergency is reflected here. How dulled our senses become to the urgency when we have all the comforts that we need, and can in essence control our lives. As one woman said, provide a hedge of protection around our families and structure life to avoid pain, suffering, tears, hunger, thirst, nakedness, heat, cold. Here we see in the desperation of the faces, when things are being given out, the need. God is revealing to us how we are distracted by the false shield of safety.
We talked a lot about laughing with those who laugh, and weeping with those who weep. Walking with people in their sorrow and pain. Just being with them as the hands and feet of Jesus who is always with us, for He will never leave us or forsake us. He is with us to the end of the age. And out only hope is Jesus. We are told that we can look forward to eternity with Him, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more doctors! A man whose son is in the hospital, while he is grieving the death last year of his pregnant wife with two baby girls, says that if he did not have Jesus, he does not know what he would do. I think this revealed in me that I go there when “all we can do is pray”. Like God is the pinch hitter or something. As we drove back to the hotel, hungry from lack of food, I sense my hunger for Jesus to fill me. As we think of the desperation, or the filth that we see, Sarah reminds us that it represents our sin. That we are just as sick and filthy. That I cling to the hope in my savior is my desire.
Leaving the hospital, Harry told us that we would shed tears, and that men cry. He cries. We did cry last night. I have cried several times today. Not the whiny type but weeping as I looked at the kids when we pulled up today. JuJu watched all of us get off the bus today(Wed), but waited til AM got off the bus and ran up into her arms. He was found by Pastor Joel, along with JuJu’s brother Jeffrey, along the Haitian border with a note that his mother loves him but cannot care for him. He was nursed back to health and has been loved. Both boys spoke Creole, but have learned fluent Spanish. He has a smile that covers his face. He had been given by candy which he stores in his pocket and gives to other kids. He is not so generous with his ball! But he did share his ball with his friend Elian while checking out the Ring around the Rosy game.
Basketball remains the universal language. The boys play countless hours. Language barriers are crossed. There are so many ‘Ben”s in the group that I think the kids here think that ‘Ben” is another word for teenage boy. At any time, you will find a couple of Ben’s on the court with Justin and a Canada. Or boys playing baseball in the yard. The girls play in the yard, paint nails, sing, carry children, hold babies.
The kids talked about what they saw in our meeting last night. Sarah M. L. sat with a couple of kids at meal time, talking about the filth and the illness, desperation we saw at the hospital. One group went to the medical ward where people were dying. Gaunt, 60-lb women. Practically no family (in contrast to the Peds and Maternity Wards). It was difficult. Some have not seen a person in that condition. It shows physically our need of a savior, a rescuer. We are frail, in need as these people are. And it shows the urgency of knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that He gave Jesus for us to rescue us from our sins. The emergency is reflected here. How dulled our senses become to the urgency when we have all the comforts that we need, and can in essence control our lives. As one woman said, provide a hedge of protection around our families and structure life to avoid pain, suffering, tears, hunger, thirst, nakedness, heat, cold. Here we see in the desperation of the faces, when things are being given out, the need. God is revealing to us how we are distracted by the false shield of safety.
We talked a lot about laughing with those who laugh, and weeping with those who weep. Walking with people in their sorrow and pain. Just being with them as the hands and feet of Jesus who is always with us, for He will never leave us or forsake us. He is with us to the end of the age. And out only hope is Jesus. We are told that we can look forward to eternity with Him, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more doctors! A man whose son is in the hospital, while he is grieving the death last year of his pregnant wife with two baby girls, says that if he did not have Jesus, he does not know what he would do. I think this revealed in me that I go there when “all we can do is pray”. Like God is the pinch hitter or something. As we drove back to the hotel, hungry from lack of food, I sense my hunger for Jesus to fill me. As we think of the desperation, or the filth that we see, Sarah reminds us that it represents our sin. That we are just as sick and filthy. That I cling to the hope in my savior is my desire.
Leaving the hospital, Harry told us that we would shed tears, and that men cry. He cries. We did cry last night. I have cried several times today. Not the whiny type but weeping as I looked at the kids when we pulled up today. JuJu watched all of us get off the bus today(Wed), but waited til AM got off the bus and ran up into her arms. He was found by Pastor Joel, along with JuJu’s brother Jeffrey, along the Haitian border with a note that his mother loves him but cannot care for him. He was nursed back to health and has been loved. Both boys spoke Creole, but have learned fluent Spanish. He has a smile that covers his face. He had been given by candy which he stores in his pocket and gives to other kids. He is not so generous with his ball! But he did share his ball with his friend Elian while checking out the Ring around the Rosy game.
Basketball remains the universal language. The boys play countless hours. Language barriers are crossed. There are so many ‘Ben”s in the group that I think the kids here think that ‘Ben” is another word for teenage boy. At any time, you will find a couple of Ben’s on the court with Justin and a Canada. Or boys playing baseball in the yard. The girls play in the yard, paint nails, sing, carry children, hold babies.
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