God Bless Haiti

Last evening, we worshiped with Team 2 on their balcony complete with a breeze, twinkling stars overhead, and simply great company. We went to bed with full hearts. Our minds were beginning to process the experiences during this past week and the upcoming trip back to the USA - a transition back to families, jobs, and our own community.
Sunday church was at Rendevous Church, and the worship music was wonderful! It was an open air church, Haitians and Americans singing together, voices strong, with hope and energy. They provided us with headphones so we could understand the pastor's message which was entitled, "The Power of Word" based upon Genesis 1: 3-5. It gave our team something to reflect upon.
We then traveled north to Wahoo Bay Beach and enjoyed an afternoon seeing a beautiful portion of the country. With Haiti's mountains displayed in the background, we enjoyed the clear ocean waters and sandy beach. Some of us kayaked while others enjoyed a boat ride, seeing the beauty of this area.
We traveled back to the guesthouse with sun-kissed skin.
This evening during Team Time, we discussed our trip home and transitioning back to our normal, everyday lives. We were grateful to hear from 4 of our team members who have been to Haiti before and listened to their experiences with home life after Haiti. We all agreed we will continue to pray for Haiti. We know this country is something really special because of its people. They've had to endure so much and have made progress with clean up and rebuilding their homes and businesses after the 2010 earthquake. But they still need prayers and support. We are forever changed because of this trip and are grateful for this experience.
God bless Haiti!
Jennifer Green

Flourish

Today, we started the day off with a friendly game of bumping a kickball back and forth while getting ready for the day. We also kicked a soccer ball around in the Tap-Tap and tried to score points by hitting the soccer ball against the back walls of the Tap-Tap.


We had the opportunity to visit the Deaf Academy. We first split up into three groups. Pao and Colleen braved the soccer field while the rest of us stayed at the academy and painted nails and played with a parachute. After the parachute, we step up face paints. Barb, my mom (Sherri), and I used two stations to put on stencils and different designs. By the time we were done, there were several tigers, Supermans, dogs, and other fun people. We decided to pull out some glitter and, oh man, was that fun! Within seconds, we had glitter on our arms, their faces, our faces, and all over the floor. It looked like an explosion of happiness.


After the Deaf Academy, we visited the Haiti Olympic Center. Here, there were people playing basketball and soccer. The sun was hot on our backs as we walked through the tour and saw the different fields as well as the training center.


Next, we went to Fleri for pizza and dessert. Jake gave us a tour of Fleri after we ate way too much pizza. We learned about the jobs and purpose of Fleri. We then ate some dessert before setting out for the guest house.


Sitting across from Barb, I noticed the glitter on her face and arms, a tiny speck of grey paint residue under her left eye, a friendly reminder of the fits of laugher we were sent into time after time. How I, a small town American girl with everything and more, was given more than I ever need through an aching stomach from laughing and a full soul from the pure love of Haiti.


-Abby

You Can't Stop Children from Learning

When the alarm awoke us at 5:30 a.m., it was because we had an opportunity to visit Church on the Rock, which began at 6:00 a.m. We arrived at the open air church where there were hundreds of chairs available for worshippers. The pastor spoke mostly in Creole but also spoke in English. The worshippers were praying and also pacing the floor, praising Jesus and thanking God for their blessings. It was truly enjoyable.




Our first visit this morning was to the Elder school, which is a school in City Soleil. They were having a "carnival day" which was explained to us as a Mardi Gras celebration. The school was decorated for the occasion.  The children were dressed up, had masks on, music was playing and the children danced.  It was a wonderful experience to see the children celebrate.




Water truck today had two stops. We played with the children in a circle game which they enjoyed very much. We helped fill water buckets, carry them and held many children.




We toured Hope School and Hope Church. We were able to visit their Innovation Lab, which is new at the school. The lab uses iPads that are connected to larger screen TVs. They have the newest educational learning apps for the children. It provides a great opportunity for the children and their future, teaching them problem solving skills and creativity.




We toured Fleri Farm in City Soleil. The farm is 28 acres and all farmed without machinery. They grow plantains, coconuts, mangos, beans, and citronella, along with other plants. The hope is to one day turn the farm over to the Haitians to create jobs and self-sufficiency.


Sherri and Nancy

Mountains of Love

Today's tap tap ride took us to Titiyan (TiTian), the location of Grace Village. Grace Village has an elder care program, providing visits and medical care to over 30 elders in this mountainous area. In the heat of the day, we rode up the mountainside and attempted to check on four elders. These visits are important because they provide human contact, a meal and drink, and an opportunity for a well-check visit. During the visits, we washed and dried their feet and hands as well as applied lotion. We sang songs accompanied by Pao on guitar. The visits were spiritual and we saw the appreciation in their eyes. We brought them to a worship service located at Fleri Bakery.




We toured Grace Village and it was wonderful to see how many different services are offered in one location. The village includes an orphanage, K-13 school, living quarters for youth transition from the orphanage back into their family home, a clinic, a library, and technology center, just to name a few. They are taught family life skills before graduating and attending university. This incredible place provides hope for uniting families.




