Mesi Jezi! Thank you Jesus!

What a mix of physical and emotional activities today! We began our day with 6:00 worship at Church on the Rock. It was so inspiring to see the Haitians worship with so much passion and love for our God. And they do this every day! Even with so many needs their thanks to Jesus is endless!

After being inspired we began our day with 2 water truck stops. We found the water truck stops particularly challenging with a small team of just 6 people. There was such demand for help carrying the water but also so many children that wanted our attention.

We were able to take a break at Hope and saw the new technology pod, sewing pod and clinic. What amazing facilities and new resources for Cite Soleil. The people of Cite Soleil are being blessed by these additions and slowly but surely they can improve their lives.

Our day ended with a visit to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies which primarily serves children in all stages of malnutrition and the medical complications that results from that. We were blessed to be able to feed some of the toddlers and spend time playing with them. The most difficult part is the leaving. We shower them with love and then we leave so soon! Our hearts break as they cried when we left.

We haven't mentioned it in our blog yet, but each day ends with "pit time" when we come together as a team to reflect on our day, share how God is working through us during this experience, and just laughing together. With only 6 people on our team, we may be small but we are mighty in His name!

Mesi Jezi! Thank you Jesus!

Compassion and Friendship

We traveled to Titanyen today. We began with our visit to Grace Village. We could clearly see God's work at Grace Village through their orphanage, school, clinic, church and Fleri Bakery! They are truly flourishing which then allows families and community to flourish.

We also did 4 elder visits in Titanyen. This is a time full of compassion and being God's eyes, voice, and hands. Looking into the eyes of the elders we felt so connected and felt God's love for them and for us. Washing their hands and feet, giving them massages, and painting some of their nails was such a joy.

Our theme for today was friendship and we are so blessed and grateful to see friendships developed, blossoming, and lasting among the Haitians, between us as a team, and between us and the Haitians. One of the most touching moments was to see our team member, Pauline, reconnect with the student she has sponsored for 4 years and the love between them!

Rosie's was a new stop for snacks and shopping and then on to Fleri Bakery for pizza! Fleri Bakery continues to grow and provide opportunity for employment as well as bread and restaurant for the community. We were thrilled to be part of Jake's live Facebook video while we were there! (See link belowhere: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=779373419123013&id=67620373906)

Water Truck Day - Palms Up

It was water truck day so we began our day with a "palms up" prayer. Palms up means "you are strong enough to be vulnerable" (Love Does by Bob Goff). We prepared ourselves to be mentally and physically strong for our 3 water truck stops.

The Haitians have no clean water so all of their water is delivered to them. The first stop is to fill the water truck then travel behind them in the "tap tap" (the truck we ride in) and then on to Cite Soleil. As we traveled to City Soleil the team members who have been here several times saw the many changes that give them hope that things are changing! For the ones on their first trip it was overwhelming, chaotic and awesome! Max, our driver, gives a thrill ride that won't be forgotten!

At the stops every team member had to physically work hard to help with the hose, haul water buckets, and have children clamoring to be held and loved. There were times when we were carrying a bucket of water in one hand, had a child on the other hand, and 2 more tugging our shirt from behind. Although we had our "palms up", they were never empty!

Although we were drained, filthy, and tired, we finished the day with a tour of Healing Haiti's new farm.

After showering and having dinner, we are now refreshed and ready for another day!

WORDS OF THE DAY

As we drove from the guest house to TeacHaiti, Papillion, and LaPhare Orphanage we were impressed to see that more and more roads have been paved and there's even a stoplight in a busy intersection now. We were struck by the CALM we felt traveling to our destinations.

It was our first visit to TeacHaiti and we were INSPIRED to hear the director's story and the efforts and strides they are making to educate the young people of Haiti. Although it was a holiday so most students were not there, we could see the progress they are making and their passion for education and TEACHING.

At LaPhare we were greeted with SMILES galore which fit perfectly with our theme of "Smile, Jesus Loves You". The children were so very engaged and intent in listening to our telling of the Easter Story and were then able to make their own story with stickers. The crafts brought many more smiles and our play time with them is always a time of joy and showing them God's love for them through us.

Our team member, JC, finally arrived today and we are so overjoyed to have him with us for what he calls a SURREAL adventure that he never would have dreamed he would be on.

Each day brings new revelations into how God is working through us in sometimes UNEXPECTED ways. We can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings.

We Shall Overcome

The mighty Lagerquist team of 6 overcame the tests and trials of day one. First of all, we have two new rookies on the team (JC a college student flying from Ft. Wayne, IN; and Deanna, Pauline's sister from Phoenix). The rest of us (Pauline our leader, Jess her daughter, and Kira and Logan from Eden Prairie) have been multiple times ranging 3-5 trips. It all started when Kira and Logan tried for 45 min to get Uber, Lyft, Black or any taxi for that matter to pick them up at 4am. Panic kicked in and we called Pauline and Jess to get ideas of what to do. After talking to Jess she set her phone down and left it in the car they were taking to the airport. We decided to just pack up the car and drive and park at the airport or else we might miss the flight. At the same time, the Lagerquists were melting down to try to find Jess's phone (which Callie came to the rescue).  We all were to meet in Atlanta to finish the journey to Haiti together. However, JC's flight had mechanical issues and was delayed so he missed the only option to get to Port-au-Prince today. JC sent us all a note in Atlanta that God is in control and was praying for us all and looking forward to finally connecting tomorrow.

After what may seem like a challenging travel day, we arrived very welcomed and loved by the Healing Haiti staff. As we reflect tonight, we continue to pray for peace and safety for all people in Haiti. 

Awesome and great is Your name. Once again You overcame.

Kira

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