Dan Leslie - Team Texas - June 7, 2016 (Day 2)

Day 2 - Water Truck and Haitian Soccer Initiative

Word(s) of the Day: Jesus is my God too!

      

Today we delivered water to 3 different districts in Cite Soleil which means we filled A LOT of buckets and we held A LOT of Haitian babies. In the United States, delivering water means you're a Culligan man, but in Haiti, delivering water means bringing life. Cite Soleil is not known for its hospitable environment, its known for its gang violence and poverty. Very few people have running water or electricity. Many Haitians have never set foot in Cite Soleil and gasp at us when we say we do. To be welcomed into a place where the police won't even go is nothing short of a miracle but things are changing there and of course, God is part of it. They just recently finished building a church on over 80 feet of trash and within the church, there is going to be a school. This is the only church in the extremely impoverished area of Cite Soleil. The site is by no accident, its at the corner of 4 rival gang districts. This indicates a change of thinking and a shift in power. The school is offering both adult education and traditional child education classes in hopes to change the mentality that if born in Cite Soleil, you die in Cite Soleil.

In the afternoon we went to the Haitian Initiative, a soccer program started by a professional soccer player that requires the players to go to school, maintain good grades and in turn the players are fed and taught basic soccer skills. The discipline shown by the young kids was pretty incredible and their coaches made it a respectful and caring environment for them to grow in both physically and emotionally.



 



 

We experienced so many incredible moments today but by far my favorite came in the form of a short, simple and powerful conversation with a young boy. He came up and started speaking to me in English. Part of the conversation went like this:

 

Boy: Do you know Jesus in your heart?

Me: Yes I do know Jesus in my heart!

Boy: Is Jesus your God?

Me: Yes, He is.

Boy: Jesus is my God too!

 

The conversation is simple but the look on his eyes and the hug that he gave me was unforgettable. We might be separated by 1,800 miles but our love for God and Jesus stopped time for just a second.

 

Sometimes you just know when you see someone, even a little someone, that they are going to do amazing things for God's people, this little boy will be a leader for God's kingdom.

 



 

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a child will lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6)

Dan Leslie - Team Texas - June 6, 2016 (Day 1)

Day 1 - Arrival & "Alo"


 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither things present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38)

 

My Word of the Day - Nostalgia

 

As soon as we stepped off the plane, I swear I could hear the kids singing "God is so good, is so good, is so good". Maybe it was jetlag, maybe it was nostalgia but you can't help but be flooded with the memories, sounds and smells of Haiti as soon as you arrive. Each of our days here result in change. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Well Haiti, here we are, not to change you but to empower you, not to judge you but to love you...

 

 

 

Today, Day 1 - all of our flights and our luggage made it to Haiti. Our leader asked us to make sure and slow down and live in the moment while we are here. Its easy to become accustomed to what you see in Haiti especially when you've seen it before but we just can't look at the whole experience and accept it as "normal". Its not normal for people to lack shelter, food, healthcare and hope. It can be hard to sit around a table and enjoy an amazing meal in the midst of, what appears to be, total despair but you have to keep in mind that we are establishing the relationships within our group to be able to establish relations with the Haitian people. Everything can change in 1 day, in 1 hour, in 1 minute just by seeking relationships. Tomorrow we will go to Cite Soleil and give water and hugs to the people there and try to establish relationships without sharing the same language or even similar lifestyles. One thing we do share - God loves us both. Don't ever let God's love become nostalgic - seek it, deserve it and pass it on to others.   

 

Team Texas at Our First Meal

 

 

 



Dan Leslie - Team Texas - Pre-Trip Entry = Packing Party

Blessed to Be Blessing Others

There is an overwhelming, incredible feeling to look out on hundreds of items that have the potential to bring joy to many people...and then realizing you don't have enough suitcases to bring it all!

