The Kentucky Team’s Saga – Part I – OCC Gift Distribution

The Kentucky team arrived late afternoon of Jan. 9th, exhausted and soaked!  It had been a rough ride across 7 miles of ocean in a taxi boat!  Kim March wrote the following about the experience and conditions at the base on Ile a Vache.

“After surviving what seemed like a possible near death drowning on the way to the island, and being exhausted, I doubted my decision (to come to Haiti). But then remembered why I was there and that was the last time I allowed myself to pout.  Turns out, we had a toilet! We had to fill it with ocean water to flush, but I could deal with that! We also had a “shower” of sorts available to us everyday.  It was really a spigot and a 5 gallon bucket, but hey!  I got clean!  I even got an offer to have water boiled for me to make it nicer.  This I refused.  I was trying to die to my pampered American butt still!  I also had a bed in a room offered to me.  So I did take that! 🙂  I prefer a little privacy, so us 4 girls slept in a small room. 2 on the floor. 2 on a bed.  And you know what? I don’t feel bad about it! 🙂  Our room didn’t have any electricity, so I could NEVER find anything at night, and it was always hot and sticky.  (I did have a personal battery operated fan that helped)  I slept in a mosquito net, but still got bit by Noseeums.  Stinking boogers are so tiny they fit through the holes! They were the worst part of the trip!  Nothing seemed to help the itching or the biting of them.  Not sure how much sleep we got, but I slept good most of the time.  3 days we woke up to praise and worship music that Bill played.  That was an awesome way to start the day!  Loved it!”

Previous updates have told the story of the clothes distribution and the “Christmas dinner” for the folks. We also got to distribute Operation Christmas Child boxes that week. The team was really excited to get to do this as most of them are very active in packing boxes back in the states.  The KY team rode from PAP to the coast in a truck tap-tap that also brought the OCC gifts.

Later that week, we took the gifts out to the boat on the dinghy and then around the island to the village of Grande Sab where they were to be distributed at the school there.  After ferrying the gifts to shore, students came to take them to the school.  We were concerned because we did not have enough gifts for all the children enrolled at the school.  Hannah March tells the tale.

 

 First we went to the youngest class. I’d say they were preschool/kindergarten age. They all lined up and we gave them each a Christmas box one by one. To each child we said “Jesi reme ou” as we gave them their gift which means “Jesus loves you”. I expected chaos and smiles and laughter as the kids opened their gifts but they were mostly silent. Not even a smile. They were even super hesitant to open anything in there.   (The children did smile before we left the room.)

Later Rebekah and I talked about why and we realized that these kids have never gotten a present before in their lives! They had no idea what to do with it. Bill later told us that we just blessed them immensely and later is when they will be excited like crazy. It was still such an amazing feeling to give these precious kids their first present EVER!  It was even better because each class we went to we told them about Jesus and what He did for us and that people in America who love them and love God  made these just for them to show them how much Jesus loves them.”   

We talked with the teachers, leaving The Greatest Journey course with them to be taught over the next few weeks.  It was a such blessing for us all to get to share with these children ….and the week was only half over.  (….to be continued)  (Scroll down for additional pictures.)