Let's Taco 'bout Today

Today's verse:

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Hello Family and Friends,

Amy here, I have the privilege of blogging about our last full day in Haiti. I'm one of the five newbies on this trip so they gave me the easiest day.

We started the morning by driving to Wahoo Bay Beach Resort in the city of Carries for some time of rest, relaxation, and some down time to think over the past days. On the way, we stopped at Rosie's Boutique which sells Haitian made arts and goods. I think we all managed to find something that caught our eye. After buying several cups of ice cream we were off again. Wahoo Resort has a nice beach and pool area. We quickly set up chairs on the beach for our group and got situated. The ocean water was the perfect temperature for the hot day. Some of the team went snorkeling for the cheap price of $5 per person. Brett even found a baby conch shell that he brought back with him. A bunch of the team chipped in on buying 4 fresh crabs to eat that some locals had just caught. They were very tasty. As we started wrapping up our beach time, Jenny noticed that Brett's shell was starting to crawl away by itself. A crab had hitched a ride inside of it so it had to go back in the ocean and couldn't come home with us. After sitting in the sun for hours, our drive back to the guest house felt very long.

After we got back to the guesthouse, everyone quickly showered so we could head back out to Pizza Amour for dinner. Getting 14 people to decide on which pizza to order is not an easy thing to accomplish so Heather finally decided for all of us which worked out great. Pizza is always good and this place did not disappoint. We were all very hungry by the time it hit the table and we ate very quickly. Heading back home to the guesthouse in the dark was fun because we got to see what Haitian life is like on the streets on a Saturday night. Overall, it was a very relaxing day and I hope everyone had some time to think and process over the week.

I want to end this blog by giving a huge thanks to our two team leaders, Heather and Bridget. They did a great job of preparing the team over the last 5 months or so and leading the team this week through some tough moments and days. I just want to thank them for all the time they put into preparing for this trip and their willingness to step out and lead. If anyone is reading this and is considering a missions trip through Healing Haiti, I would highly recommend it!

God Bless,

Amy

What is Worship

Verse for the day Psalm 121:1-2,5
I will look to the hills from where cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. The Lord is thy keeper: the lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.


Today we went to church service in the Haitian community.  As I sat in the church, I ask myself why do we worship and what is the right way to praise him? The service was not what many Americans would call a "traditional service" in the sense that there was no preaching of the word from the Bible but more of a devotion/ praise and worship. However, the service and its praise and worship seem to suffice and be a ministry to the Haitian people that came.  As I listen to the music and the man leading praise, I realize that the music sound familiar but the words were in French.  As listen more intensely I realize that the music was not the only thing that was a constant and seemed to transcend and cross nationalities ....the calling on the name of "Jesus" and "God"  was the same. The God I worship was the same in Haiti as is in the United States.  I knew when he sang "Merci Jesus" he was saying "thank You Jesus" or when he said "Pappa" he was saying "God our father". Oh how powerful is the name of JESUS and great is he to be praised! 
God accepts our worship and praise in anyway we give it. So, clap your hands, lift up your voice moan, cry, speak in tongue....whatever you feel like doing to give thanks. God is faithful in his promise to never forsake or leave us all he ask is that we honor, obey and give him the praise. So, if you have not done it today, take time to praise Jesus for his faithfulness, his guidance, his inheritance and his love that never fails.    

Sharon

Day 4: Grace Village

Much of my time here in Haiti has been spent trying to understand. 

I have tried to understand how so many babies and toddlers who are sick or dying can be put into one spot where they would be essentially neglected if it weren't for the many missionary groups who came on a regular basis. I have tried to understand the social system created when the truck filled with clean water (that we brought to 3 different unimaginably impoverished areas yesterday), honks their horn and people come running with 5 gallon bucket's and tin pots with holes in them only to push and sneak their way to the front of the line so they can come back a second or third time because it is the only clean water they get. I have tried to understand how a government can be so prideless as to allow so many of their people to live in these conditions then have the audacity to literally litter the streets with their pictures and ask for their votes. I have tried to understand Healing Haiti's role and what we are really accomplishing here. Are we helping these people or are we actually here to "tour" and realize how lucky we are to have been born into a life and country where freedom, opportunity and prosperity are laid at our feet? 

But what I am coming to realize this week is that it's not necessarily the 13 people in our group that are helping many in Haiti to have a better life. It's more so the relentless repetition of mission groups like ours. Week in and week out. Our group is spreading love, but all the groups together and the funds they bring are changing lives. And in many ways.

Today we went to see the crowning achievement of Healing Haiti to date...Grace Village. This oasis of "life as it should be" is nothing short of amazing. You notice right away that the kids don't come up to you and pull on your shirt or lift their arms up to you to pick them up. It's different here.

