Gainor / Harren Haiti Trip 2018 - Day 2 - In the Middle of a Move of God

Day 2:

           

            Hello! We continued our journey in Haiti with the team favorite: water truck day. Water truck day is where we pack into the “tap tap” and follow the water truck into City Soleil, Haiti. City Soleil is known as the poorest city in the western hemisphere. We had three stops. While there, we assist with carrying buckets of water as well as play with the many children. As we were driving in, we were greeted with the sound of children’s voices chanting, “Hey you!” This was not the last time we would hear this. We turned a corner and the water truck blared its horn, notifying the community of its arrival. Swarms of kids followed the truck, sprinting and yelling; their eyes filled with joy. I was not even able to get out of the “tap tap” before I had a child hugging my legs and looking up at me and this was the same for everyone on the team. At times, some of us had three kids hanging off of us, wanting to be loved.

            While a couple of team members manned the hose to the water truck, others assisted the community members with their buckets. One thing that astounded all of us was the fact that many people carried the buckets on their heads. Many of the buckets were five gallon buckets, which could weigh 40-45 pounds. We were amazed. The rest of us played with the children. We played a variety of games, while learning names. A favorite among the kids is one where you put your hands face up in front of you. They then put their hands hovering under yours and they would swoop their hands around and try to slap your hands. After a while, a couple of us got the hang of it.  At the third water truck stop, one woman had around 20 buckets that she needed to be filled. We all pitched in and helped her carry her buckets back to her home. She was so appreciative.

            In between the stops, we went to two places that are other areas of Healing Haiti’s ministry. The first stop was Hope School. They had to dig down into 40 feet of garbage before they could even begin construction. The name describes what it does for the community: it gives them hope. Looking over the fence, you could see trash and sewage in the bay.  The juxtaposition between the school and the rest of the city was very powerful.

            The second stop was to Fleri Farms. We trekked along a muddy path to see all of the amazing fruits and vegetables that the farm grows. While we were at the farm, the farmer took coconuts off of the tree and let us taste the water, inner, and outer core. It was very cool to eat the coconut while standing right in front of the tree that produced it. We also ate some mango right off of the tree. It was a beautiful piece of land with many crops.

            Overall, it was a very difficult day. It was hard for us to see the conditions that the people were living in. However, it’s amazing to see how God is working through the situation to reach others for Him. Although it might seem like we were blessing the people, the entire team left feeling incredibly blessed by the people of this beautiful country.

Gainor / Harren Haiti Trip 2018 - Day 1 - In the Middle of a Move of God

Day 1: Dear family and friends, We began our first day serving in Haiti with excited hearts and minds for the day to come. We boarded the tap tap, our mode of transportation, and traveled to our first stop of the day, being an orphanage. When we first arrived, the kids welcomed us with singing and dancing. After that, we started the morning by Kim telling the story of Daniel and the Lion. We had a Haitian translator help tell the story so the kids could understand. After, we made a lion craft with the kids using paper plates and colorful paper. When we were finished with the craft, we split up and played basketball, soccer, tag, and games with the kids. The kids even had a contest at who could do the best backflip! While reading the story, the kids were so respectful and calm, but when it came to playtime their personalities really came alive and they were full of energy! Some of our group members even learned (and won) a few games that the Haitian kids taught us! Our next stop was another orphanage, but smaller in size to the previous one. At this orphanage, we were again greeted by song. The kids came to each of us and sat on our laps as we made crafts with clothespins, and pompoms to make clip caterpillars. The kids really enjoyed clipping their hard work to their clothes, our clothes, and hair! We had a great time bonding with the kids by playing soccer, coloring on the sidewalk with chalk, drawing learning each other’s names on whiteboards, and climbing and racing up a sand pile! As you might be able to tell, soccer is a popular sport in Haiti! When we arrived back to the guesthouse, we decided to take a quick swim at a local hotel pool to cool off and relax. Driving to and from locations has been very eye opening to all of the team members as well, seeing the way of life of the Haitian people. As we wind down from the day, our hearts are filled with the love for Christ, our experience today, and each other.

