Is it Friday?

How time has flown! The yanks leave on Sunday, so this was their last full day (we'll let them sight see tomorrow) Today we packed in quite a bit, including one of my favorite places on earth - Peurta Plata. (Silver Port) This tough gritty town, which I like to describe as like Portsmouth but with the temperature at 90 degrees!

In fact, this is not fair. Its got a much more latin American feel. Having spent the week in the villages, there is a stark contrast of visiting a busy city with the chaos of traffic, diesel fumes, road works, hundreds of mopeds, noise and, of course, poverty.

The poverty is concentrated in an area called Aquas Negros (Black Water) which is quite literally what covers this area when it rains and the water rises. The shacks extend all the way to the mouth of the river which is fed by the sea. Its absolutely filthy, as the rubbish gets caught between the waves of the sea pushing it one way and the river moving it the other. These people know that there is every likelihood that their house will be washed away at some point.
We visited a small two roomed house and stepped out of the back door onto...nothing. A six foot sheer drop lead to the river. The erosion was below the house, and it was only going to be a matter of time before it would be swept away.

And yet in the middle of all this, there is once again hope and inspiration. Sandra, a lady in her early forties decided that the children needed educating and so took over 50 children into her shack. (Seeing this shack you wouldn't think it possible.) A missionary from Mercy Ships heard what she was doing and now she has a school which houses happy children and gives them a break. These kids were paraded in front of us and sang a song. The song was funny and the joy of just being kids was evident. Sandra's slowing down the age which these kids have to grow up. She's also nourishing them with knowledge. This is a good thing and Sandra has every right to be proud of her achievements.

There's a whole theme of giving the kids their childhood back which I've been discussing with this Godly man Jon Glidden. He's a thoughtful young man with a wisdom beyond his years (that sounds a bit like a line from Pocohantis!) and I already love him to bits. Jon's invited me to go on the trip in October. I really fancy it. we've got some great ideas which I've already put on here. With Jon on your team, they'll happen!

God works in funny ways to reveal his plans. Today whilst driving to Peurta Plata people needed a 'comfort break' and so we pulled in to a children's playground facility. John turned to me and said, this would be a great place to take the kids from Los Algadones! Its got go-karts, adventure playgrounds etc, but its $15 per child, so that's.....that's a lot if you take 150 grubby kids!

Oh but what joy!
Oh but what destruction!!
It would be a day to remember!

One other event which was a first. We went to the Church in the Woods which is a clearing made in the woods by the people of Los Algodones. There, they have made a circle out of stones and have declared it Holy ground. You have to take your shoes off, and remain quiet and reverent as you approach. I'm not New agey or anything like that, but the mixture of peace, nature and God was potent. I felt humbled, I felt close to God. When the Haitians worship, it is unbridled. It is something that those of us in the west can only ever dream of as long as we continue to lead our busy lives and remain with our self centered minds.

You learn a lot from the poor. But in a perverse sort of way, you also feel quite jealous of some of what they have. Most of all, I believe that God uses the poor to allow us to see him. If you're searching for him, or if he currently seems far away. Get on a plane:
www.missiondirect.org