Bonjour from Haiti!
We started off the day with some individual devo time in hopes of prepping our minds for the day. For breakfast this morning we had pancakes, eggs, fruit, and amazing freshly squeezed juice. In fact, Ben had a passion for the passionfruit juice. While breakfast was great, the best was yet to come.
Today we got to experience the water truck. We spent a fair amount of time on the Tap tap today driving. It's been quite an adventure watching the Haitian traffic. Let's just say that there are not many rules. Our first stop was in District 17 of Cité Soleil. When people hear the truck's honking they hurry with their buckets to line up. The kids await anxiously at the back of the truck to be held and played with. While some of us filled buckets, others got to hold and love on the many kids. At the end of our first stop we were able to visit Hope Church. The beautiful building stands in stark contrast to the surroundings.
Although similar to our first stop, the second stop had more adults and teens present. It seemed that we were able to make more personal connections. In addition, some of the teens spoke English and French and we were able to hear their stories. In between stops, while the water truck was filling up, we were able to bond together as a team.
It seemed that the third stop was challenging for our team. In both carrying water and holding children, there was more tension. The distance of walking buckets of water back to homes was longer at this stop than the past two. In addition, it was a lot hotter. There were more people on their porches watching us, and at times it was intimidating. There was music playing and although tired, we were able to dance and play with the children. When we were finished with the water truck, we had the chance to walk out on the pier to see the ocean. Some children followed us, and we got to sing and dance with them in Creole.
We came back to the guesthouse and took turns showering. After supper, we walked to the pool at the nearby hotel, and got to relax. Then we had group huddle, got to pray for each other, and finished the night with team bonding and games.
We ask for your prayers for guidance for our leaders as we divide our team tomorrow. In addition, we would love prayers for courage and boldness as we serve the least of these.
Au Revoir,
Cassie and Luke P.
