I will remember you with Grace

Today, we went to Titanyen. In Creole, this means "less than nothing". This is a place where there is little water and not much grows.

Our first stop was at the mass grace and memorial for the victims of the earthquake in January 2010. They are not sure how many people are buried there, somewhere around 250,000 or more. There was not time to identify all of the victims and give everyone an individual burial. The cemetery couldn't handle the number of graves needed. So the government set aside this canyon no one wanted and they took the bodies out there to be buried in one enormous grave. Every single person in Haiti or from Haiti lost a friend or family member. It is a very solemn place.

We were blessed to have the story of the days after the quake shared with us by our driver. After we walked around a bit, Angela led us in a word of prayer for him and for all Haitians.

Growing up in earthquake country, we practice preparedness, but it had been a long time since there had been a quake here and the people did not know what to do to be safe.

After we left the memorial, we were pleased to be able to tour Fleuri Bakery.  They employ bakers, chefs, and servers. They sell baked goods wholesale and also have a restaurant. We had placed an order ahead of time that we picked up. The most fun thing on their menu is Digi Bread. They look like little cell phones. I can personally attest to the deliciousness of the croissants.

Our next stop was Grace Village. We met Caleb who, along with his wife and daughters, are new long-term missionaries there. We toured the dormitories, family homes,  school, and gardens.

We learned about the school system and that the children at Grace Academy learn four languages (French, English, Spanish, and Creole), plus STEM classes, and traditional curriculum. Thomas spent the entire visit carrying at least one little boy,  and sometimes two at once.  He is tall and they love being on his shoulders.

We also got to meet Samantha who is the public health missionary. They are starting a program to vaccinate and treat women for HPV. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer which, in turn, is the leading cause of death for women in Haiti.

When we left Grace, it was our time to visit the Elders. We took them the meals, lotion and baby powder that we had brought for them. Everyone of us had the opportunity to wash their feet, hold their hands, rub in lotion, apply powder, sing, and pray for them.

The elder visits really allowed each of us to step outside our comfort zone and literally touch someone with God's love. The adults were so proud of James, Ian, and Maggie for washing feet and rubbing lotion. That is not something young people at home would normally do.  Lindsey helped lead us in song at each of the stops.

After we left the elders, we stopped at the grocery to buy snacks and souvenirs. All of the employees there wear dress shirts and slacks and bow ties!

Then we headed back to the guesthouse for pool time and naps. Then dinner, word of the day, and devotions. Everyone was emotional when remembering what we did.

We came to Haiti to be a blessing but today we were blessed to serve.

For His Glory in Sweet Home and Papillon

This morning, we had a delicious  breakfast of scrambled eggs, French toast, oatmeal, fruit, juice, and coffee. Then we loaded up the tap tap and headed to our first stop: No Place Like Home - Sweet Home Orphanage.

This orphanage is sponsored primarily by a Baptist church in Texas. They began after the earthquake in 2010, trying to adopt kids, but now they also house and educate kids whose parents cannot support them
 They can care for about 30 kids from infants on up. They have a preschool and nursery on site with 24 hour nursing and doctor on call. They are building a new building to be able to house 50 more kids, and they need additional funding to complete that.

At this stop, we brought out the parachute, the bubbles, and a few balls. This stop was one of the highlights of the day for many on our team. James, Ian, Dave, and Scott kicked the balls around. The rest of us held the littlest ones and helped them blow bubbles.

We were able to introduce ourselves and ask their names. One little boy in very clear English said "My name is Mose". 

These kids loved being held, playing with us, and having their photos taken. One little girl, Addasaba, took a photo of Scott.

Anastasia learned her name is difficult for the kids to say.

After we left,  James, Ian, and Thomas said it was the best thing they did today.

Our next stop was at Papillon. Papillon was founded in 2007 by a woman who came to Haiti to adopt a child and learned that the child's parents were alive and just couldn't take care of it. So she started a company that makes jewellery, metal art, dolls, pottery  bath products, tee shirts, bags, and other items. Today the company employs over 400 people in their facilities, and the employees have on-site daycare and preschool, with parents able to nurse and play with their children during the workday. The sewing team alone supports 21 children!

After our tour, we went to their cafe for smoothies and pizza. Then we shopped.
Amie, Julie, Ellie, Scott, and Anastasia thought this stop was a highlight of the day.

Our last stop was a visit to another orphanage, For His Glory.At this one, we also brought out the jump ropes and sidewalk chalk. Most of the littlest ones just wanted to be held. We had such fun with them. Dave and Lindsey thought this was their favorite thing of the day because the kids were more engaging even though they didn't speak as much.

When we got back to the guesthouse, some went to the pool and some stayed back and napped. After dinner and word of the day,  and a break for cribbage and relaxing, we had a slideshow of photos so far, and our devotions.

Maggie's favorite thing today was seeing all of the goats, Celeste's was riding in the tap tap and seeing all the townspeople, and Karil's was speaking French to everyone and learning the Creole words.

Tomorrow, we go to Titanyen!

Peace.

