Harsh Realities.

It has been an intense week, but not in the “normal” way. Not in the way of misbehaving kids and tons of visitors and lots of busyness in the office. But in the kind of way of seeing this country for what it really is during its tough moments and being made more aware of the harsh realities of daily life in a developing country. As Christmas nears, people who are already just barely making it become more desperate and crime spikes. Without going into too many details, it’s been so obvious in the past couple weeks and even days, that things in this country are really difficult right now…you hear gunshots, you’re told about horrid deaths in nearby communities, and even your fellow volunteers are getting robbed. The reality of this country for many people means near constant danger, child labor, being a mother at a very young age, broken families, abuse, going hungry, and having an existence without an income. The hardest part is that these things aren’t happening off in the distance to people I don’t know or see. I’m living it and watching it everyday. I know the faces and names of the people in these situations. And it’s tough to see. It breaks your heart. It conflicts you. On the one hand, I could stay inside my NPH bubble where there are three guaranteed meals a day and a certain roof over my head at night. But at the same time, that’s not really an option. To immerse oneself in this lifestyle means exploring where our kids are from, experiencing what their lives have been like, and making connections with all sorts of people outside the four walls. Just because it gives you pena is no reason not to get out there and live the life you have consciously chosen to be a part of.

Sunday marks the beginning of six days in Haiti and a couple border crossings that are predicted to be memorable. I’m sure I’ll be experiencing many more harsh realities. But at the same time, I also expect to experience the same resilience of the people, the kind of resilience that brings a community together rather than tears it apart when an important leader tragically takes his own life. The kind of resilience that leads a 14-year old boy to work ten-hour days, six days a week without lunch in order to provide for his family. In the end, I know there is only one good solution to all these problems: shooting up a prayer and leaving it all in God’s hands. Sometimes, I feel like so much is out of control, but it’s just out of my control. He’s got an eye on everything. He’s got it taken care of.