Today was an amazing day of worship, joy, and beauty. We started our day going to sunrise service at "Tent Church." The Haitians are worshipful people and Tent Church has a worship service every day. Although it felt like a sacrifice waking up extra early, once we arrived, we found the experience a powerful one and well worth the lost sleep. The Haitians have such hearts toward the Lord! The second I walked in the door, my heart was drawn to worship. The Haitians are so expressive and they worship God in such a way that brings one to humility. Our hearts were enriched and we were blessed as the worship leader integrated English throughout the worship. We recognized a few of the songs -- an occasional one in English, while most were in Creole. It did not matter. We knew we were among family. Some of the songs were familiar tunes, but sung in Creole -- songs like "Nothing but the Blood" and "How Great Thou Art," along with some contemporary songs as well. We were not observers, but brothers and sisters worshipping the same Lord. It's so great to connect with other believers from other parts of the world. I will never forget this worship experience!
Our next stop was the LaPhare Orphanage to do VBS with the kids. We first spent time playing with the kids. They are so fun, sweet, and playful. They love our affection, so they are always excited to get a hug or for us to pick them up and just love on them. We represent Jesus to the kids and He uses even the human touch, which can be so powerful. We have witnessed this again and again throughout our trip each time we are with kids. Chris taught a Bible story, the story of Noah, of course, with our interpreter, and the kids seemed attentive. After that we made little beaded bracelets with the kids. The one sad part of this visit is that several of the kids were sick, so we weren't able to see all of them. The other sad part is when we had to leave. These kids are so endearing, sometimes you don't want to leave.
The last portion of our day, we decided to take a team trip to the Wahoo Beach. It was absolutely beautiful. Being close to the water in Haiti and looking up at the mountains was truly a slice of heaven! Even the drive brought in the many facets of Haiti. We have seen the devastation, but mixed in with the poverty and lack, we saw much of God's beauty--the mountains, the hillside and green country side, not to mention the beautiful weather. Seeing more of the beauty of God's earth, along with the other activities of the day brought us refreshment and joy. Thank you Lord for another amazing day in Haiti!