Thursday, May 15, 2014

Just a friendly reminder...

Tuesday hit our families three month mark of living in Haiti and to avoid any problems we left the country to come to the Dominican for a few days. In Haiti, you need a permis to stay in the country for longer than 90 days. Not sure how strict this law is but we weren't going to chance it.

So here is why I came on here to share what I have been feeling. We have been here for 3 days and as we walk around the thoughts of homelessness having been swarming my mind. You think I would get use to see hungry kids but it just doesn't. Yesterday as I walked around Chris and I talked about the people who sit on the streets and ask for money. I am having a hard time understanding how I am being like Jesus if I just walk by every person on the street and not give them money. But am I suppose to give every person I see money? I mean I could possibly go broke pretty fast. Chris told me about how he listened or maybe read about three people who discussed this topic and they all had different views. One said he donates to homeless shelters and never gives them money. Another said he gives the person directly money and the other said it just depends on how he feels. After talking about it, it still left me with no answer. Is there a right answer?

Now this morning comes and I am on a mission to go shopping. First stop, ice cream for the kids. We start our walk to the ice cream store and there sits the lady we have seen for two days on the sidewalk shaking her jar wanting money. I walk by, the guilt kicks in. But I just keep walking. We get our ice cream and sit at the table, up walks a boy not much older than Ethan asking money. I put my head down and shake no. Instantly my heart breaks and I watch him walk to every person at the restaurant asking for money. No one. I am instantly saddened by the thought that no one is helping. Not even myself. I continue to watch this boy go and sit. I can't help but just stare at him, and there comes that smile. It works... I call him over. I ask if he speaks English, piti he says. I ask Creole? Wi (yes). I ask if he is hungry and he says yes. Off Chris goes and they go order some breakfast together. After he gets his food and comes back and thanks me for the food. I ask him his name and age and learn that his name is Lazon and he is 12 years old. All I can say is Ok and goodbye. I have to walk away before my emotions get the best of me. You would think that living in Haiti for the past 3 months that these things would get easier to see but they don't. I sit here with tears in my eyes just thinking about it and wondering did I do the right thing. Was I being like Jesus at the moment? Should I have bought him food or should I have just gave him money? Was that right of me to do infront of my children? I don't know any of these answers but I do know that at that moment I felt it was what I suppose to do. And I also believe it was a friendly reminder to the one who was on her way to spend money on things she really doesn't need just because she wanted to. I was reminded that tomorrow I will be on my way back to my reality of where I see this everyday and not lose sight of what lies ahead.