Great Respect

I am sitting here nursing a sore back and drinking a coke after a morning of washing sheets in a tub outside using as little water as I could because of the lack of rain and praying that the power comes on so we can pump water.  How spoiled we are.  When I think that Haitian women do this kind of work everyday my heart goes out to them.  Yet since Bud and I have changed how we live and we live more like the community around us we see a difference in how the Haitians look at us.  It has given me opportunity to share that we are not special. The Haitians are always running to help me and say that I should not have to work so hard.  One day I asked why and was told because I am a blanc woman.  He told me Blanc women cannot work like Haitian women and should not have too. WHAT!.  When did we become better than the people we work with. Because of this I want to work more beside my sisters and build relationships with them as we work.  I wish I lived closer to the river and I would love to help them do their laundry.  What a great way to build relationships and open opportunities to share Jesus.
Yesterday I drove into the city to help with sign ups for our English Classes. I had an opportunity to meet a man who is Haitian and lives part of his time living in Fort Lauderdale.  Pastor and I had a chance to share with him our dream of a children's club ministry here.  He was so excited and felt he could help us find play equipment for the kids. After a little while I went for a walk with Pastor through the streets of Cap.  I can remember being a little apprehensive of just walking around but God is showing me that this is a new place of ministry for me.  I have time between my classes I am teaching.  There are so many women working in the streets and so many opportunities to build relationships with them.  I told Pastor I wanted to go out alone and talk with the women.  He told me go ahead but I saw him watching from a distance.  It was wonderful. The women are so anxious to talk we me. My Creole gets stronger everyday because it has too.  If I can spend a few minutes each day sitting and talking with them I might be able to build a discipling relationship with them.
I went down to OMS to sign certificates for my students last year in English and God showed me that my work with them is not finished either.  So many asked for the opportunity to visit with me and spend time talking with me.  My mind went to an overload of fear of being overrun with people wanting my time.  But then isn't that what I am here for.  To build relationships, sharing Jesus and working alongside our church building a group of disciple for Christ. I praise God he has given us our evenings that are quiet and peaceful and we get restful sleep.  Yesterday Bud was working with a man Ti Blan.  They are getting along great.  While they were working a friend of Bud called out "aren't you taking a lunch break" Bud responded why the Haitians aren't."  I can tell you Bud comes home at 3:00 and he is dead tired but loving what he is doing.  He is working along side men he can influence everyday by building relationships.
Jeslyn just came and and told me my clothesline broke and all my laundry is lying in the grass.  Praise God for grass and not mud.  The Haitian Women never have this problem because they hang their clothes over their cactus fence.  Silly me using a clothesline.