Day 2 - Loving and being loved.

We woke up at 6am to watch the sunrise Haitian skyline with a view overseeing the city. The city was more alive than we had thought it would be. Sydney and I lent a hand making pancakes for breakfast while Hannah helped make the eggs. After a filling breakfast, we layered on our sunscreen and bug spray to physically prepare for the Home for the Sick and Dying babies. Although physically prepared, nothing but prayer could help us prepare for our day.

We stepped into rooms filled with young children who watched our every moves with curious eyes. Some would cry, trying to get our attention drawn towards them so they could spend a few wonderful minutes in someone’s arms feeling their love. Our group had our hands full of children from start to finish, trying to love on every child. We walked outside with the kids in our arms or soothed them. As we set the kids down their cries would pierce our hearts. Many times, leaving the child we had previously been holding was too difficult to part with. We ended our time at the Home for the Sick and Dying Babies by helping feed numerous hungry mouths. While some kids ferociously devoured their food, others would be much more difficult to coax into eating.

After a short stop at the guesthouse for snacks, we headed out to Dare's, an orphanage for handicapped children. Along with coloring supplies, jump ropes, and chalk, we arrived at the gates to be welcomed by kids crawling, running, and wheeling towards us with smiles on their faces. We were immediately drawn into piling multiple kids on a wheelchair for rides. Along with wheelchair rides we were able to worship with the children and adults alike by singing songs in a mix of English and Creole. The adults at Dare's joined us in prayer and we set out to leave. It was difficult to part with their joyous presence.

Lastly, we headed to Apparent Project for a tour of their facility and some time to shop. We ordered our smoothies and got a behind the scenes tour to see how all the products were made. We saw various beads being made, the pottery studio, and the screen printing room. After being touched by the hardworking and talented parents, we got to shop for the handmade goods they spent so much time making. We had never made such a meaningful purchase, as we knew how much of an impact our shopping had on the lives of some families. Apparent Project was living proof that one person could make an incredible difference, since the founder of the organization was just a couple looking to adopt a child and ended up accomplishing so much more.

Back at the guesthouse we reflected on our experiences by sharing one word that summed up our day. The experiences were difficult to sum into one word, but it was touching to see how much our love, and how much God’s love, made a difference in the lives of some Haitians. Not only were we giving love, but we were receiving it. The children embraced us with open minds and open hearts as they allowed us to pick them up and spread love to them as well. Seeing how wholeheartedly content all of these children were with their live despite not having an abundance of material things like many of us put into perspective where our true treasures lie. Today was a day of realizing what God provides and how much is accomplished through his love.

Sydney & Jordan