Harnell- Kench 17': Saturday

Day 6 Thankfully we all got to sleep in much longer than yesterday’s 5 a.m. wakeup call. This morning greeted us with even more delicious pancakes and oatmeal. We gratefully loaded up because today would call for a lot of energy: water truck day. At 9:30 (we were on time today), we climbed into the tap-tap to head to Cite Soleil. Nothing can prepare you for water truck day. I do not care if you are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, I’ll hand you a five-gallon bucket overflowing with water while you have two kids clinging onto you and you’ll see just how strong you are. Those handles are no joke and for once in my life I think I may have a callous. The first stop did not begin very well for Michelle. The kids were so excited to see her that she lost her bearings and fell straight into murky waters. Thankfully, our man Jonas was able to get her hosed down and cleaned up before some troublemakers came by and dumped five gallons of water over her head. I, unfortunately, missed everything but, according to Jessie With The Hat, she had a legit mullet going on. Cool. The kids were beyond excited to see us again and greeted us with, “Hey you! Hey you!”. The love in their eyes is incredible. They are the happiest, most joyous children I have ever met. The heat in Haiti is unbelievable—-like a sauna in the middle of August. About twenty minutes in we were soaked, not by the water but our own sweat. None of us seemed to care, though, as the kids and people are all so inviting that it makes everything worth it. In between stops we toured Fleri farms. Stevenson was our guide, an incredibly educated farmer. He actually graduated with a degree in agriculture so, as we say back in Gratiot County, he’s kinda a big deal. He was excited to show us his work and have us try some of the crops. The first one we tried was sugar cane aka nature’s Jolly Rancher. This man,I kid you not, whipped out a machete to cut down some stalks. It was single handedly the coolest thing we had ever witnessed. Next were the peppers. Come to find out, Kayley and Cole have absolutely no taste buds whatsoever. They swallowed it like it was nothing meanwhile Jessie saw her life flash before her with just a lick. To end our journey, they cut open fresh coconuts for all of us (again with the machete, so cool, right?). It was interesting to get to drink right out of a coconut straight off of the tree. We also had a couple bites of it which was determined to be an acquired taste. After a little bit of rest and snacks (Jonas really likes Scooby snacks, come to find out) we headed to our last stop. This stop in particular was right on the coast. Jonas lead us out onto the pier before we left and it was just like a scene out of Pirates of the Caribbean in terms of the view and the boats. The boats were carved out of wood with huge sails to direct them. People were sitting on the dock cleaning fish and airing out their nets. This was definitely a memorable sight. The kids all touched our hearts today. It is just absolutely incredible the amount of love such a small body can contain. Neither of us new each other’s language but we had one thing in common: we are all children of God. At the guesthouse we all gathered at 7 o’clock to talk about the day and look at the pictures taken. These moments I will forever cherish because they are filled with laughter and God’s presence. This trip has touched us far more than we imagine we have been able to touch the Haitians. Haiti, we came here to help you and, instead, you have helped us.

Harnell- Kench '17 Catching up!

Day 5 We started the day before the sun came up (and for those of you who do not know when that is, it’s five in the morning) to attend tent church. You can literally hear the music from the church for miles away. It was true worship with singing and dancing for Jesus! It was truly a beautiful and enthusiastic morning filled with praise and worship in a way we’ve never been a part of. People aged everywhere between elders down to young children were in attendance during this hour. As soon as we entered the church we were filled with joy as the Haitians welcomed us in as if were have been attending our whole lives. Hands were raised in honor to God as people danced and moved around the church greeting and praying for each other. The worship leader thanked God for everything, right down to deodorant and reminded all of us that we are all equal..there is no one person better than another. The service incorporated a number of songs in Creole and English which was beautiful. As the service went on we could see the sun come up which was incredible as we headed back for breakfast. After breakfast we headed to Titanyen to visit some elders. We picked up hot meals on the way along with water and juice to give to the elders. Once we arrived, the elders were excited to see us, hugging and kissing everyone as we entered their homes, all 22 of us. At each visit we gave them a full spa treatment - washed their hands and feet, rubbed down their arms and legs with lotion, and even painted the woman’s nails. We sang and prayed for each elder and you could feel the presence of the Lord. One man touched our hearts with his very simple prayer request of being with his wife forever. And as Rosetta said it, “it hit her in the feels”. As our experiences continued, we toured Grace Village’s bakery and restaurant, Fleri. Fleri means to flourish in English and that is exactly what they are currently doing, all thanks to God! Fleri is aimed at job creation and boosting the local economy. So far, this business has been able to put well over $8,000 back into the local economy, hallelujah! Jake (from State Farm) gave us a tour of the bakery and restaurant. He was a wonderful soul to encounter. He is from America and managed to learn Creole from the local kids as well as his employees. His heart is focused on not himself, but Haiti. He wants nothing more than to see Haiti flourish. Next up on the agenda was Grace Village. Grace sits along the mountainside with an incredible view— a perfect view of God’s work and His people. The gates open to what looks just like an oasis. Kids are clean and clothed, running around without a care in the world. They were friendly but not overly eager to have us pick them up, a sign that they were not attention starved but instead receiving the love and nourishment they deserve. Grace (ironic because we were at Grace Village, ya know?) gave us a tour of the orphanage amidst the blazing heat. She told us about the stop-and-go program at Grace Village. In short, this program allows kids from orphanages that are being shut down to be temporarily welcomed into Grace. Due to a combination of lack of funding and multitudes of orphans, orphanages shutting down is a big problem in Haiti. If we can give one prayer request thus far, please pray for the orphans. Imagine not having a stable home. Imagine not knowing if your parents will ever come for you again. Imagine not having a childhood. The beauty in all of this is that we serve the same God as them and through prayer we know God will bring redemption. After a hot day outside, we travelled back to Fleri to eat dinner. We engorged ourselves with wings, fries, plantains and salsa (even Madi approved of this), and lots and lots of pizza. It is truly amazing how much a group of missionaries can eat in just a short period of time after a day in the sweltering heat. Unfortunately, we seemed to have forgotten that we would have at least an hour drive home in that same sweltering heat. It did not take too long at all once we started our ride home for us to realize we can’t hang. Haitian heat: 10. Harnell Team:0.

