The week has come to a close so quickly.  This morning Matthew said that he feels like I have only been here for a day.

     Today should be rather quiet.  I will meet with Hyppolite who has shown so much diligence.  He is coming to bring jewelry to me today, as he has already been busy making stuff.

     For those of you who might not know, I brought beads this trip for Matthew and Hyppolite.  They have been telling me over and over again, that beads are very expensive to buy here.  I had planned to go to the downtown market with them but Matthew wouldn't let me go because he felt it was too dangerous.  Our friends Troy and Tara told me that there were three kidbnappings this week end, and it wasn't until I could talk to Julma that I was convinced that downtown was absolutely safe, no problem.  So it got taken out of the schedule.

     Julma is my driver when I am in Haiti.  He brought a painting to me the other day for a gift.  I trust him and he has always been very good to me.  He tells me that gas is over $7.00 a gallon right now.  The drivers are affected by this of course.  Our trips have cost us a lot more and so we have been limiting them.  We declined leaving for Church today because it would cost us $50.00 to go.  We are going to have Church here.

     Let me tell you one of the ways that Haiti can be so strange.  All week I have been having avacado stuffed with shrimp for dinner.  Ok, your not feeling bad for me.  Here is the reality, avacado with shrimp is the cheapest thing on the menu at $7.00 US.  Chicken costs more and pizza costs more.  The problem I encountered was that even though avacados are in season the kitchen ran out of them after the second night, so I went to the market and bought 2 avacados.  When it was time to order, I handed the avacado to the waiter and asked him to bring it to the chef and ask if he would make it for me.  The chef was happy to do it.  There are many people staying here this week and so I expect they will be running out of lots of things.

     There are many challenges on a trip to Haiti especially because you know that everyone is hungry.  Yesterday I did something that bothers me still.  My purpose in sharing it is to help you see how difficult decision making can become, especially if you want to truly represent Christ.  Where do you offer grace, how do you set boundaries, how to you know where the line is?

     When I stay at the hotel, the HM Board allows for me to feed people and helps to cover that cost.  In the very beginning we made this decision because it did not feel right to turn hungry people away, and or to eat in front of them.  It was always a burdon that Tyler and I felt strongly about.  After all, if I was home I would not turn anyone away.  We try to be careful and have learned  that people show up at certain times and so sometimes we arrange our schedule so that we are not convenient to drop in on.  For the most part the people who visit with us are very careful not to wear out their welcome, but there are the few who try to take advantage. 

     This was the case yesterday mnorning.  All week Venise has been sending all her children for breakfast except for the baby.  Breakfast is the easier out of all the meals because I am charged only $2.50 to give them eggs.  Then, Venise sent all her children and a friend, then yesterday she brought it up a notch, sending all her children including the baby and two friends. 

     To add to the strain that I know she was taking advantage of us was the fact that I had not slept the entire night before.  I was also missing lots of sleep from earlier in the week because of Smith.  Each morning Matthew and Darlene would quietly leave the room so I could get some sleep.  When Smith asked Darlene where I was and she told him I was sleeping he decided that he could fix all that and he had the front desk call down to my room until they woke me up.  The next morning he came down to the room and knocked on the door until I woke up.  This was at 6:00 am. He got a scolding.

    So to continue the story, Darlene just looked at me, like what are we going to do?  Esterline and her friend were all dressed up extra special, their hair must have just been done.  The baby was just looking at us and I made a quick decision partly out of anger, partly out of exhaustion, and partly out of trying to gain control and I sent them all home.  A decison I deeply regretted as soon as I had a chance to get some rest.  I should have fed all the children.  I hurt them because they were rejected and it wasn't them who were misbehaving it was their mother.  I could have fed them and then sent one of the older children of the family to talk with Venise.

     Today none of the children came.  I feel very strongly that I should have done it different but I have no way to correct it now.

     Tomorrow, Darlene and I, will be out of here at 7:00 am, hopeful to be in Boston at 7:00 pm.  WE are doubtful that it will go that easy but we are prepared.  I can't wait to get home and share more about our trip.