Haiti Journal – June 2 – Fondwa – Afternoon
Returned from Jaqmel, the beach resort. We went out there for our tourist day. We trudged up the hill after coffee with Madam Cherie. She made coffeefor all of us, and we had a good time hanging out with four generations of Cheries, plus their puppy. Our bus took us first to a bank in Jaqmel where I changed $20 in to Gourdes. The Gourde (pronounced “good”) is 38 to the American dollar. To make things even more fun, there exists a “Haitian Dollar” which is 5 Gourdes.
We lunched at the Jaqmelian, a schmancy beach resort. Rooms went for $60 a night, and lunch for 13 was about $100. While we were there, a kid on the beach (behind a retaining wall) waved a box of Cuban Cohiba cigars at us. In the US, that’s a $250 box of cigars. While I would sort of like them, I didn’t feel up to buying the whole case. Instead, I got two generic hand-rolls. Craig did as well.
We wandered around looking at art. Their specialty are paper mache carnival masks. We considered paintings, but wound up with a paper mache mobile of little humming birds.
Then we went by bus to a beach resort. We swam in the ocean and drank rum punch. Craig and I smoked cigars. It was really excellent. A little tropical vacation.
On the way back, it started raining. This made for a foggy, steamy ride back.
Jen and I have been scheming. It appeals to me to be a technology missionary. These people could be decently wired and connected with a crate of equipment, I could set up connectivity for the school and the orphanage. I very much believe that communication and human relationships are absolutely the key to building Haiti back up. Its resources are the people and its natural beauty.
Tomorrow, we’ll be expected to share a little bit about what we’re taking back from this trip. Jen dared me to speak my mind honestly:
I want to share with you that this team of people are absolutely amazing. I have vast respect for each of you, and I would happily work side by side with any of you in the future. You’re all welcome in our home, and I hope to meet you again in the future.
John mentioned one of his favorite verses in the bible: That faith without action is dead. That mae me wonder about my situation, one of action without faith. You’ve all shared your deepest beliefs with me, without reservation. It’s only fair that I do likewise, though I don’t usually speak this openly:
I’m not a Christian. In fact, I don’t participate in any organized religion, nor do I believe in a God in the sense that you usually mean it. I’m an athiest. Some of you have probably guessed it. I’m not the angry kind, and I very much respect your faith … I just don’t share it. As an aside, I would take it as a kindness if you don’t spend the next 16 hours trying to convert me.
So where does that leave me? Out here on the same mission with you, but with only the acts. Not the faith?
If I were to make a request of you, it would be to remember that not everyone is motivated by the same thoughts, the same beliefs as you. There are many paths that might bring a person to Fondwa, and mine did not involve a belief that I was doing the lord’s work. For me, this is my work. I would ask you to remember that, at the end of the day, the work we do has the same effect, no matter why we think we did it.
Kathy asked if this was a life changing experience. I would say “not for me.” I’m already on this path, and the path that I’m walking brought me here. What it is for me is a mountaintop from which I can see a little bit further where the path leads. I can see that it’s a good path, a righteous path. I’m happy to be walking this path with such great people.
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