Hendrickson/Severson - Friday, December 15, 2017

Today was overwhelming. Filled with love. Filled with grief. Quite the emotional experience. To describe it and give it any justice whatsoever…I don’t think I can. Atleast not give it what I want to give it…like include all the feelings behind the words. This morning, we were blessed to spend worship with the community here. I felt God’s presence. I felt God’s love. As I knelt down to pray with a lady, we had one sole thing connecting us, and that was God’s unending, everlasting love. As we sat there, holding each other, loving each other, praising our Lord, in union….it seriously was probably the best part of my day. And it had only just begun. As I found a spot to be seated, my heart sang out to the one God that heals, the one God that saves, the one God that has reign over all mankind. Alleluiah! That was what my heart repeatedly cried out. Ah-Le-Luuuu-yah…. The day just continued like that. And I completely believe that every step was already orchestrated and planned. From the water stops, to the Haitian Initiative, to Home For the Sick and Dying Babies and Children….everyone had a different role. Everyone had a unique purpose and I truly believe that the team was able to touch the hearts of many today. So many hurting, but yet so many living a happy life. The innocence of the children. The love. The frustration. The pain. The hurt. Every emotion was felt today and I came home overwhelmed and exhausted. I humble myself to the only one that can bring peace to all this. I give God the glory because I know through him all things are possible. Even though, we were not able to reach everyone that our hearts so desired to reach, I do believe that we did our whole-hearted part and I thank God for the strength He gave us to press on, even when we were weak. The ears to hear, the eyes to see, the voice to speak…and not to speak. My heart hurts for this country and I can’t describe the pain, but there is hope. Love remains and God is still King. May we continue to be the hands and feet and heal Haiti. Julie

