An Elder Celebration

The walk to the courtyard was slow and laborious.  Many walked with a limp and some required assistance.   The elders in the Healing Haiti program have been looking forward to today: the annual Christmas party celebration.  They entered displaying a stoic demeanor as they often do.  They sat together around long tables and were welcomed with a meal and friendly conversation.  One can only image the challenges that they have faced and the hardships that they have had to endure.  They sat quietly in their fine clothes displaying little emotion.

That all changed when the worship praise music began.  As I looked at them, I saw their shoulders relax.  I saw their smiles as they started to sway with the music.  Some started clapping and some raised their hands as the music flowed through the room.  I looked at the other Haitians and at our fellow teammates.  All were lost in the music.  It's power and fervor enveloped us.  As I watched them,  I realized that the praise music had united us.  It didn't matter if we were Haitian or American, black or white, young or old and it didn't matter which language we spoke.  We all had come together as a family, if only for a little while.  In the faces of the elders, I saw love, acceptance and hope that they felt through the power and message of the music.  It was incredibly moving and I could have listened to it for hours.

With the recent days of relative peace, we were fortunate to be able to come to Titanyen and participate in this event.  It's an afternoon that I'll remember always.

" We learn something from everyone who passes through our lives.. Some lessons are painful, some are painless... but all are priceless."                Unknown

Dios, LaPherres and Home For the Sick and Dying

The day started with a great challenge from Matthew 6 to seek 1st His kingdom and not our own. We definitely got to put that challenge into practice as our "well-laid" plans were adjusted throughout the day. We went to Dios orphanage and were so lovingly welcomed by these special-needs children. We did some coloring, bubbles, jump rope and kicking the ball around. "Seek 1st His kingdom".  We couldn't go to the next orphanage yet so we just came back to the guest house and "hung out" for about 2 hrs. We then loaded the tap-tap and set off for La Phare's orphanage.  The "planned" activity was to share the wordless Gospel story using the 5 colors painted on their finger nails.....except we forgot the nail polish! Thanks to Valerie's great interaction/enthusiasm while interpreting, and the kids great attention and response to the questions asked, it went well anyway. "Seek 1st His kingdom". Katie and Valerie then led us in some songs (Creole and English) and then the children sang to us.  Beautiful worship!! We were so blessed!!  We wrapped up our time there coloring, shooting baskets, jump roping and hop-scotching--fun to see our team members reliving their childhoods!  Our last stop of the day was at the home for sick and dying babies.  It was much calmer this year than some of the previous years I've been there. We each ended up with basically 1 child the whole 1 1/2 hours we were there.  We were able to feed them and just hold them as we walked around in the outside courtyard.  They are so tiny and it''s hard to guess ages but many are 3 or 4 yrs old but the size of infants.  The love of the caregivers there was encouraging to see and we know that our many hands made their load lighter today. "Seek 1st His kingdom".

I am definitely blessed and humbled to be part of this team!!  The willingness to accept changes in the schedule, our vulnerability with each other and the fellowship of sharing our "Christ-stories" is something that only happens in the body of Christ.  Thank-you to you who are back home lifting us up in prayer and having an impact here in Haiti because you are part of that same body of Christ.
To God be the glory!!

P.S. Ashley has been able to be at both Hope and Grace clinics doing ultra-sounds. Pray for her amidst the challenge of having medical "lingo" correctly interpreted and her effectiveness in training the nurses here. It can be frustrating and hard but her attitude was "Seek 1st His kingdom" and trust.

Peace - Diane

Water Truck Day

Today we traveled into Cite Soleil to deliver life giving water to people who do not have access to clean drinking water. Our team met our water truck and got out ready to serve. The lines for water were long, we were at both stops for about 45 minutes each. There was lots of work to be done... holding the water hose and filling up water containers, carrying buckets down the street to ease some of the burden of the women and children carrying them, and holding or playing with the children. We stopped at two neighborhoods today, it was hot but we were so happy to be put to work.

It isn't often that I have the opportunity to blog any longer as we (as leaders) encourage team members to write about the day. But, tonight I had the chance.

We have such an amazing group of people here in Haiti with us. I am simply humbled to be here with this group. It is so wonderful to see Haiti through the eyes of a new goer. It brings me back to my first trip and I can still feel the very raw emotions I had. The experiences of each day are etched in my memory to never ever be forgotten. I love Haiti and I love being with people who are seeing it for the first time.

We have a wonderful group of "veteran" goers. Please who have been part of Healing Haiti for many many years. People who have given their time and hearts to fearlessly lead the way to help this organization become what it is today.

Our team is full of return goers, people who come back year after year to continue being the hands and feet of Christ. It is such an honor to be here and to serve alongside this amazing group of people.

Please pray for Haiti. Please pray for the Haitian people. Please pray for the Haitian government. Please pray for Healing Haiti. Pray.....

Peace - Marni

Our Trip is Upon Us

All of us come from different backgrounds and all of us have different reasons for wanting to travel to Haiti.  We all have taken time off of our busy schedules and spent considerable effort and thought in preparing for our upcoming mission trip.  Some of us will have doubts.  Some are excited and some are probably not quite sure what this will be like.  For some, this will be their first time volunteering and they're probably wondering what they could possibly have to offer to the people of Haiti.  Bill Hybels answers this best in " The Volunteer Revolution".

