rain rain go away

Today was a very productive day. However, I am sure it is very uninteresting (not that my other posts are particularly stimulating reading).

Last night it started to rain...

It rained HARD....

Almost everyone was woken up by the very very heavy downpour. It hammered on the roof. It sounded like gun fire and felt as if the house was going to wash away. I used to love that kind of rain in Haiti. It used to be so fun to sit in the Guest House of Healing Hands for Haiti and observe the streets washing away and the huge water droplets colliding with the earth. It is a very exhilarating experience to listen to and watch the rain.

Last night, however, was not exhilarating and it was not fun. All we can think about is all of the poor people on the street sleeping under soaked sheets, on a ground that is washing away.

One of our staff members at Healing Hands for Haiti has her 12 year old son staying with her. She has been sleeping at the Guest House because she is the main cook and has to be here early to make breakfast for the team and late at night to clean up after dinner. I adore our Guest House staff and consider them to be my Haitian family. They are sleeping on a mattress on the patio of the Guest House. I had been thinking how although they are sleeping outside, they have it much better off than most. There is a tin roof over their head and facilities and food for them to use. It is 100 times safer than being on the street in the tent cities.

This morning I was speaking with my 12 year old Haitian little brother and I asked him how he slept. He explained to me that he didn't sleep because of the rain. He said that he slept sitting up in a chair. Although there is a roof and walls on 3 sides, the water rushes into the patio and drips through the roof. Tonight he fell asleep sitting with one of the volunteers in the Guest House on the couch. They covered him up with a blanket and let him sleep. His mom just came in and although I told her that it was ok for him to sleep there, she insisted on waking him up and bringing him out to the patio. I am completely sad!