When I first met Renel he immediately struck me as a Protector and someone always willing to put himself in the midst of danger to protect his friends. When I was thinking about what story to share I asked him if he has always been ‘brave’… he laughed and said, “I’ve only climbed a mango tree once!”
 
When he got half way up he froze with fear. He finally got the courage to jump down but he laid on the ground for so long that someone walking by thought that he had fallen and was dead… then embarrassment kicked in, and he ran home.
 
Being afraid of climbing trees might not seem like a big deal in Canada, most kids are afraid of climbing trees. But in Haiti it’s a very big deal… especially if you’re from Boava, a small rural community where mangos are a food group all on its own. Renel quickly compensated (over compensated maybe??) for his fear of climbing by becoming the ‘Tree Guardian.’ 
 
Imagine being an 8 year old kid who is up a mango tree when the farmer comes home. Renel became a master at holding his ground while farmers yelled at him and even threatened him with machetes. He held his ground long enough for his friends to get down the tree and run home… then he ran in the opposite direction of his home, so the farmer wouldn’t follow him home and tell his parents. He also had to defend off other groups of kids that wanted mangos from the same tree. By the time Renel left Boava (to go to live in a Children’s Home in Grand Goave) he was known as a tough guy, and a loyal friend.
 
Renel’s fear of climbing trees shaped his character and prepared him for many ‘protecting’ jobs later in life… none greater than having a white wife in Haiti!
 
When Renel told me this story I immediately thought of the picture below of him white water rafting with friends from work last summer – what a sharp contrast to the young boy who laid paralysed with fear under the mango tree. 
 
If Renel can get out of his comfort zone and actually enjoy rafting (despite not being able to swim), just think about what you could accomplish if you confronted your fears!

Rebecca Honorat