Before returning home, we stopped at Rosie's for a shakes, ice cream, and snacks, a welcome relief to the heat of the day (95 and sunny!). After dinner this evening, we packed 25 birthing kits for new moms in Haiti. These kits provide basic needs for successful home births. Our evening ended with Team Time, where we share about our experiences from the day and tonight included a fun game with lots of laughter and jokes. Just what our hearts needed during this week. We are truly blessed to have each member on this team.


Abby, Jennifer and Melissa

Beautiful Chaos

We awoke and had a wonderful breakfast - mangos were the highlight! Today was called "Water Truck Day", where our team assisted a truck which traveled into Cite Soleil, the poorest area of Haiti. The city is laid out in districts; each district has its own personality and characteristics. We weren't sure what to expect - assisting kids and families with water distribution. We arrived at the truck filling station, where the trucks were filled with well water into the tops of massive trucks holding 3000 gallons each. We learned that most Haitians pay for their water, but we were on a special mission to deliver free water to residents of certain districts in Cite Soleil. The first stop was in District 17, and the moment we arrived in the tap tap, we heard the children yelling, "Hey you!" As we opened the door of the tap tap and stepped out, the children were scrambling into our arms. Women and children lined up behind the water truck with buckets of all shapes and sizes, which they would carry back to their homes. Since we arrived in Haiti, we realized how strong Haitian women are and how hard working they are. Some of our team members held onto the hose and directed the flow of water into the buckets, but we had to work fast! The water came out quickly and water is precious. Other members of our team carried the heavy buckets of water down the road to their homes. The Haitian women would carry the buckets on their heads! Some of them even asked us to help lift the buckets up. We watched in amazement, the sun beating down on them, and their strength showed us how proud they are.


After the first water truck stop, we toured Hope Clinic, located in Cite Soleil. Hope provides affordable health care for the people of Cite Soleil. They can range from infants to mothers to grandmothers and grandfathers. We heard about an expecting mother who with the assistance of an ultra-sound was able to see images of her child, which allowed for her to bond with her child sooner.


We then split the team into two and visited four elders. We were invited into their homes where we prayed and sang with them and delivered a hot meal and drink. It was a moving and humbling experience for us, as the elders' prayers were for basic human wants and needs such as their families, their health, and their security.


Next water truck stop was District 26. The buildings were concrete and two-story. We gathered children into a circle and played games with them, their laughter and smiles lifting our spirits. This stop seemed more organized and the road was a bit wider than the last, allowing for more space. We also understood what was happening and what was expected of our team as the people gathered for water. We felt much more comfortable at this stop.


The last water truck stop was near the pier and the view to the ocean was beautiful. Children were jumping off the pier into the ocean, having fun and cooling off in the heat of the sun. The roadway was narrow and this stop was crowded and loud, the need for water was very obvious.


Amongst this chaos, we saw beautiful people and beautiful children who wanted basic things: being held, talked to, and laughed with. We are in awe of the strength this country has, and felt its beautiful chaos.


Abby, Jennifer, and Melissa

Be The Change

Day 2 in Haiti allowed us the opportunity to experience so many things. In the morning, we took the tap tap (our transportation) to several nonprofits that serve as a partner in fighting poverty in Haiti. They do so by providing wages and training facilities. REBUILD globally along with their spin off fashion brand, deux mains, provided us with a tour of their facility that provides artisans-owners the opportunity to design, source, and craft items out of raw materials. Their start-up craft was sandals with the soles made out of recycled tires, and then broadened their crafts to include other items such as passport covers, purses, and jewelry. This company provides dignified, sustainable jobs that provide living wages. We then visited Papillon (pronounced papiyon), a business that works to prevent orphan preventions through job creation and training, by using metal, cardboard, aluminum, dirt, and paper to make jewelry and other beautiful things. Our tour allowed us to meet these talents Haitians in person.


After lunch, we visited the Home for Sick and Dying Babies, and we spent time playing with kids in their play area and also simply holding little babies, simply giving them our love and attention, their eyes seeking ours as we recognized one of the true reasons for this trip: to be present in the life of a Haitian with love.


Returning to the guesthouse, we enjoyed a dinner of delicious Haitian food and as we got to know our team members, realized just how much we already help one another, on Day 2, to learn and grown as we take in as much as we can and just simply Be The Change.


Jennifer Green

Take Me Deeper Than My Feet Could Ever Wander

What a beautiful start to our journey. We have designated the song "Oceans by Hillside" as our song for the week. This morning, we were blessed with clear roads and no storms, so the ride to the airport was smooth. On our flight to Haiti, several of the team members spotted dolphins jumping in the ocean below. Arriving in Haiti was truly beautiful. The air was warm and slightly breezy. When we got to the Guest House, some of us took a nap while others went out and played with the neighborhood kids. It felt nice to stretch our legs and get shown up by the kids' soccer skills. We were very blessed to have a talented musician on our team who lead us in worship tonight. I can already feel god's energy in us as we begin this week. I'm extremely excited to see what he has in store for us. So, Lord, let us walk upon the waters and our faith will be made stronger.