How Do You Like Them Apples

Bible #281 went to Peterson.
This boy is a thinker. I first met him in 2010, selling roasted nuts to the mission team.  He made sure to tell me how delicious they were.
He speaks pretty good English also, and when another mission team wanted to introduce sewing for diapers, it was Peterson who was the most efficient on the machine.  His comprehension is off the charts.
At 13, he has saved up enough to buy his own cell phone.  The word that comes to mind when I think of this boy in the middle of rural Haiti is: entrepreneur.
He's translated for me a few times, and he's an excellent soccer player.   To top it off, he's even brought other boys his age to our house for Bibles.  I've asked him to give the Gospel, but he's not quite out of that shell yet.  Soon, I think.


Yesterday we realized that Gertrude and Francia's birthday was fast approaching,  so we decided to make a  trip into Cayes for gifts and supplies.
Peterson got wind of our idea to go, and asked me if he could come.   He'd been saving up his money, and he had only one thing in mind, American Apples.


Rose and Lucy also asked if they could come, so we all piled into the car along with my friend Chelo.  We went bouncing down the road, zigging and zagging in the thick Saturday afternoon traffic of motorcycles, buses and tap-taps.   Peterson started to look a little green.  At his young age he's experienced many things, but car rides are not his thing.   Chelo said,
"I think we need to bring him with us to Cayes from now on, until he gets used to it."


We stopped to get the gifts for the ladies, and then went hunting for the apples.   It took us a long time to make the circle around the market, because traffic was so thick.  The kids all got some precious Haitian ice cream, and even some free chocolate from a store owner who was overjoyed by seeing so many children come into his establishment with smiles.


By this time,  Peterson wasn't talking much.  He looked like at any moment he might explode.   I imagined with apples, ice cream, and chocolate that would not be a very pretty mess to see.


On the way home He laid down in the very back of the car where I couldn't see him.  I tried to drive more carefully, but in the end it didn't help.


"Peterson.......Peterson?"  I called out from the driver's seat.
No answer.
Then the kids all joined in.
"Peterson?"
"Ye-----yes..." He said.
"Are you doing okay?"
"No."
"Do you feel like you need to throw up?"
"............yes......I did."
Thoughts of a chocolate, apple, and ice cream explosion in the back crossed my mind.
"Is it......Is it everywhere?" I asked.
"No.  I threw up in my ice cream cup."    He said, as we hit another bump.
He was back there holding a very full cup of throw up as I was bouncing over speed bumps....
We gingerly came to a stop and he tossed it out.
He took a deep breath as we started back down the road.
"I feel better now."  He said, taking a deep breath.
"How do you like them apples? Was it worth it?"  I asked him.
 "YES!" He said, still looking a little green around the edges.