EBC Day #4 - Haiti Teen Challenge, Papillon, & Orphanage

1/9/20 - Day #4

Bonswa from Nick and Christa! That means good afternoon in Creole. Neither of us were too keen on writing the blog so we decided to co-author one together! Day 4 started off to a sleepy, slow start. The activities, lack of sleep, and general craziness of the week had finally caught up to us. It’s also the midpoint of the trip and I think it’s knowing our mission as a team is quickly coming to an end.

Our first stop of the day brought us on the tap tap (bus/taxi) to Haiti Teen Challenge. We visited the young ladies and we listened to two brave young women share their stories while two of our volunteers shared theirs in return. There was a bridge that was gapped today when the Haitian girls realized that other people struggled and have dealt with some of the same things as them. After we prayed together as a group we were given a tour of the housing area which was simply furnished and clean. Once we were done we had a group picture taken, some hugs were given, and we were on our way to the next stop.

After we visited the women we made our way over to the men’s center. One young man was able to share his story since we were short on time, but it touched everyone and we were changed by his testimony and all the others’ who had shared before him.

We made our way to the next stop at Papillon, a café/gift shop. The food and smoothies we were delicious!! Every bite and sip were amazing and so were the workers. In the gift shop they sold homemade ceramic mugs, stuffed animals, art, and beads. Every piece is lovingly handmade by the workers. If you feel led to do so, I highly recommend going to their website at papillonmarketplace.com and making a purchase to help the Haitian economy. Every dollar, every smile, every hug helps serve God’s purpose through each of us.

After we finished our food and shopping we were given a tour by one of the workers. We were able to see how they made handmade beads out of clay. Each worker makes 2,000 a day! They use cereal boxes cut in long triangle strips to make very colorful and very unique earrings, bracelets and necklaces. We were shown the kilns where the pottery was heated in a three-step process. Each of the 7 skilled workers have the ability to craft 70 of these amazing pots a day. Then we went where the women were making stuffed animals, games and purses with Singer sewing machines.

It was a bumpy ride as we made our way to the next stop. No one has mentioned it yet but there are minimal rules for driving in Haiti compared to the U.S. There’s lots of honking horns, swerving, hopping up on curbs, and avoiding motorcyclists who swerve in and out of the smallest of spaces where you wouldn’t think one would be able to fit. But we have some very talented drivers who get us to our destinations safely!

Once we got to our final stop for the day we made our way into a small orphanage that partners with Healing Haiti. The men were able to communicate with the kids and started to play a basketball game called lightning, even with the language barrier. While half the kids played basketball the other Haitians turned on some music and danced away! One little girl wouldn’t stop dancing! The other kids were either playing soccer, some were playing instruments with the music, a handful were coloring, and a face painting station started in the cafeteria. We even had one team member really connect with a 12-year-old girl who was teaching her Creole. That same girl was encouraged to end our time together by praying for our whole group. Much too soon, as usual, we had to make our final goodbyes. We said our goodbyes to the kids and took some pictures. As usual it was another wonderful, memorable day in Haiti. 

In closing, as in every night on our trip, we end with a recap of the day. We start by going around the group and each person describes their day with one word. It may sound easy, however, it is so challenging only being able to choose oneword. Until you come and see what a mission trip is all about, one word doesn’t completely explain all the emotions you feel during the day. You experience things you couldn’t fully imagine before. Going from teens who’ve experienced things that nobody should ever have to go through, to seeing the Haitians incredible creativity with everything they make with limited tools and resources, to visiting children or young teens in an orphanage who don’t have a family. As a group we were able to come up with 17 words that still might not fully capture the moments. We continue the discussion by sharing words of wisdom, thoughts and moments only God brings out of each individual. As they say at the Haitian team challenge, we come as guests, we leave as friends. However, I think many of us came to Haiti as strangers and leave as family.