Our last night in the Dominican Republic, we stayed at a hotel in Puerto Plata, several hours from our mission site. As I got dressed the last morning of our stay, I decided to wear a necklace and jewelry. I pulled out the silk travel bag that Nana got for me in Japan and unzipped the pouch containing my four favorite necklaces. They were tangled, of course, so they all came out when I pulled on the rain forest loop I wanted to wear. I found out, upon unpacking at home, that I had failed to return the other three to the bag. They were still in Puerto Plata. The tiger's eye jade loop I bought from a street vendor in Hong Kong (Carol, my twin, has a matching one), the silver spiral my friend Anita made for me years ago and my bluebird scrabble tile pendant (replaceable). I admit it. I cried. Like a baby. For a few minutes anyway. Then I remembered where I had been. What I had seen - the most impoverished people I have ever visited. It's a Haitian village about 100 miles from the border. Some families have been living there for three generations and some came after the earthquake. Beautiful people. Welcoming. Many of them Christian. But the neediest, physically, I have ever encountered. I quit crying over the necklaces. I have so much. Too much. All the photos below are from the Haitian village.
Kendal! What an amazing experience you had. Praying that those roots keep growing in you and in the people you touched. And also praying that the lost necklaces are bring joy to a new person. Maybe it was time for a new silver spiral anyway!! How cool that God is making so many things NEW in you. Love you. Blessings as you re-enter.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful transparent post...thank you.
ReplyDeleteCourtney