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

 

When we actually take the time to stop and think about how easy it is to bless others, there is nothing that should stand in our way. All the things that we think can hold us back - time, resources, energy, pale in comparison to the return. We are made in the image of God and we are responsible for God's work; work that includes blessing others, not necessarily with material possessions but with hope and strength. A bar of soap can be used to bathe and give someone confidence. A soccer ball can inspire a child to dream about a future that might be very different from their current circumstances. A new pair of shoes can give someone the ability to walk to a place not previously accessible and start a business that will support their family and instill a sense of pride. It might be just me dreaming big that these small items can change a person giving hope to the sometimes hopeless but I really think I am on to something. I was always taught to dream and I think its something we could be teaching others. Every small thing we do can result in a huge change and most of the time it will be unforeseen.



There is a very interesting connection between the Haitian people and the American people that I failed to see when I went the first time. Americans have many material possessions but struggle to maintain their relationship with God, but Haitian people, as a whole, might lack things but have a relationship with God that is obvious even across the language barrier. When it comes down it, who is more blessed? It might be an easier question than we think...



Dan Leslie - Team Texas - Pre-Trip Entry - May 30, 2016

Preparing Our Hearts...and our luggage

One week from today, we will be in what feels like a different world. We will travel the 1,804 miles to Haiti to bless God's people and be blessed more than we can ever imagine.  

 

 

All of us have been to Haiti before but only some have been together on previous trips. There is no doubt that there will be a special bond that we will create in the week that we there. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that 1 week can be so life changing, especially to a place you have been before. We are God's people and we are doing God's work. 

 

Team Prayer Before Leaving for the Day

 Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Cross at the Site of the Church in Cite Soleil

          

 

Last full day!

Today is our last full day in Haiti. We started the day at Port-Au-Prince Fellowship church.  The service and worship were excellent.  The service itself brought about different emotions among the team.  There was not a particular message, we spent that time praying for people in need. We started by praying for a few members of the church who were the victims of recent robberies and other violent crimes. All of these people who were victims of these acts expressed how they remained thankful and could praise God that they were still alive and still can trust God to provide for them.  In spite of the violence, the people that were suffering could still rejoice in the Lord.

Even though there is a large disparity in incomes and living conditions, there is beauty all around each and everyone of us on the island.  We saw the wonders of Haiti when we took a trip to the top of the mountain and spent some time taking in the view from the Observatory deck, we can all testify that Gods hand is in all creation.  The natural air-conditioning at the top of the mountain was welcome by some and not so much by others.  In a few short minutes, the climate changed so much,  further evidence of the power of God.

On the way to the top and at the top of the mountain we shopped at a couple of metal markets.  It was fun watching the unstoppable vendors as they were trying to sell their goods.  It is easy to get caught up in commercialism in the United States, let us not get caught up in idolatry of a busy technological  world.  This trip was a reminder to us all we can make time for the important things in life to continue to grow our faith.  Team... recall anything about the words in bold?

Today marked our second to last day in Haiti. It was been such an amazing experience so far and can't believe there are only two days left.

This morning we set out for Grace Village in Titanyen. I was happy we were going because a bridge had collapsed a couple weeks ago and it wasn't a for sure thing that we would get to go. It was about an hour drive and we had the opportunity to drive through the Haitian country side, which is absolutely stunning.  When we arrived in Grace Village we were greeted by some of the children who live at Grace Village.  Grace Village is a school for over 400 children who live in Titanyen and home for the 74 children that live there. The school at Grace Village is provided to the student at a fraction of the cost that many other schools in Haiti cost and allows many more students to attend school. Only about 50% of the children in Haiti get to attend school.  The children that live there live in family style homes with a kitchen, family room and a house mother or father. It was such a wonderful place to visit, it is located part way up on the mountain and the view looking out was incredible.



