Grace Village and Elder Visits

The day started early with a visit to Church on the Rock.   It was wonderful to worship God along with our Haitian brothers and sisters even though we didn't speak the same language.  Then it was back to the guest house for breakfast that consisted of french toast, scrambled eggs, bananas, avwan (oatmeal) and passion fruit juice.   Next we loaded the tap tap and headed to Titanyen to do elder care ministry.  What this involved was to bring them food, snacks, juice, and water to 3 special ladies.  Then we got to love on them by washing their feet, rubbing lotion on their arms, hands and feet and painting their nails. While some of our team were doing this others sang songs, helped hand washing laundry and played with kids.  Before we left each shared prayer requests and we were able to pray for and over them.  Truth be told they blessed us as much as we blessed them.  Then it was off to Grace Village to tour the ministry there.  The village has a school, clinic, farm and family style housing for the orphans to stay in.  All this emphasizes Healing Haiti's slogan:  The world is a better place where families are strengthened.  After this we went to Rosie's to get some frozen/cold treats and to look at hand made items for sale.   Then it was off to Fleri for a tour of the bakery and restaurant.  Fleri is creole for flourish.  Their ministry has created many jobs and ways for families to support themselves and therefore stay together.  At the end of the tour we got to enjoy their incredible pizza.  When traveling back and forth to the different places it has been fun to get to interact with our translators and drivers...they help us with communicating and to safely navigate the busy streets.  They are also a wealth of information about the country of Haiti.  Once we were back every one did quick showers and then we had team time.  It started out watching a slide show of the days pictures, followed by a devotional on the word flourishing.   It is amazing to see how the different aspects of ministry are growing and meeting needs.  We ended our team time with word of the day.

Jill - opportunity
Noah - job creation
Todd - powerful
Jorja - scenery
Stephanie - care
Donna - praise
Janae - traffic
Samantha - sweet
Karlee - family
Sierra - pizza
Lauren - new experiences
Jessica - flourish
Hallie - delicious
Carter - neighbor
Netti - openness (to change)

~Todd and Nettie

Parent/Child Watertruck

        Today's breakfast was: eggs, oatmeal, pancakes,and bananas. We left the Healing Haiti Guest House and immediately headed out for "Water Truck Day!" Instead of arriving on time, the traffic decided it had different plans. Although it wasn't all bad, since we arrived late, we were welcomed by an excited group of young children. They welcomed us with the commonly use phrase "AU" (A-you) which means "Hey you!" We had originally planned for 3 trips to different community's but due to traffics "plans," the 3rd stop was cancelled. Even though our outing was different than planned, it still managed to be an eye opening experience! Despite all the poverty and corruption that was all around us, the children were ecstatic. Over in America we have the phrase "Stranger Danger," but to these children we were no strangers. After prying children off our arms and legs at stop seventeen, we entered into Hope Village. After grabbing refreshments we got another eye opening adventure, also known as a tour. Hope Village includes a clinic, a school, and a church. The school has an additional program call the Tech pod, giving the ability to use devices which they do not normally have access too, thus enhancing their learning. After boarding the tap-tap, our mode of transportation, we waved goodbye to section 17. and then began our journey to section 26.  There weren't as many people to welcome us like the other stop.  Sadly, once again, the odds weren't in our favor causing us to leave early.  After we hung out at the pier, we called it a day. As soon as we arrived at the guest house we were trying to get to the pool. After we arrived, we had an interesting experience trying to fit 6 people on one shark floaty. After many, many, many, many tries, we finally succeeded. Yaaaaaay.

Words of the day today from the team were as follows:  Karlee - Water, Sierra - War, Hallie - Language, Janae - Play, Stephanie - Sharing, Jessica - Holy Buckets, Noah - Overwhelming, Jill - Hey you!, Carter - Guilty, Todd - contrast, Donna - Heart, Jorja - different, Nettie - senses, Lauren - eye-opening, and Samantha - intrigued.

Karlee. Sierra. Hallie.

                                           

The first day in Haiti

Janae  and  Noah




     Today we flew from the U.S.A into Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was a long trip but now we have made it to the guest house and are ready to serve!  : )   When we got to the guest house, we ate supper and did team time. And then, the girls went upstairs to pray, but then it started raining and they ran to shelter, and told jokes. And then, one of the girls started playing in the rain and then she begged the others to come in. They didn't want to at first, but eventually gave in, and played in the rain. They kept playing, then the parents came up and took pictures of them. Afterwards, they came inside and washed up.


Word of the day      (Name----Word)
Samantha----New
Jorja----First
Lauren----Optimistic
Donna---Anticipation
Carter----Exhausted
Jill----Patience
Siena----Airplanes
Hallie----Entertaining
Stephenie-Opportunity
Nettie----"I Wonder"
Todd----Thirsty
Noah----Energetic
Jess----Glory
Karlee----Parents
Janae----Time

Glorious Sunday in Haiti!