"What do I have to offer?  More than you probably think.  You have the gifts and talents you were born with.  The passions that inspire you.  The blessings of education.  The skills you've honed as you worked at home and in the marketplace.  The life experiences that have matured you.  The pain that has deepened you.  The love that spills from God's heart into your's.

Once you decide to invest even a small portion of the blessings God has given to you into the lives of others, you'll find the seed of something powerful sown in your soul.  And someday, in the midst of giving yourself in the spirit and act of volunteering, that seed will blossom into the amazing realization that this is what you were made for".

So as we move forward, with Haiti being much calmer than it has been in previous weeks, we are hopeful we will all have a chance to make a difference in the lives of the Haitians that we'll encounter.  As of tonight,  our itinerary will include all areas of Healing Haiti's ministry.


Dave McCarthy

Wayne & Smith Saturday: Water Truck #2

Another amazing day in Haiti. We were fortunate to have a second water truck day in Cite Soleil, and the need was great. Although our team was tired from a full week of serving, everyone gave everything they could to serve the Haitians. As we reflect on everything God has taught us this week, I feel very fortunate to be part of this team. We arrived as strangers last Monday, and will be leaving as family. 

"When I Say Water, You Say Truck! Water...Truck!"

Wayne & Smith Friday: Cite Soleil Play Day/Elders

November 22, 2019

6:00 a.m. We leave to go to a neighborhood sunrise church service at “Church on the Rock.” A gate entrance opens to a huge open-air church that seats approximately 300 people with many attendees walking through the rows of chairs and aisle issuing in the presence of God. When we seek God early, he will be with us throughout the whole day.  There were lots of people and others still coming in.  The musicians and singer moved us all with their praises.  The singer sung in both the native Kreyol and English occasionally.  After several selections by the singer, there was a call for the offering and ended with the pastor preaching from the book of John.  His message to us included a word that this week would provide each of us an experience to see those with differences in a better light and challenge us to positively encourage them.  We were able to briefly meet with the pastor to express our gratitude for the service.  It was an awesome way to start the day.

After church, we returned to the guest house for breakfast.  We have had great breakfasts that include fresh avocado, banana, mango, oatmeal, French toast or pancakes, and eggs.

Each morning before going out to serve we have a brief devotional meeting.  Our co-leader’s morning message was to inform us of the fruit of the spirits (love, joy, patience, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance) that we must have as we serve. We load the tap-tap bus to head back to Cite Soleil and Hope Church. When we arrive, we are greeted by Alicia, the administrator of the health clinic.  She shared with us the number of doctors, dentists and nurses that work at the clinic and the main services being treated at the facility.  On a normal day, they serve approximately 70-100 patients a day without appointments and based on the critical nature of their ailment.  The cost of the services to the citizens of Cite Soleil are reasonably priced based on the economy of the residents.  Many residents would not have medical care without the support of the Hope Medical Clinic.

Afterwards, it was now time for fun with the kids outside the clinic.  They were waiting for us with chants of “Hey You” and the desire for us to pick them up. Some of the team can pick up two kids at one time.  With jump ropes and soccer balls in hand, we head out to a playground. All the kids wanting to be picked up can be overwhelming. Seeing the joy of smiles of playing children is so warming.  It was so hard to stop playing, but we had another group to serve.

The pastor of Hope Church has gathered approximately 15 elderly men and women to be served by us.  We were there to perform a foot washing and massaging of hands, feet and back.  We were grateful for the opportunity to show God’s love to each of them. Some of the women got their toenails polished. Our team circled around the elderly group and connected our hands as one to offer a prayer to God for their health ailments, there family and the future.  The elders left with a small meal and appreciation for being served.

Our last stop at Hope for the day was to receive an overview of the computer center by Ash, who works in the Tech Pod. The top of the line computer technology that is being used to train the children is the only one in the country.  When training is started at an early age, cycles and strongholds of educational deficiencies can be broken. One of the challenges mentioned was that students speak Kreyol at home, trained in French and then the computer technology is in English. Students have very little opportunity to become fluent in French since they return home every night to Kreyol speaking parents.  Education is power.

The day ends with a dinner meal treat, Pizza.

Wayne & Smith: Thursday Kenscoff & Furcy

Thursday, November 21st

Today the team got a chance to visit with the elders in a farming community outside of Kenscoff.  We delivered food to them, we put lotion on their dry skin, gave them massages and prayed over them. Many times, this population is overlooked. Our first visit left an impression on our entire team that we will never forget.  The elder we visited is the father-in-law of the pastor from the local church. He was in a lot of pain and very frail. His skin soaked up the lotion as fast as we were putting it on him. Even though he was in pain, he still managed to smile showing his beautiful dimples. When he was told he had a great smile his smile grew even bigger. The most amazing surprise to the team was when he reached for is harmonica on the bench near him and started to play for us. His music was just as beautiful as his smile. 

So often we wake up and grab a cup of coffee either from our coffee pots in our kitchens or from Starbucks. Today the team got a chance to see firsthand the process of making coffee.  We visited a home where they grow and pick their own coffee beans, they grill them over a fire, muddle and pound the beans, sift it, and brew it. We each had a chance to muddle/pound the beans, which was so much fun. We all enjoyed the most delicious cup of coffee we have ever had.  The coffee gave us the energy we needed to hike to a waterfall.  The beauty we saw today can not be put into words and the pictures can’t capture the feeling we had of being surrounded by the most amazing scenery in Haiti.