Brent, who has made this journey multiple times gave us directions from our town Jarabacoa to the Haitian border, about a 3 hour trip one way. It was a great time of fellowship together as we headed up to the border. The purpose of this trip was to go to the marketplace at the border and observe the interaction between the two cultures. Little did I know how much I would observe.
Twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, Haitians are allowed to cross the border into the DR to sell whatever they have, and then they turn around and use that money to buy food. Most of the things they sell come from relief organizations and a lot of the things they get they won't/can't use (clothes, toys, foods, shampoo, etc.) so they sell those things and as I said buy food that is critical.
There is a river that separates the 2 countries and as you walk across a bridge you cross into the DR. As soon as you come off the bridge there is a huge building with booths inside and booths outside. This is where all the trading/selling is done. It is literally wall to wall people, so much so you can barely walk. Everyone trying to sell their things. It is loud, busy, smelly, desperate.
As you try to walk through you are constantly moved to the side by Haitians with old broken wheel barrels loaded to their max hurrying back and forth with goods and food. It is really hot so the air is filled with the smell of body odor and fish. Not a good combination of smells.
As we walked through the outdoor booths and the marketplace inside I could not help but look into the vendors eyes to see if I could somehow get a glimpse into their lives. I really had no desire to look at all the stuff they were selling. I was more interested in the condition of their hearts. What I saw will impact me for the rest of my life.
Mind you this is only my interpretation, what I saw with my eyes.
I saw pain, frustration, desperation, bitterness, anger, hopelessness all wrapped into one. Some of the vendors lay on the concrete floor waiting for someone to walk by and buy their things. The Haitians we saw outside at the back of the building were incredibly hard-working. This is where the "behind the scenes action" was and where my heart was truly broken for them.
From what I could tell the system appears to be: On the Haitian side of the border they have a staging area, where trucks carry all merchandise to be sold. Haitians then use wheel barrels and old style carts (wooden carts that much resemble the carts in movies like Gladiator) to transport everything across the bridge, then into the booths outside and inside the marketplace. Then as they get the money needed for food they reload these big carts full of food and 8-12 Haitian men then push the carts back up hill to the Haitian side of the border to be loaded on the trucks to deliver food to their families in need.
The cart line behind the building is long and single file so if someone breaks down or needs to rest everyone has to stop. Did I mention the temperature is really hot, or that so many of the men pushing the carts are barefoot in the mud, or that I saw the look in their eyes of sheer exhaustion but knowing they have to keep moving or they could lose valuable relief for their families?
The pictures you see here are from someone else's camera. At the time I observed all this I could not bring myself to take one picture. It was so sad.
In a sense I never want to return there. It was just too sad. As I processed this I began to question God, "Why do I/we have it so good?, Why do you show me/us favor?, This is too big, how can I/we help in any way?, What would you have me/us do?"
I seriously don't know the answer to these questions. I also understand God is God and He can shape and mold however He wants. He is the great Potter. But I do know this......
I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. When someone speaks of me/us being a blessed people I truly can understand that concept in ways only a short time ago I really didn't. In the back of my mind are forever burned these images of men and women dirty, tired, hungry desperately trying to survive.
I think of the song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and I know it has new meaning to me.
"Lord, how can you use us as a nation "to see You high and lifted up? How can our actions reveal Your glory?"
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Kenny
I have made that crossing before, and it is life changing. The market and almost entire crossing was flooded, it was chaotic at best. I'm glad you got the opportunity to see this, and that you're safe.
ReplyDeleteI'll be in your neck of the woods (The Dominican) on December 14th. maybe I'll see you two??
Incredible job of putting your feelings into words - we felt the heartache you guys must have felt. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete~Dick and Mary Ellen