Ose - Gerst (Alpha Team) Day 4

 Hi everyone!!

Tonight writing is Mackenzie Blauert and Lauren Stich.

We started the day by loading up the tap tap and taking the 45 minute drive to Tetenye where we visited three different elders in the area. We brought food and drink for each elder, along with washing their feet (nail polish optional). giving massages with lotion, and prayer.

First, we visited an elderly woman who lived with her daughters and granddaughters. She was gracious and kind and when asked for prayer requests she included us as one of her primary concerns. During this home visit we also got to paint the nails of the woman and three of her granddaughters. Don't tell Marijo, but while Mackenzie was painting the nails of one of the girls, the girl asked to keep the polish and Mackenzie just motioned with her finger over her lips and said "shhh" before walking away. The Haitian girls proceeded to laugh and smile and stopped making fun of how "blonde" Mackenzie and Nicole's skin was.

Second, we visited a woman named Mariedeloude, who plopped down her chair to have her feet washed in the middle of the neighborhood. We were surrounded by neighborhood kids who were provided with songs, hugs, and pillowcase dresses while members of the team washed and massaged Marie. A couple words to describe Marie were silent firecracker, due to her response to prayer requests: everything, and her demands to have her feet washed well and twice.

Third and on a sadder note, we visited an elderly woman who happened to be very sick. Not many of the team members were able to surround her in her pain due to close quarters, but John B. gave her medical advice and many prayed over her in this time of need. We ask that you keep this woman and her family in your prayers as this woman endures sickness and her daughter cares for her.

After the elder care visits, we visited Grace Village, where there's a school, orphanage, church, and bakery. We toured the grounds and learned about the new family style housing in the orphanage, where the children live with a mami and papi and function as a family unit with chores and shared meals. We also learned about the bakery, which will create many jobs for the Haitian people and serve surrounding missionaries with a restaurant portion and surrounding businesses with artisian bread.

We rounded off the day with delicious Haitian food and group time with many... interesting worship songs (Let it Go from Frozen made it into the mix). All in all, we are thankful for the opportunity to have been the hands and feet of Christ today and we are looking forward to church and pizza tomorrow.

Until tomorrow!
The Alpha Team