Yes, he is risen!  Does it get any better by starting a Sunday morning with worship in a dynamic praise-filled environment. Both the Healing Haiti teams attended Rendezvous Church today. The music was incredibly joyful. You could just feel the Holy Spirit circling around the room as we felt the excitement of His presence! The pastor shared a message on believing the invisible or just the visible. Can you see beyond your view? Or do you know that God is with you at all times? Unseen, but speaking into us through the Holy Spirit. It was truly a wonderful experience worshiping at Rendezvous with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. One that I want to do again and again in the years to come!
The rest of our Sunday was spent sharing meals together, celebrating with yummy cake in honor of birthdays and anniversaries, shopping, and having our precious team time. At the close of each day we gathered together in a circle and shared our "Word of the Day" and reflected upon it, prayed, and laughed A LOT. This group varied from ages 17 to 61, which was a blessing, for it provided a rich team culture full of beautiful insights and unique perspectives. Each team member exhibited courage, internal strength, and got out of their comfort zone throughout. But isn't that what God calls us to do? He stretches us and encourages us as he whispers to us to do good works in His name.
It has been truly an honor to be the leader of the team. Go in peace and serve the Lord! Glwa pou Bondye (Glory to God).
With all my love,
Tammy

Haiti scores. Port-au-Prince explodes - Jun 29th

     We awoke to the sounds of crowing cocks, bleating goats and barking dogs as we began our Saturday at the HH guesthouse. Our team is now a mighty force of newly formed friendships, united in purpose and empowered with a sincere desire to share the love of Jesus with every one of the Haitians we meet and serve today. 
     After another chaotic ride through the streets of Port-au-Prince, we arrived at DIOS orphanage for special needs children. We didn't know what to expect, but as soon as we jumped off the tap tap we were greeted by the huge smiles of children determined to embrace life despite living with the challenges of disabilities. The color books, nail polish, chalk and balls we brought were a big hit, but when our Haitian guides busted out their boom box, the dance party began. All the children joined us for the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle under the shade of the mango trees. Wheelchairs were no obstacle to bust a move.  Sheer joy.
     Next stop: Cite' Soleil outside the gates of Hope Academy. More ebony faces to hold and love on this blazing hot afternoon. Basketball, jump rope and nail painting - all intense activities in Cite' Soleil.
    Last stop: SAKALA Community Center.  More basketball and soccer with older children in the over 100 degree heat index.  The teens on our team were absolute rock stars at Sakala. The children here were gentle and so well-behaved. They wanted to practice their English with us. Sakala is Creole for "being in the moment."  No cell phones. No social media. No watches to know the time.
Our time here in Haiti has taught us the meaning of Sakala.  Will we be able to take Sakala home with us to America? Hopefully so.
    After another chaotic tap tap ride home filled with a Tap Surfing contest and "Roll Call" led by one of our teens, we arrived back home.  The adults walked up to the pool at the nearby hotel to cool off. The young folk showered and conked out for a nap.
    Team Tam Time was up on the roof again tonight for word-of-day. The peaceful hot breeze was punctured with the shouts of two million people in the streets of Port-au-Prince celebrating Haiti's soccer victory over Canada. Three massive explosions of human voices and fireworks - one for each goal and of course, the final victory. Amazing and unforgettable.
    Goodnight BANANAS. Tomorrow is our final day in beautiful Haiti.

XXX XXX - Jun 28

Bright smiles, lifted hands, and joyful spirits were the sights and sounds of the day!

The group headed out bright and early to attend a local sunrise church service. The community did not let the fact that there was not electric this morning stop them from offering praises to God through spoken prayers, raised hands, and the shared Word. While we may not have understood everything that was being said, it was apparent that the Holy Spirit was present and what an incredible blessing it was to be a part of a communal celebration of our Amazing Heavenly Father!

We had the privileged of delivering water to various locations in Cite Solei. It was truly an indescribable experience. To get off the tap tap and be instantly greeted by warm, loving, and happy children who are simply grateful to see you and spend time with you was incredibly precious and moving. We helped to deliver water, held children, played games, and spent time talking to those in the community.

We were able to tour the 28 acre Fleri Farm and hear about the vision and plans of expanding the already growing polyculture approach to farming which includes various produce such as bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, papaya, limes, eggplant, and cherries. In the near future, there may be plans to develop a collaborative project with the students of Hope School to teach them the basics of farming and agriculture. 

We ended the day with our Haiti "family" in laughter and boding as we shared our experiences of the day, told funny stories, and showed some of our talents. Did you know that we have a professional Irish dancer on our team? We will leave it to you to figure out who:)

God Bless!

All Over the Place - Day 4

Day 4, Thursday, June 27

Today we experienced the highs and lows of emotions. We started our morning off at the girls Haiti Teen Challenge. Over 80 young girls have applied, but only 12 get chosen to follow the 18 month program. At first, it was somewhat intimidating because we did not know what to expect and these girls seemed to have a guard up. Once we sat down the girls started to sing "Oceans" by Hillsong, They sounded angelic. Then, two of the girls had the courage to share their amazing and powerful testimonies. After the time we spent together, we left with full hearts, new relationships, and sweet memories.

To take in more of Haitian culture, we visited Papillon, which means butterfly in creole. It's an amazing organization created by an American missionary trying to adopt from Haiti.  This organization focuses on orphan prevention and job creation!  We had the opportunity to tour the restaurant, production area, and store. This gave us an insight into one of the most influential organizations in Haiti. We saw the brightly colored walls, hard-working artisans, and beautiful pieces of art and jewelry.

Last but not least, we visited a local orphanage. There we were able to bring joy to kids, and gain much more from them in return. Through soccer games, coloring books, balloons, and temporary tattoos, we got to share lots of laughter and smiles. Even the Healing Haiti staff joined in on the fun!

All five of us can agree that Haiti Teen Challenge has impacted us the most throughout our trip. We are so grateful to have experienced this, and especially to have experienced it together.

Audrey, Abby, Katie, Jack, and Grace