Jude's family

I have known Jude's family since September of 2010 when I first visited Chaveneau.  Jude was so little at the time but absolutely adorable.  He was also sooooo serious all the time and quite timid.  His mom would come visit when I would stay in the community and he would always be hanging out in the shadows observing me but would never talk or really interact much.  It got to the point where they would tease that he was my boyfriend and the reason I came to Chaveneau (they would mostly say this to Ron to tease him).  As time went by though, Jude warmed up to me.  I got to know his whole family- mom, dad, brother (Wendy), and sister (Widelande).  They were one of the first families I asked about after the storm.

 I heard their house "broke" in the hurricane and that they were among the families living at the church.  Again, this was something my head knew, but my heart didn't understand completely until this past week.  It was only once I stayed for a few days that I saw them coming and going from what used to be the church office.  It is a room about 10 x 10 if that.  I asked Caleb (one of Isaie's sons) who was staying in that office and he told me Jude's family lived there now.  ALL FIVE OF THEM.  In a room about 10 x 10!

But, they are among the fortunate ones.  They can lock up their personal items during the day because the church office has a door that can close and lock.  Others living in the church can not do the same.  Others must pile their belongings in corners of the church and hide them under blankets that turn into sleeping mats or covers at night.  When they leave for the day to go work on rebuilding some sort of shelter they trust that their things will be safe.

So.... when I got to Chaveneau and saw Widelande I asked her to take me to see her home.  Tuesday morning she did just that.  We took a LONG walk through the fields and up/down steep hillsides.  We crossed the river by wading ankle deep in water.  And, when we arrived I got to see where their home used to be.  I got to hear her story of six of them huddled on top of one another under a small table during the hurricane because their home was falling around them.  I got to see where her bedroom (shared with her brother, Wendy) used to be.  I got to see the bits of furniture left among the rubble.  And, as I stood there, I got to pray with her and thank God for his protection over their lives.  We cried together.  We talked together.  I saw sadness in her eyes as she looked around- probably thinking about how I was viewing things for the first time.  Again, there is something about hearing about a situation (like you are now) and standing there in the middle of all the debris and experiencing it yourself.

The beauty?  There was MUCH, but one of the best things was seeing and hearing how their father has gone over to the property every day to salvage what he can.  He has rebuilt them a temporary home - next to the original foundation.  It is from scraps of tin and trees that fell in the storm.  It leaks in the rain.  The walls are not straight.  Some of the tin wiggles and moves if you push on it.  BUT.... it is going to be home soon.  And he is PROUD of that!  So proud!  He did not let his circumstances get the best of him.  He did not sit and wait for someone to show up and do things for his family. Instead, he took what God gave him and has created something out of that.  What a beautiful lesson we can learn.  Sometimes I think I can't do something cause the materials I have to work with are not good enough.  I am a perfectionist.  If it can't be done right, I might not try at all.  But, this man loves his family so much and wants them to be able to get back HOME....  so he has created a beautiful little tin home for them for now.

How I would love to help their family build a new concrete (solid) home- safe from storms and earthquakes and other things that might come their way.  How I would love to replace the four goats, four sheep and many chickens they lost.  How excited I was to see the seeds growing that we handed out about a month ago in their little field/garden area.

Their future here is uncertain.  But, they are a family.  They have strong faith.  This situation has not broken them but you can see the wear in the eyes of this father.  You can see the hurt (and love) if you look into his eyes.  You can see it in the eyes of Widelande as she talks about her former home.  So much for so many to process.

Again, I thank God for having this chance to visit the community.  To live there for a bit again.  To see the homes.  To hear the stories.  To pray together.  I pray He allows Hearts United to be used in some way to bring healing- physically and emotionally to these people I love.

Their home after the storm-  Widelande's bedroom is in the foreground on the left (pink mat).  She shared that room with her brother Wendy.  The room on the right was shared by mom, dad and Jude.  They hid under that blue table (on the left) during the storm and made their way to the church the following morning at first light.  (NOTE:  Grandpa still lives on site- under that blue tarp in the back- more on that in another blog)

This is a photo looking into the "new"house made of tin from the side door.  It has a gravel floor (made from crushed up block left laying around after the walls on the original house blew over).  The boards are trees that fell in the hurricane.  

Widelande holding their only chicken left.  They lost 4 sheep, 4 goats and MANY chickens.  This one was tied up during the storm so it is still there, but it hurt it's leg in the process and can not walk well at all.  

The "new" house made of salvaged tin.  

My buddy Jude!  So tiny to have lived through such an experience. Prayers for this whole family!