Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Is Anybody Listening?

How many times has that been said or thought? I’m sure the Preacher thinks that almost every Sunday as he preaches his heart out and looks that the crowd that is sleeping or staring off into space. The school teacher look at her class and wonders are any of these kids getting the things that I’m teaching? The Doctor sees the revolving door of patients and thinks has anyone listened to my instructions, is anyone getting better? The parent looks at their sleeping child, whispers a prayer that their child will listen to instruction and become a man or woman of character. The boss often sits in their office and wonders is anyone listening to me? This thought consumes me at times. After I send out a news letter or post a blog I think is anyone reading this? But mostly I wonder is anyone in Haiti hearing what I’m teaching them? Is my time here really worth making a difference in the vast expanse of need?
Let me tell you a story about trip I took last week. A team was here that has an interest in agricultural development so I took them up the mountain to Fontina, the typical trip in the back a pickup bouncing around for 60 min. I showed them around the church and school and we met a few of the people. Then we went looking for the nearest water well. I love off road driving as much as the next guy so this was great. Of course we were not really off roading but on La Gonave’s substitute for a road, aka off roading. We found the well and had a good conversation with the locals about how the well was being managed. On the way back, we climbed over one of the many rock piles that we call a road, the crew in the back banged on the roof of the cab for me to stop. We all pilled out and climbed up the little hill to a house. I forgot to tell you that Madalyn, my three year old, had come along to help Daddy drive the truck. She has a great time riding shotgun. Maddie and I were the last up the hill and we met by a little Haitian boy. Maddie told me not to look at him because he did not have on any panties. She soon got over that and was off playing with the boy and his tiny little kitten. We all went around the house because they had something to show us. There on their rain water cistern were six clear bottles filled with water and sitting in the sun and beside the cook house was a dish drying rack. You may say what is so great about that? Now the exciting part: 4 months ago these people did not know about these life saving methods. By placing water in clear bottles in the sun for six hours the sun works as God’s perfect UV filter to purify the water and make it safe to drink which prevents such things as Cholera, typhoid and other bacteria intestinal problems. Drying your dishes in the sun after washing them kills bacteria that may grow them because of the water they were washed in. It was encouraging to me to have proof that people are listening. It does not take much to change your outlook just a little proof that people are reading what we write or are listening to what we say. Thank you each one for your prayers, letters of encouragement, comments on our posts and gifts to help our ministry. Please continue to pray with us as we plan more training and hope to expand into new villages. In the next month we have plans to teach a class on personal evangelism which will confront both our teachers (who are not required to be Christians because the community selects their own leaders) and then each family in Fantina with the decision of “What will you do with Jesus?”