Hey there, this is Haley. I was given my chance to blog about my thoughts and events about my day here in Haiti. Here we go...
We wake up around 7am everyday, do an individual morning devotion/eat breakfast and officially start our day around 8am. I have been working closely with tagging, packaging; basically getting the beads ready to be shipped off to various locations. This has been a powerful and challenging experience for me. I absolutely love the Apparent Project and hearing about all the stories about the men and women who are a part of this mission. How awesome, to be serving God's folks by empowering them? Bringing their gifts to the surface and telling them they can provide for their family rather than getting a hand out from the 'white man'? Coorigan touched base on how the Haitians have a mind set that they hold the white man as a savior. Why is that?
I was told tonight that Haiti is the most missionary saturated country in the world. I have to ask the question, 'then why is Haiti still in the condition it is in?' Have we seriously taken a deeper look into this? Whether you are a white, middle aged, housewife or a world traveling busisness man this idea will effect you. The concept of wanting to meet the 'need' of the 'poverty' stricken people of the world, is what I now believe in... is the wrong way to think. We have late night talks with Coorigan and something that really struck me deep was this idea of Asset Based Community Development. It's the thought that somebody who is richer than you, will see your poverty. So who really is poor? Why is it that we think that we can go to Haiti and immediately address "the needs?" By doing this, we are already from the get-go communicating that we have something that the Haitians don't have. The heavily saturated missionaries of Haiti have unfortunately clearly communicated that. So what do we do? Here's an example that Coorigan gave tonight: I (white, female) go into Haiti and become depedent on the people of Haiti. And before I (white, female) address the needs of the Haitians, how about I come with a thankful, grateful heart? I dive into their culture, become saturated with the people and find out what their strengths are. That's a key part, finding out what their strengths are. If everybody in a community notices that there's a specific woman in the community that washes clothes faster than anybody else and you gain knowledge of this. Make it known to that woman. Bring her gift to the surface, shed some light on her capabilities. EMPOWER your sister. Tell her she's brilliant. Then, ask her what she needs help with. In asking her that question, we aren't pushing this 'poverty' view on her and we're giving her a voice. Let's say she tells you that she doesn't have enough money to send her children to school. That's when you say, well... let's take your gift of rapid clothes washing and make a business out of this.
SO, let's make an effort as God's people to break the white man is savior stereotype. (That sentence is so messed up, take a look at the words being used.) Let's not think that we have all the solutions. Let's bring ourselves down from this untouchable pedastal and come down to a human to human level. Everyone has a gift and God has not abandond anybody. Give affirmation and power to God's people. I look at the phrase "everyone is equal," in a very different light being here in Haiti. What a wonderful revelation.
Love first,
Haley