In 4 short years, Healing Haiti has created a school for 400 children from pre-K through high school, a health clinic, a church, the largest playground in Haiti and dormitory housing for 42 of the children to call home instead of an orphanage. Here, children are given the basics of life so that they can focus on becoming something more. And between the teachers and staff, 120 Haitian jobs have been created at Grace Village! Also, a bakery is almost complete that will not only provide food for the village and local people, but also help fund the sustainability of Grace Village for years to come. 

The vision of Healing Haiti is to provide a "way out" of the poverty and while doing so build a generation of educated, motivated and empowered Haitians to lead this area to a better way of life.

So to anyone reading this who gave to someone on this team, thank you! And if you have thought about coming, know you will be part of a relentless effort to make a difference for the people here in Haiti.

Brett

day 3: cite soleil

Day 3
Wednesday
November 11th, 2015

Whaddup, its Monica, Kalley, and Sierra coming at ya live from Haiti.

    Well by now you can probably assume our mornings start early and we have the same routine, which is wake up, get ready, eat, and have our daily morning devotion featuring DJ Kari. From there we all climb on the top top and were off. You may be asking off to what? Today, we are off to Cite Soleil to deliver water to some of the poorest slums in the western hemisphere. The scenery on the way to the water truck stop consists of mountains, goats, and lots and lots of traffic. The driving in Haiti is quite bizarre to say the least. We all get a tad bit nervous with the crazy drivers out here in Haiti. It didn't help that we saw two terrible accidents in the past 24 hours.
 
   On this particular day, we stopped at 3 different water truck stops. Each one was the same, but at the same time a completely different setting. One stop a nice and organized stop, while the next one could be extremely hectic. When people were budging the line and not listening, our translators would throw the buckets on the roof! The kids were so happy to see us there! They were asking our names, wanting to be held, and did the 'Whip" with us! It was so fun to play with them when they get limited attention at home. It was such a rewarding day.

     A lot of the kids seemed to be really aggressive today, there was a little boy with a hat that other kids kept trying to take from him, which caused him to try to fight back by punching the other kids. A couple people on our team had bobby pins and hair ties taken out of their hair just because the kids want anything they can get their hands on. All the younger girls like to braid hair so we all had our hair getting braided without even asking! Overall it was a really hectic, eye-opening day and we're all thankful to be here serving and getting to know the little kiddos of Haiti.

Day two was a most beautiful day in Haiti!  Our team completely surrendered their hearts as
we served at the Home for the Sick and Dying and La Lou Orphanage.

For our first time goers families and friends, we are providing a description of our day.

We began the day at 8:00 a.m. with a full breakfast complete with eggs, french toast and the following fresh food items:

Avocado
Fruit (pineapple, apricots, bananas)
Juice (freshly squeezed)
Lots of water for hydration

Our team began with a devotion and song to start our day of serving.  We listened to the song "There is Power".  The song helped remind us that Jesus is with us everywhere we go.  We are never alone and we can rely on him to give us strength, wisdom, courage, healing, protection, peace...really anything that we ask Him for.   God blessed our team and were given a very special gift today.  That gift was to be His hands and feet to so many children.  Our team held sick babies, we played with and loved on the toddlers, we changed diapers, we fed the kids roast, rice with bean sauce and veggies.  We served along side another missionary team from Seattle.   We were humbled by the Sisters of Charity that serve there every day.  Hearts were broken as the team loved on the kiddos; equally, many smiles and much laughter was experienced.

Our team went back to the guest house for lunch/snack time and then headed to Rebuild Globally, a local small business that employs Haitians.  We bought flip flops made by hand out of tires.

Our team headed to La Lou School where 40 children live.  We jumped rope, played soccer and parachute.  The kids were so excited to have visitors to play with.

As we drove through Port au Prince throughout the day, the team was able to experience the culture of Haiti.   The city was very busy with lots of traffic, vendors and shops.  Beyond the city, we experienced the beauty of the mountains and sky.  We were reminded of the true beauty that surrounded us.  Only God can give such a perfect gift.

Our team returned back to the guesthouse for Lasagna, shower time, donation organizing and group time.  During group time, God shared the following verse with our team:

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary.  They will walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Our team has put our trust in our Father.  We trust that His will and perfect plan will be carried out this week.  We have been gifted with an amazing team with selfless hearts that are being softened each and every minute.  God has big plans for this team and many good things are going to happen in the lives of each and every team member.

All the glory goes to God!

Day 1 (travel day)
Words like: excitement, appreciation, grace, humility, resources, sustainability.
Mission: use natural abilities, to have the ability, to help those in need.
Realization: how small the world really is - one world.
Duty: have compassion and selflessly serve all those in need - those from different pasts, those from different cultures, those from different communities, those from different circumstances.
Pondering: can one word, one touch, one look  - empower, transform, change a life - many lives - generations of lives...

ever so quick, ever so brief - my blogging turn is done, what a relief.
-jeffy