Adventure to Haiti

Our team from Salem has arrived safely in Haiti. Eight of us flew out of LAX at midnight. We arrived in Miami about 10am. The rest of the team met us in Miami, including our leaders Regina and Angela, and we all flew out to Port-au-Prince together around 1pm.

Pastor Amie learned that members of her former congregation are on one of the other teams here this week.

We met several wonderful and friendly Haitians along the way. Ellie practiced her Creole with a gentleman at the gate. Anastasia's seatmate was a woman with a three-week old baby who only spoke French and Creole but they managed to have a nice conversation.


We got through customs without any issues and found our tap taps. The ride to the guesthouse was an E-ticket! The kids noticed the lack of seatbelts right away. We also saw a herd of goats just walking down the street in town. You don't see that in Glendale!

We settled in and had a brief meeting to go over what to expect. Then, after dinner of taco salads, we did our first word of the day. Pastor Amie had the idea to use paint sample strips to write our daily words on so we can have them as a reminder.

Our words were blessed, relief, homesick, peace, unexpected, over-heated, content, nervous, anticipatory, interesting, glad, wonderment, hectic, and blessing.

After dishes and some relaxing, we had a brief devotion where we shared how we are are connected to Salem and we learned about Regina and Angela's faith communities in Minnesota.

We went over our schedule for the week. We have some really exciting things planned. We are excited to be able to share our adventures with all of you this week.

James wants everyone to know that he wants to pet a walking stick. We will try to get a photo if that happens.

Thanks to Lindsey for picking the title of today's blog post.

- Anastasia

Family

Bonswa! 

Today was the perfect ending to an amazing week of serving. Our team member, Kelsey, started us off  this morning with a very relevant and meaningful devotional. She reminded us that although spending a day on the wealthier end of Haiti may bring us feelings of guilt, this day was meant for us to decompress from the busy week of work and experience the beauty that God has created for us to enjoy. 

After yet another delicious breakfast prepared from our wonderful cooks, we headed off to a Church built by Healing Haiti, Grace Church. It was fun to see not only our translators and missionaries whom we call friends, but also the locals to come and experience this time in prayer and worship together. Quickly after the service was over, we began our road trip to the ocean where we enjoyed our time at Kaliko Beach Club. With the mountains and clear blue waters in our view, it was very easy to lay back and soak in God's beautiful creations. A few of us jumped at the opportunity to go snorkeling for an ENTIRE 5 bucks (what a steal). Although we didn't see a lot of fish, cramming into a very tiny rowboat, was well worth it. 

Personally, my favorite part of today was just hanging out with a group of people that I am happy to now consider family. As a team, we all pitched in so that a few of our translators were able to tag along with us and I am SO glad we made that happen. From splashing each other with water, to playing chicken in the pool, I could see the genuine friendships being formed. I LOVE this big family with all my heart and wish this week wasn't coming so close to the end. 

- Sydney (with the moral support of Chelsey) 

Day 6 - Water Truck and Home for the Sick and Dying

Family & Friends,

Even though we are going to miss 2 episodes of the Bachelorette this week (Mom don't tell me who goes home), there is no place I would rather be. I think everyone is feeling a little bittersweet tonight with today being our last day of serving. It has been such a great and powerful week, but we are sad to leave our friends and "family" here in Haiti.

This morning we set out for our second water truck day. I will be honest with you, my first water truck experience was overwhelming. Everyone kept talking about how much fun water truck day was, but my lower back was saying otherwise :). There was so much to take in that first day that I'm not sure I enjoyed the day as much as I could have. Today, I realized why everyone was raving about water truck day. There is something so humbling when you put aside your body's wants and needs to help a 12 year old girl or 60 year old woman carry a 45 pound bucket of water to her home. You can see Jesus in their eyes and I think they see Him in ours. We are not different in that moment; we are not different races, different ages, or different sexes. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. (Chelsey)

This morning before we left to start serving, I volunteered to say our prayer at breakfast for the day. One part included in my prayer was a request for extra strength to go above and beyond our own limits to fully be able to serve the Haitians we encountered. Just a little over an hour later, sure enough, God came through. It really is a lot harder than you would think to carry these buckets and I usually struggle to carry multiple in one stop, but God gave me the strength to keep going, surpassing my own limits through him. After our water truck stops, through our team member suggesting we do a bit more serving, we had the choice to go to The Home for Sick and Dying Babies. Again God was showing up by giving me the strength and desire to serve once more. (Danielle)

Almost everyone on the trip had been to The Home for Sick and Dying except for me and Nikki, so when we had the chance to go last minute we knew God was calling us to experience this and love on the sick children. I was overwhelmed with peace (not what I was expecting) when I walked in and all of the children were so sweet and quiet -- it was almost like they calmed me instead of me calming them. I was able to feed a few little ones, until moving into the room that held the sickest kids. I'll be honest again, I am not super comfortable around little babies but it was like God changed my heart right in that moment. Even when hooked up to an IV, their strength was so evident that it really grounds you. I love those kids and it was very apparent that God does too. (Chelsey)

Love,

Chelsey & Danielle

Day 5 - Elderly Visits, Grace Village and Fleri Resto

This morning began a little earlier than usual, as a majority of the group decided to attend a local church down the road, Church on the Rock. The sun was just beginning to rise around 6 a.m. as we walked to church, so the weather was cool and breezy which made for a nice walk as the Delmas neighborhood began to wake up. Speaking from personal experience, the service was incredible and moving. There is something extra special and beautiful about worshiping God in a new environment and experiencing a different culture in a new way. In addition to this, our group as a whole felt so welcomed by the Haitians in their church. It was wonderful being united as Christians with just one purpose, despite our different backgrounds and stories.

