Day 4 - How Great Thou Art

I am sitting on my bed in the Artisan House, listening to the rain outside my windows.  The cool breeze is so refreshing - I even turned my fan down a few notches.  The smell of the rain is clean and crisp and I am imagining all the dust from the road out front being washed off the plants, flowers and trees.  Everything will be bright and glorious in the morning.  And then I think of the Haitians who are still living in the tents just a few hundred yards from where I sit.  Even the little concrete or wooden houses are not that much protection.  Not without closing yourself completely off - several people huddled in a tiny space with no air circulation. Ugh!  But, as a friend pointed out - their cisterns are being filled - God is providing them with the water they need.

Haiti is an amazing place and Haitians are a resilient people.  But I will get to that later.....

Today was busy again!  The artisans arrived at 8 am and all got to work.  They group off in their sections, talk and do their jobs.  I worked on cutting some cereal boxes for the greeting cards they have been making, while my star Calligraphy students practiced.

 Peterson

Marc Oril

One of the many things I love about ApParent Project is that mom's can bring their children to work with them!  It was so great to see 4 little ones around today.

This little one is so good! She didn't make a peep all day - just lays there looking at everything.  One of the men said that he was going to pinch her just to see if she made noise.  They say she is ALWAYS like this.  So sweet.

Love this - all the beads - everyone working and the babies are so good!

Shelley had a big meeting this morning so she gave the artisans instructions on a bracelet she wanted made today.  She has spent a lot of time teaching them how to do a pattern with the beads but today she wanted the same color scheme - but no real pattern to it.  They had a difficult time with that.

 When she came back a few hours later, many bracelets were finished.  But they were not what she wanted - so she took the scissors to them!  Cut them up and let the beads fall back into the pile.

Now - this seems cruel - but they were all laughing and taking it very well.  These artisans are paid by the day so they didn't lose any money - it just cost time and some string.

She has such a good repore with them!  They eventually got was she was wanting and came up with some really neat stuff!

I LOVE these!  These beads are made from maps of Haiti!  How cool is that?

Getting new instructions from Shelley

Look at all the beads!!!!!!!

Cuteness!!!  The ice cream man has figured out that ApParent Project is a great place to come.  He shows up every morning about 11:00 and the artisans enjoy ice cream.  I think it's wonderful that they can afford something so simple.

Other creativity was going on in the house today!  Love these cute little Bead People and Animals.  These are Novens' creations.

Another creation from today was Napkin Rings!  This had something to do with the phone call Shelley received from Macy's yesterday.  LOVE it!!!!

These necklaces are made from the natural clay here in Haiti.  The kiln they built in November literally blew up not to long ago.  They are working on bringing one from the states as well as rebuilding the one that exploded.  In the meantime they have been pit firing the clay.  It turns it this cool charcoal color.  One of the guys (Marc) was playing around today and came up with these designs.  The colored beads were glazed and the brown ones are made from coconut.  Now - I must tell you that Marc was just playing around.  He is new and this was his first time making jewelry - it's not even his job!!!  Fun stuff!

 At the end of the day - 3 pm - the boys from "The Hood" as Shelley calls it (a room where a group of about 10 or 12 guys do nothing but make Signature Pieces all day ) bring their work up to Quality Control to be inspected before it gets sold.  I couldn't let them pass without photos!  They have been working hard!

The Quality Control people checking all the Signature necklaces.

During the busyness of the day, a team of 8 women from Washington State arrived.  They will be working with the seamstresses to expand their sewing projects.  I have enjoyed meeting them and look forward to watching them work while I am here.

They met with the Seamstresses today at 4 pm to introduce themselves and to explain what they would be doing.  Shelley had spread the word about this meeting and of course, all of her regular seamstresses were here - but others came a long looking for employment.  She wound up with twice as many than she expected.  She can not promise all of them a job at this time - but she did divide them all up into groups and they will all go through the training.  Even if Shelley cannot hire them all right now, they will walk out of here with a skill that can help them with employment elsewhere.  I think that is so cool.

Shelley had each of the ladies (an there was one man who came who had made his own pants!  And they were men's dress pants! - Talent!!!) Anyway - Shelley had each of them introduce themselves and give their name, where they lived - house or tent - how many children, etc.  It was incredible.  I sat and listened to each one of their stories and was completely humbled and amazed.  Most of them have children.  Some are married - but most single.  There was one single lady who has two children and has adopted a 3rd.  Shelley said that the media never covers all the families who have taken in so many extra kids due to the earthquake.  They are poor - and they are adopting.  It's incredible.  

Most of the ladies sitting on the couch already work for Shelley - either beading or sewing - sometimes both.  When it came time for them to introduce themselves - they couldn't speak any higher of Shelley.  They all spoke about how their lives have changed because of ApParent Project.  Because of their jobs, they are out of tents and their children are in school.  It was awesome!

When the meeting was over, they all stood, held hands and said a prayer in unison - in Creole.  I don't know what they were saying - but it didn't matter.  Shelley shared with me that these people have taught her so much about faith.  They may not have much - and because of that - they have a deep and lasting faith in God that many of us cannot understand because we are so self sufficient.

At the end of their prayer - the sang "How Great Thou Art" in Creole.  It was beautiful!  

That, my friends, put me in tears.  Not their poverty - not their sad living conditions.  Their faith.

I videoed them singing but according to Facebook and my blog - it would take over an hour to upload and it's less a minute in time.  The servers here just can't handle it so I will bless you with that when I return home.  

The Washington ladies today asked me if ApParent Project was everything I thought it would be.  I told them that I tried very hard to come here with no expectations whatsoever.  But what expectations I did have - have been met and then exceeded.  Why should I expect anything less from the Lord when He has brought me here?

Before October 2010 - I had no concept of the world outside of the U.S.  I was busy raising babies, taking care of my mom, working with teenagers and their drama.  But then it became time for God to lift up my chin and show me the rest of the world.  He has begun with Haiti.  And I am so thankful that He has brought people in my life like the Clays to show me how to help in a correct and Godly way.  I cannot tell you enough how much of an honor and privilege it is to be here.