Busy day filled with Music, Prayers, Banking and More!

Hi all, Brian De here again.

Friday here at HATS, as we do every day we start our days with devotions, with all the staff and some of the smaller kids. We pray with the school kids before they go to school at 7:15ish every morning. Devotion time is one of my favorite times here I am so thankful that Music is the universal language, even though sometimes (ok most times) I have no clue what they are singing you can certainly see the love they have for God in their faces and you can hear the overwhelming joy it is to praise Him. What an amazing gift music is.

To start the day off today we decided since there was pretty much nothing left at the compound for food, and not enough money to prepare the staff pay envelopes for month end, that we’d make a trip into Saint Marc for some groceries and a ‘quick stop’ at the bank …. Although you really can’t say anything about stops in Haiti being quick.

When we got to the bank Karen and Jocelyn got in the line up of people and I stood back waiting for them and watching. They were in the line for probably 30 minutes before they finally got to the teller, and after doing their business the teller ushered them both into a back room to pick up the money (they don’t like to give a lot in front of everyone). So in the meantime I’m still standing there waiting for them to come out when one of the two security officers with shotguns walks up to me and says “sir please sit ” (I guess they don’t like you standing and watching in case you are scoping the place out to rob someone, so needless to say I sat down. Trouble is they put me around the corner out of sight of the door that Jocelyn and Karen went in. When they came out and saw I was gone I had to chuckle because Jocelyn’s eyes got as big as saucers and I could hear her say “where’s our Brian “?? Lol. After that we were on our way to stop at the hardware store for some finish nails for the cabinets.

On our way back home, we drove down roads that we wouldn’t even consider being good enough to be called back roads … not just potholes, but craters you could almost lose the truck in! Once we were home and had eaten, the days work had to start and so today consisted of Jocelyn cleaning and painting the play room for the kids, while I worked on her kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

Dinner tonight was a huge hit with both Jocelyn and Karen. Both the ladies were thrilled to see mashed potatoes and cranberry chicken. The platters were quickly emptied.

There is an unending list of things to do around here but I’m so very thankful to be here to help even just a little. We played some soccer with the kids after supper and then it was off to bed early as per usual around here! Exhausted.

~Brian