Harnell- Kench '17: Friday

Day Four: Sorry for getting behind but Wifi in Haiti can be temperamental! During our layover in Atlanta Monday we met a family also traveling to Haiti. Come to find out, they were also going through Healing Haiti and would be joining up with us later in the week. Today they joined us after a few nights in a resort. They are a wonderful family with three kids, ages 12, 10, and 8. At ten o’clock we loaded up and left for our day. First stop: Sweet Home Orphanage. About halfway there we realized we forgot the craft box for the kids. No worries, though, this was a blessing in disguise (story to come). After an exciting drive weaving through goats and motorcycles, we arrived at iron gates. As soon as the gates were opened we were all amazed. The orphanage was full of kids running around in clean uniforms. It was almost shocking to see so many kids clean and healthy after spending the last couple days with sick, malnourished kids. It was a true testament to how good our God is. Kayley and Taylor quickly joined in on the jump roping, which is a lot more intense here than America; Brian and Madi showed the boys how to catch a rock off of their elbow; McKenzie, Michelle, Teressa, Rosetta, and Terri quickly found a couple kids to hug on; Jessie attempted soccer; Haley and Mckennah played with the children on the slides, Mike spun kids around on the playground equipment until they were dizzy. After recess was over we joined the younger kids and babies in the gazebo. Due to having no craft for them we were short for ideas so Jonas began singing. It was incredible how many praise songs he knows in English as well as Creole. The kids loved the songs just as much as we loved being able to spend time with them. Reggie gave us a tour of the orphanage as well as introduced us to the founders who are a Haitian-American couple from Texas. After the earthquake in 2010 they saw the need for a safe place for children so they initially adopted two children, which evolved into an orphanage. Those children today are now 14 and 16 years old. They are currently working on an addition to the orphanage, which would hold 50 more children but with lack of funding, the building has yet to be completed after 3 years. Before we departed the orphanage, the couple wanted to make sure we knew about a story relevant to Haitian culture regarding missionaries. They explained that the Haitians believe there is a tree that is just outside of the airport that if you walk under it, you will forget everything that you cared for in Haiti. Monfort was our last stop of the day which was a school and orphanage for the deaf. The school was filled with laughter and smiling faces as we toured through their classrooms. Each one of the children were dressed in their red school uniforms. While at this point, we were challenged with the language barrier with speaking creole, we now were playing with children who were deaf but fluent in sign language. One of the first things we all learned as a group was how to sign our names, and also whether or not we could hear. Rosetta got as far as “R-O” so the kids referred to her as “Ro”. They seemed overjoyed when they found out we could hear. We spend the next couple of hours getting to know them by playing on the playground, the rock game, drumming and eventually a very competitive game of soccer.. Americans against the Haitians. Not exactly the World Cup, we lost 2-0. After recess, we finished our tour of their facilities which included two buildings under construction that will be used for new dorm rooms. The site also provides garden space, which provide vegetables used at the orphanage. In addition, they raised rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats and cows. There were also several plantain trees, which are a staple here in Haiti. Kids played on the tractors and fed the cows while we toured through their facilities. We ended our tour in front of their dorms underneath a pavilion. We brought along beads and pipe cleaners to make candy cane Christmas ornaments. It was amazing the participation we had especially once the kids noticed we had real candy canes. Thanks to Madi, (inside joke) we had a large number of gifts from State Farm Insurance to distribute to the kids - “Like a good neighbor, State Farm was there!” We have experienced God’s grace in each day that we have been here. The days are filled with laughter, some tears (mainly Teressa & Terri’s), but mostly joy! We have met some wonderful people, along with members of our team from Minnesota, Michigan and folks from the other team from North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota, Tennessee and Colorado. We were able to meet with the other team on the upper balcony for praise and worship as we closed out our day. Grace, our long-term missionary, and a young lady from the other team lead us in music, their voices were simply beautiful. We took a video that we will share with you later on.

Thursday - Hendrickson/Severson

Hey everyone! Today our team went to the church that Healing Haiti built in Cite Soleil, Hope Church. The church also serves as an elementary school during the week. Our main ministry there started by playing with neighborhood kids outside the church. Much like the rest of Cite Soleil, the conditions there are devastating. Children are desperate for physical touch and beg to be picked up even if we are already holding one or two children...they will climb on our backs or hang from our legs just to experience affection in whatever way they can. We also got to play soccer and frisbee with the teenagers and young adults. We are discovering that even if we cannot communicate verbally, we are able to communicate in many different ways through things as simple as playing jump rope or giving a hug. It is so beautiful to see relationships being formed in new places in sometimes the most unlikely of ways. After the morning in the neighborhood, we went inside Hope Church to help serve lunch to the school children. They are PRECIOUS. They were hungry, too! Our afternoon held our visit to Papillon, which is a business and boutique located in Port-au-Prince that employs Haitians. Their mission is to empower Haitians by giving them jobs. When Haitian parents have jobs, they are able to obtain a steady income, and when they have a steady income, they do not have to give up their children for adoption. So, Papillon not only boosts the economy by creating jobs, but they effectively work to keep kids out of orphanages. Papillon has two sides...a production side and a store side. We got to see the production side first which is where everything is made...everything from jewelry to clay mugs to purses...and many, many other products. And then we got to shop! It was absolutely amazing to see all the beautiful, handmade items in the store that are quite directly helping Haiti and its families in such monumental ways. Tonight we ate a traditional Haitian dinner which was AMAZING and topped the day off with a worship night. We are all tired and ready for bed, and so excited for all that tomorrow will bring! :) -Kimber