Adventures in Titanyen

Today we had the opportunity to visit four elders in the small city of Titanyen,which is about a half an hour to forty five minute tap tap ride outside of Port-Au-Prince. Those four elders were Charitable, Aloude, Flerisianne, and Lindor. Two volunteers from our team would wash then apply lotion to their hands and feet while singing worship songs. Each elder received a bag of hand sanitizer, tooth brush, tooth paste, a bottle of pop, and three bags of water. At the end of each visit we would ask in what ways they needed prayer and prayed for those needs. One chapter that came to mind through out the visit was when Jesus was washing his disciples feet in John chapter 13. We are literally being the hands and feet of God by washing his disciples feet. Although their circumstances were less than satisfactory each of the elders welcomed us into their homes with beaming smiles. Many of those we visited today have health issues or struggles within their families. Visiting with the elders can be disheartening because of their conditions but our team provided so much more: hope. We went to each visit with smiles, hugs, listening ears, and open hearts. The second part of our day was touring Grace Village "a little place of heaven" as Margie would say. Grace Village is a multifaceted community center for nearby Haitians, which overlooks the city as well as the Caribbean ocean. Grace Village includes a clinic, housing for children, a school, a church, and a bakery/restaurant which employs local Haitians. Our team got a tour by the directors at Grace Village, Carolyn and her husband Don. Grace's mission is to build up the community by providing job opportunities for locals. The orphanage at Grace Village is centered around families and eventual re-connection with their birth families. One aspect of the housing is that they each are provided with a mommi and papi to demonstrate how family systems operate. Once those children eventually age out of Grace Village they go through a transitional program which allows them to find ample opportunities for education and employment.

Allyssa Guynes