Today was interesting. Interesting mix of activities and leisure, of relaxation and refreshment, although the refreshment came a little late for my mood. After breakfast we headed out to Grace Village in Titanyen, about 45 minutes away from the guest house. It's located near the mountains and the water. Here the air is clear, the poverty is spread out. There is grass and trees. You can see for miles! It's absolutely beautiful. I was so excited to be in Titanyen after hearing so much about it. We pulled into the rocky lot and before we were even out of the truck, a boy was pointing at me from the door. He was staring. I was a little scared. He immediately clutched my hand in a death grip. I initially smiled, asked his name and age. He replied, "Edwens, 12." While I tried to regain circulation in my hand I noticed that he kept saying something that sounded like "Chinwa." I, of course, knew what it was. "Chinois" in French means "Chinese." As soon as I realized that, my mood plummeted. I can't escape this game even back home, and now I have to deal with it here, too? Why can't I just appear white like everyone else? Why am I so intimidated by a 12 year old boy? I was offended, upset, suddenly needed to be away from people, untouched. But he kept paying attention, pointing, whispering to the other kids who would then divert their gazes to me. He kept finding me and clinging to me no matter how many buildings we went in and out of on the tour. Over and over again I told him, "Je ne suis pas de Chinois" (I am not Chinese) and he would give me a confused look. It was almost a painful experience. I was angry that I couldn't just let it go. It felt unfair. For such an issue that affects me every day of my life, I couldn't escape. By the time the tour was finished I was anxious to leave. I started to fear returning for a full day on Saturday.
New medical center being built
Aquaponics farm
After that experience I wasn't sure how the rest of the day would go, but I had to recover mentally. We went down the hill into Titanyen and visited some of the elderly residents. We greeted them with bananas and peanut butter sandwiches and got to pray and sing with each of them. We were humbly invited into their homes if so desired, where none of us could imagine the conditions or the selflessness.
104 years old, this precious gem!
Wahoo Bay Resort
After we visited with the elderly we traveled 25 minutes to Wahoo Bay Resort, where we spent the rest of the afternoon basking in the Haitian sun. It was wonderful to see the beautiful parts of Haiti, to consider the potential for the country. We were able to kick back and relax and freshen up. We all got lots of sun and water sprays (ahem....ahem.....) and I actually CRIED at the sight of red crabs. It was a pretty laidback afternoon. It was obviously a day filled with an array of activities!
Yes, I forgot a swimsuit.
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