Zanmi Mwen (my friend)

This is my good friend Addison. He is my right hand man in all the work we do here in Haiti. We have become very close as we have worked together the last couple of years. It has been very hard to build relationships here as most people can only see me as a means of provision. It is very different with Addison and I. We talk for hours sometimes about life, God and our families. It is good to have a real friend here. Most of my days I don't speak much english and it sometimes can make me feel more distant from home, but many times over, Addison has been my confidant when things get tough. I eat at his house everyday, play with his four kids and talk with his wife, it makes it a bit easier when I start missing home. I am sure many of you read the blog I wrote after the little boy had died. That was a rough day and Addison saw what I was going through. Even though culturally we don't deal with stuff like this in the same way he was sensitive enough to know I wasn't doing that good. The following day he called me and asked me to go to a soccer match with him because he knew I needed sometime away from what I was dealing with. It may seem like a small thing, but it was huge to me and spoke volumes about his care for me. We continue as friends, sometimes we get mad at each other or have misunderstandings, but thats friendship. I thank God for bringing us together in relationship and I know that we will continue to care for and challenge one another.

Thanks for all you do,

Brian