Day 3 Word Of Life Grace Village Elder Care

Today was a blessed day as we first drove up to Titanyen to visit Grace Village, the Healing Haiti ministry. The word 'Titanyen' means "less than nothing" to the Haitians. Can you imagine living in a place that means 'less than nothing'? But Grace Village is a place of grace, hope and love. Grace Village encompasses a church, education center K-13, library, media center, feeding center, vegetable gardens, dental & medical clinic, family style homes for 'orphans' and new to open in several days is "Fleri Boulanje" (Flourish Bakery). We will actually get to attend their grand opening on Saturday. The mission of Healing Haiti is "the world is a better place when families are strengthened." They have discovered that many children thought to be orphans actually have parents but they are not able to care for them. Therefore, they leave them at a hospital or orphanage out of desperation so their child will have food to eat. So, much of the work of Healing Haiti centers around job creation. The bakery will eventually employ 150 people. A top-notch baker and chef from the U.S. are here for a week training the new employees in baking and food preparation. 

Later, we went to visit 4 of the 'elder orphans' in the nearby neighborhood of Titanyen. We were able to wash their feet and lotion them as well as lotioning their hands and giving them a back rub, clipping nails and finger nail painting them. We took them water and juice and they also received a hot meal for lunch. We prayed for their prayer requests and sang several worship songs with them.

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake devastated the country. So, on the return trip we stopped at the mass grave of the several hundred thousand who died. Today is the 7th anniversary of that disaster.  A memorial center has been erected to commemorate the event and it was a busy place today with people paying their respects.  After this somber time we loaded up on the tap tap (bus) and continued on back into Port-au-Prince to encounter a scrumptious dinner of Haitian food: Haitian rice, fried chicken legs, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes n carrots in a gravy, a beet & carrot salad and plantains. It was amazing! Bonswa (Good Night)