After church and a delicious (as usual) breakfast, we loaded up onto the tap-tap to visit the elders of Titanyen. Healing Haiti does an amazing job of pouring into and supporting the elders of Titanyen. We were able to make four different stops – Eliphet, Vertilia, Viergelie, Dieufort, and Pierre and Lauremise, and all of the elders were gracious and welcoming as our group came to their homes. With each visit, we were able to wash the hands and feet of the elders, sing songs, and simply enjoy their presence. What a humbling experience to be able to serve some of the strongest, most faithful people I have ever met!

      Following the visits with elders, we took a tour of Grace Village, an amazing initiative started by Healing Haiti in order to promote education, healthy lives, and the love of God in the lives of children in Titanyen. We then finished off a very hot day with a relaxing evening and delicious dinner at Fleri restaurant. Fleri means “flourish” in French. The passion and joy of everyone working at Fleri is so obvious, and it made the experience that much more enjoyable. Fleri focuses on job creation in Titanyen and has been successful in doing so. It is also a growing business that is supporting Haitians through sustainable means.

     Overall, today was incredible from start to finish. As the week winds down, we are beginning to reflect on the week and are realizing personal growth through serving other people. This is just an added bonus to the joy that comes from making connections with Haitians daily and serving God through serving His people. We just ended our night with amazing team bonding and an adventure involving a mouse in the guest house.

That concludes day 5!

-Moriah

Day 4 of Service

Hello again from Haiti! Today we had a great opportunity to visit and support three small businesses that are making a large impact on Haiti's economy and the lives of their Haitian workers. We began our fourth day with a tour and shopping opportunity at Peace Cycle. Peace Cycle is an organization that takes trash off of the streets and creates good-quality, useful products. Many Haitians drink their water out of small, plastic pouches. They are very convenient, but end up polluting the streets and ocean. I was blown away when we were informed that approximately 8 million of these pouches are left as trash on the ground daily. Peace Cycle acknowledges this as an issue, but optimistically views this problem as an opportunity. Through the process of gathering these bags, washing, cutting, ironing, and sewing them, they are transformed into a variety of items such as bags, wallets, pouches, Christmas stockings, passport pouches, and even aprons. The woman who started Peace Cycle, Rose, really stresses that the employees walk away each day with dignity for what they do. All of the employees are learning to speak some English and were able to introduce themselves. Afterward, each person from our team did the same. When we are able to make a connection, the relationship between our team members and the employees changes. We are able to be on common ground and they do not feel as if they are on display. After we were given a tour, I was able to join Kevin and our translator to communicate with the workers a bit more. They really are proud of what they do at Peace Cycle. It warms my heart to see how impactful this place is to the lives of many Haitians.

Next we stopped at an organization named Papillon. This company is a retail store that makes all of its own products onsite, and a yummy restaurant upstairs. Part of the tragic history of this poverty-stricken country is that many families cannot support their children. All too often this results in orphanages packed to capacity with kids who have living parents. Papillon's mission gives 250 Haitian parents a job that pays enough to keep their families together.  During a tour of their facility we learned how they make pottery, fun clothing, metal art, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Their commitment to Haiti's long term economic health provides a wonderful promise to the future Haitian families.

After Papillon we made a short trip down the street to SaVoix, a small company which translates to "Her Voice".  They are a small start-up business owned by an American woman making high end baskets, bags, and key chains displaying their own art work. SaVoix employs women to help empower them with competitive wages and educational opportunities.  Their products certainly caught the eye of a number of people in our group.       

Our last visit of the day was at the For His Glory Orphanage.  This is where parents have historically surrendered their children hoping that they will have a better life. Oddly, being in an orphanage in Haiti is a coveted position because it almost guarantees the children will be fed and educated, and this orphanage was a fine example of that.  The children were happy to see us but there was a difference in their neediness.  They were freshly bathed and dressed in nice clothes.  Our visit started organically by playing peek-a-boo and tickle the tummy.  Our team was charmed by the fun loving kids who often smiled and giggled with delight.  We eventually worked our way to an upstairs classroom for reading bible verses about how Jesus has known them since before they were born.  The kids then had a chance to make bracelets with their names on them that would remind them that Jesus loved them.  They reacted so enthusiastically to this activity smiling broadly and hanging on to them proudly when finished.  One of the most endearing children was a special needs teen named Mima. She had her beads in hand but wasn't clear about what needed to be done next.  With just a small amount of direction she completed her bracelet on her own.  We will never forget Mima's bright smile as we congratulated her on her wonderful accomplishment. She vigorously threw her arms around necks giving hugs to everyone nearby by as we said Jezi renmen ou (Jesus loves you) Mima!

-Danielle and Kevin