Jacmel! (Or Part 2 of a 6 Part Journey)

I made it to Jacmel!! By the grace of God!! My dear friend Tony came and picked me up from the Morquettes Sunday morning and took me all the way back across Port-au-Prince (from Delmas 33 to Bon Repot) to attend the church of his friend (the driver of the taptap). We arrived late, meaning we were seated in the very front. I was not only the only blan in the city, but the only woman without my head covered. Sweet. Then, his friend had us stand in front of the church and introduce ourselves. I went first. i think this is one of those experiences that make people in the US never want to return to church. It wound up being totally fine, i made a little joke and everything seemed to lighten up afterwards.

I couldn't help but make a few observations about the church building while the sermon was being given. It's a large wide room, almost circular. Built with concrete blocks for walls and 2x4s (sort of) for roof support. The roof is a collection of tarps from various relief organizations and there is a wonderful gap between the walls and the ceiling just about everywhere that makes for a lovely breeze. There was toilet paper wrapped around several of the posts as decorations and a red sheet hung behind the stage with some large gold Christmas bows. We sat on 2x10s placed on cinder blocks to make benches and it was sticky and we sat close together. All in all, it was beautiful. It was about John 6, and the bread of life and everything took on a much deeper meaning. When you might not actually eat any bread that day, to say Amen after being told that Jesus is the bread of life and that you will never hunger again means so much more!

I prayed to better appreciate all that I do have, and to keep remembering that I will always have more than enough.

I met up with a medical team from Virginia yesterday at the airport - again thanks to Tony. And we all shared a big van to Jacmel. It was a beautifully curvy road, and we arrived at what felt like very late last night but was in actuality only around 7:30. We met with Marika at a ridiculously gorgeous hotel right on the beach and then I returned with her to her house, a few blocks away. It is also beautiful and she lives here with her two children Anika and Max. They are adorable and sweet and speak a wonderful mixture of Creole French and English. Marika, who has lived here all her life, also teaches Spanish at the local school and works at a school for the deaf in the afternoon - meaning she also signs ASL. Uhh, role model!? Definitely. I am so blessed to be living here for 3 weeks.

I'm not positive what I'll be doing yet besides anything that I'm told - but I'm getting better at that! : )