Visiting Mona and her kids in the Ravine
The last two days I have taken a couple of field trips that hold particular personal importance. Each time I brought along a small handful of people from our team. I didn't want to bring too many people because we were visiting families, and we didn't want to overwhelm them.
On Wednesday after the feeding program, we went to the Claireville Ravine and visited Roseline's family. I hadn't seen the Ravine yet, so I didn't know what it would look like. Last time I was there, it was a tent city. Walking in this week, I was overjoyed to see that all the tents are gone, and the small cement shanties have been rebuilt. It was tough to visit the Ravine before. It was little more than a small shanty town with tiny block structures, one built against the other. In the earthquake, about two thirds of those structures had toppled down the hillside like dominoes. That part of the Ravine area was a jumble of cement blocks and rubble. All the people had moved into makeshift "tents" in the open space. I remember sitting at the guest house one night while it was raining hard and feeling deep sorrow for our friends -- adults, small children, and babies -- who were wet and cold that night. I wept for them that night, and it was all I could do not to go and sit with them.
On this field trip, I wanted to check up on Roseline's family. She is seven, and she became one of my little buddies after the earthquake. She always came and found me at the feeding program. Someone would grab my hand, and I would look down, and I would see her smiling face looking up at me. Yes, I fell for her. :-)
Roseline lives with her four-year-old sister and their mother, Mona. Mona is the sister of Mimos, who is one of our feeding program cooks. The great virtue of being able to employ Mimos is that now not only are Mimos and her two children taken care of, but they are also supporting Mona and her two kids, and probably other people too.
It brought me to tears to see that everyone back at the Ravine was once again under a roof. Mona's and Mimos' "houses" didn't fall in the quake, and now they are back in them. The "houses" consist of a small entryway separated from a living/bedroom. Her daughters are in school, and they are wearing clean clothes. Speaking of clean, Mona had her house absolutely spotless. I think we were supposed to have taken off our shoes when we walked in, but we didn't know it at the time.
This is a precious family. Mom and daughters have a sweet disposition, and their reputation in the community is good. I am attached to them. I will be visiting them whenever I am in Haiti and praying for them when I am not.
On Wednesday after the feeding program, we went to the Claireville Ravine and visited Roseline's family. I hadn't seen the Ravine yet, so I didn't know what it would look like. Last time I was there, it was a tent city. Walking in this week, I was overjoyed to see that all the tents are gone, and the small cement shanties have been rebuilt. It was tough to visit the Ravine before. It was little more than a small shanty town with tiny block structures, one built against the other. In the earthquake, about two thirds of those structures had toppled down the hillside like dominoes. That part of the Ravine area was a jumble of cement blocks and rubble. All the people had moved into makeshift "tents" in the open space. I remember sitting at the guest house one night while it was raining hard and feeling deep sorrow for our friends -- adults, small children, and babies -- who were wet and cold that night. I wept for them that night, and it was all I could do not to go and sit with them.
Roseline lives with her four-year-old sister and their mother, Mona. Mona is the sister of Mimos, who is one of our feeding program cooks. The great virtue of being able to employ Mimos is that now not only are Mimos and her two children taken care of, but they are also supporting Mona and her two kids, and probably other people too.
Roseline and little sister Rosena ("Nana")
It brought me to tears to see that everyone back at the Ravine was once again under a roof. Mona's and Mimos' "houses" didn't fall in the quake, and now they are back in them. The "houses" consist of a small entryway separated from a living/bedroom. Her daughters are in school, and they are wearing clean clothes. Speaking of clean, Mona had her house absolutely spotless. I think we were supposed to have taken off our shoes when we walked in, but we didn't know it at the time.
With Mona, Roseline, and Rosena at their house
This is a precious family. Mom and daughters have a sweet disposition, and their reputation in the community is good. I am attached to them. I will be visiting them whenever I am in Haiti and praying for them when I am not.
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