another world

On New Year’s Day Pastor Leon’s family has a gathering. His brother worked high in the government for a while…a completely different social circle. A large house in a more affluent neighborhood where it feels that you have entered a different Haiti. Very friendly and welcoming, speaking Creole, French and English. Family from around the world—studying in Germany, living in NY, Atlanta, Haiti. The discrepancy between being there and working and living in/near Cite Soleil is enormous though not any bigger than what I’ve seen in Malawi and even the US. It was a wonderful afternoon/evening with great food and conversation. I think in a way it showed what could be.

before school

That morning I had a long chat with Jacky. She is an amazing woman. She was in medical school when she attended a seminar put on by a visiting pastor who then worked to get her a scholarship to seminary or university in the states. However Leon was the one who was talking to her about this scholarship and he told her that he would rather she stay and marry him…she did. She is now the superintendent of the 4 HOM schools, she knows every child by name and usually a thing or two about his or her family as well. She is interested in every student and sees their potential, pushes them to reach that potential and helps to open those doors. She is so proud of all those who have been through the school and have gone on to become the leaders she helped raise them to be. She told me stories of the students who come to her for advice (getting into school, finding jobs, internships, relationships) because they know she cares, she is hard and tells it like it is but the love is so evident. She invites church members and students to their house to show them what they can achieve, what they can dream of past what they have seen in their neighborhoods. Past the one room house to dream of multiple rooms, multiple stories, electricity, etc…if you’ve never seen it you don’t know that you can achieve it—she gives them hope and the push to get there. The conversations started with her saying that I should work for the UN or USAID here in Haiti since I speak both English and French, that I could do that. And I just find it so hard to justify, working and living in what I see as so removed from the multitudes. She showed that it takes all kinds and even with that affluence you can have the right influence if your heart is in the right place and you use it to your advantage—to let God work through you.