Today we headed to the village of Cachiman, a four-hour drive east from Port-au-Prince. We were just minutes away from the Dominican border, so thankfully I was able to use my Spanish and speak directly with some FH staff, parents and community leaders who had some Spanish.

Sometimes the conversation went English-Spanish-Creole and back again. I ended up translating for English speaking staff in the first few interviews. When I got tired or confused I had to enlist the aid of the child sponsorship program manager Melissa, so the conversation went English-French-Creole and back again. I was exhausted by the end of the day. But it was a very satisfying day. We learned a lot.

Much of the time, I struggled to find the right words to convey a simple question: “How has your involvement with FH impacted your family?” I tried many permutations…I changed verbs….I used hand signals…I got a few answers but felt like I never got to the bottom of the issue.

I talked with the FH staff about it later. What could I have done differently?

“You know, you are probably the first person who ever asked that mother what she THOUGHT about something, ” Melissa said. The whole concept confused her. No one had ever cared that she had an opinion. It’s conjecture, but one I need to consider. Being considered worthy of having thoughts is a privilege I have every day, and have had since I was a child. I was trained to believe that what I thought mattered to others.

Our worker in that community, Alfred, took a similar route in his counsel. The family you just talked to had six kids, he said. It’s all the parents can do to keep them fed, healthy and in school. They live day to day. The idea of even comparing the past with the present so they can see a change isn’t something they even think of doing. Again, I’ve been wired since I was a baby to recognize change, since the day my parents showed delight in my first smile and my first steps.

Alfred and others, like Pastor Francois who heads up the church in Cachiman, are trying to teach that desire and delight in change. Keep them in your prayers.

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