The First Day I arrived in Viall Vasquez I must say I was initially overwhelmed by the living conditions and a part of my heart broke. However, in a matter of hours those exact feelings seemed to be quickly forgotten and replaced with absolute admiration for the town and its people. The open arms, the love, the beautiful children, the passion, and the peoples' unwavering faith was absolutely incredible.
Church was an unbelievable experience. The music was incredible, the pastor's words unbelievably passionate, but above all it was the village's youth that made the service so great! The children sat up front, the little ones were allowed to roam in the isles and were free to be exactly who they were-which only added more joy.
The place family and faith held in this community truly touched my heart. Children were the prized possessions in this village. These people had next to nothing but that did not stop them from loving and giving their children their absolute all. The way the mothers looked on at their children was truly a beautiful sight to behold. The way the men took responsibility for being the head of the family, the protector, and provider was just awesome. What impressed me was the pride that was taken in being a "Man of God." There was pride in that, there was pride in attending church service, there was pride in the cross that adorned their neck.
The crazy thing is I thought I was going to go without food for a good week or so due to the conditions, however it was quite opposite. I think there will be extra cardio sessions this week due to the fact that a town of humble means would not stop providing me with all the food anyone could ever want. The generosity and hospitality was second to none.
My favorite time was post-dinner when the children would come by to see us. Their laughter was amazing and their spirit so moving! It was so cute how they would try to teach us Spanish! My favorite was when I said: Tengo Venti-Siete Anos and their response was "No Chaquita, No Chaquita!"
The toughest time I had was in the Haitian Refugee camp. The first time we went I struggled to fall asleep that night. Nothing made sense of it to me and the images I couldn't seem to get out my head. The second time we went only made things more difficult for me to understand. I think the hardest part was when I found out one of the mother's asked if we could take their babies. I remember the knot I felt in my stomach. I truly pray that these people receive the resources to survive and for gift of hope. I can only hope the elections go alright and that some act of justice is taken to ensure these people receive the donations that have been made in their name because so much has been withheld.
Even though it was short trip there were times where I did struggle to comprehend and did occasionally find myself wanting to be alone in my thoughts.
The most pivotal and life changing part of the trip for me occurred on the second and last day. On the second day I was working on the church when I saw a man with an LA hat on. I took off running after him, like some silly American tourist asking in my broken for a photo with him to show my friends back home. The guy next to him started laughing and broke out in perfect English. We got to talking long story short, turns out he was a young man who left everything behind in New York to attend to his father's health and help raise his step-children. I truly was moved by his strength. I prayed and prayed I would see him before we left to thank him for sharing his story and express my admiration. On the last day on the way to the Haitian Village we turned down the wrong street, and there he was on the corner with his family. It's a day I will never forget and feel blessed to have been able to meet such a fighter.
Some may call this trip a "relief or mission trip" I call it an unexpected "Self-Help trip." I may have helped lay some concrete, shot some hoops with the local kids, dropped off some stuff for the Haitians but honestly that is nothing-absolutely Nothing. Because the people of Villa Vasquez and experience in the Haitian Village CHANGED MY LIFE. Every person that I met taught me something, showed me love, accepted me, gave me far more than I could ever give them. They taught me humility, passion, love, faith but above all I saw the Face of God in the town and in the people.
Thanks for reading!
Dios Los Bendiga
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