Thankful for Many Things

We are thankful for many things here in Haiti. Somehow, thankfulness takes on a whole new meaning in this lifestyle. It is tough to see the distinct contrast between the upper class (which is a very small percentage of the population) and the lower class (which is the vast majority of the population). There are now many things available in Haiti. In fact, almost anything you can imagine can in fact be purchased in Haiti- for a premium. 

This tide is $2110 Gourdes which is equal to $49 US Dollars (depending on the current 43/1 exchange rate). Unbelievable! As we were walking to the church and school, I saw a young girl that looked to be around 6 years old selling laundry detergent. She could in fact have been much older because many of the children are older then they look due to years of malnutrition and their small size. We have seen this process of a person placing very small amounts of various items on their head in a tub and walking around town selling them. 

The other day, I saw another lady dividing up laundry detergent into tiny little bags. She had a relatively small bag of dry laundry soap and was literally dividing it into 1-2 teaspoons of soap in order to sell. This is how life is in Haiti. People may hope to have enough money to buy 1-2 teaspoons of soap for that day in order to wash clothes for their entire family for the whole week. They do not go to Costco and buy enough soap for a number of months. They only have enough money to buy what they would use right then that day (if they are so fortunate). With prices that are so far out of reach, it is even more understandable that people are living a moment by moment existence. 

We hope to make an impact in Haiti and assist in bringing God's hope to a population in need!