I remember walking around Grace Village being filled with joy and peace  knowing that God had such a huge role in creating such a wonderful place for these children. After going into Cite Soleil and seeing the other orphanages it was very uplifting to see the wonderful place these children get to call home. They were happy, health and ready to show us all around Grace Village, which includes a clinic, school, playground, fish tanks full of tilapia, and there is also a church and bakery, that is part of Grace village, which is not far a way. Overall it was one of the most joyful place, I feel like we have had the opportunity to visit.

After our time at Grace village it was time to visit the elders in Titanyen; Healing Haiti goes to about 28 elders homes and delivers three meals a day six days a week. Today we were going to visit four different elders and bring them a meal and wash their hands and feet. The first home we arrived at was two sisters, they were so excited to see us and invited us into their backyard. One of the Haitian men who was with us today had a keyboard, which he started to play and many of the children began to sing as the driver played God is Good (I can't remember if this is right). Washing the women's arms and legs and hearing the music fill the yard I could feel God all around us blessing these women and the children. We had two more homes to visit after, a blind man and another woman. The blind man invited us into his home, which was no bigger then 8 by 10. He was happy to have us and enjoyed listening to the music as it filled his home. Our next elder who we visited was our last stop before returning to the guest house. We walked up to her home and she had a big smile on when she saw we were coming. Her house was no bigger then 10 by 10 but we all went in and played music while we washed her feet and hands. Throughout the trip I have been feeling like I have been called to pray out loud, so many of the team members have this as a wonderful gift, but I feel I do not have a true gift for but through the way I felt at Grace Village and while washing the feet and hands of the elders, I knew I need to pray for this woman. She asked for us to pray for her spiritual life, the grace of God and for God to provide for her and her children, after the pray the look on her face filled me with joy and left a lasting impression.

Overall, today was a day filled with joy, happiness and peace for me. Seeing Grace Village and all of the members of our group washing the feet and hands of elders was such great way to spend one of our last days n Haiti.

- Kate

Hope in Haiti

Word of the Day: Hopeful

Today we were supposed to go to Cite Soleil for a second water truck day, but because God blessed the Haitian people with lots of rain last night, water wasn't needed. So after a quick change of plans, we went to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies a second time. I felt a mix of emotions, but mainly I was anxious as the first time was so emotionally draining, I assumed this time would be as well. However, much to my surprise, I saw this experience through a different lens.

In order to explain my word of the day fully, I need to back up a few days to our first water truck day in Cite Soleil. Cite Soleil is the 3rd poorest slum in the world, and the things I saw that day were heart breaking...Naked children running the streets, a child defecating in the street, trash everywhere filled with syringes, pigs wandering around, and shantys made of sheet metal no bigger than 10x10 that housed 8+ people. What we all saw that day really can't be put into words, but it left me feeling sad for the people, guilty for what I have, and frankly angry.

Fast forward to today, I was able to see these small children and feel grateful that a place like Sick and Dying Babies exists, and hopeful that these children have a chance to thrive and grow into healthy children of God. Their small frames get fed warm meals and snacks daily, they are safe from gang violence, they have clothing and shelter, and all their needs are being met. This is not the case for the children who live in Cite Soleil.



We then went to La Phare Orphanage which houses 17 kids ranging from 3-15. We brought a craft and the children absolutely loved it! There was one girl who latched on to me the moment I got there and wouldn't let go until we left. I think her craft was the prettiest one, but I may be biased :) We then sang worship songs in English and in Creole <3 It was amazing to see how music brought everyone together. This was the first time I teared up on this trip for joyful reasons as opposed to sorrow. Again I felt hopeful for the children at this orphanage because they are able to go to school (school costs money in Haiti so several children don't get the opportunity), they know where their next meal is coming from, and they are provided for. God is so good!



We were able to end the day by unwinding a bit from an emotionally draining few days by going to a local restaurant called Kokoye (meaning coconut). We had the opportunity to have our driver accompany us and spent time asking him lots of questions about Haitian culture and comparing the differences and similarities with American culture.



Overall, today was a lot of fun and many people felt better about the Home for Sick and Dying Babies than the first time we went :)