Lessons From A Ten-Year-Old Haitian

What comes to mind when you hear about Haiti?

Last week I was in Haiti helping my friend Kim with her mission work. Kim starting traveling to Haiti five years ago to work with children and teenagers: through her charity she provides the means for them to attend school, she has started music programs and a marching band, she works with youth reading and discussing the Bible... Kim spends a lot of time with the people of Anse Au Veau and L'Asile (check out www.musicoftheheart.org to get the full scoop).

80% of people in Haiti live in poverty. 

Poverty [pov-er-tee]: noun. The state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; condition of being poor.

Clean water and medicine are in short supply in Haiti. Housing is very basic and indoor plumbing isn't very common. Yes, the people in Haiti are poor.

And, the people in Haiti are happy.
It's kind of like an inner glow, their happiness. It comes from within.
Their happiness isn't measured by how much stuff they have.
They find joy in the moment.
They are grateful.

Living life that way, happiness is found anywhere and everywhere, at anytime.

It's simple.

I met Karl in Anse Au Veau. Karl is ten years old, and last year he had his right leg amputated (at the upper thigh) when a building fell on it during Hurricane Matthew. He uses a crutch to run up and down the stairs faster than anyone I've ever seen. He has non-stop energy.

Karl is always smiling - he simply exudes joy. He has 'nothing' according to World Bank standards - except, he has everything. It's inside him, and he shares it with everyone he meets. Pure joy.

Do the people of Haiti know that they are living in poverty?

Doubtful. 


©Catherine Borowski 2017
www.celebratingwealth.com

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