Day 1 Word Of Life Church

What a blessed day in Haiti!  The weather is beautiful and most people have smiles on their beautiful faces. We started with an AMAZING breakfast of, get this: oatmeal prepared like you can't imagine, scrambled eggs with the works in them, pancakes n syrup, sliced bananas, and fresh squeezed juice! We visited the Home for Sick and Dying Babies this morning. We held and prayed silently for them and interacted with them on the neat little playground just outside in the garden. There were several other groups visiting today making a total of probably 30-40 volunteers. The babies seemed to be very well cared for and were so sweet. Their ages were hard to know because most are so small. They might be a year old and only the size of a 2-3 month old in the States. Then we came back to the Healing Haiti guesthouse and shortly afterwards our fearless leaders, Charlie and Dan arrived from Miami. They had flight arrangement trouble yesterday and didn't get to travel in with us. 

After a snack for lunch we were off to visit the Papillion Enterprise, an orphan prevention project. It was founded by an American woman who was going to adopt a little girl in Haiti and found that the girl actually had a family who wanted her but couldn't care for her. So, she began to figure out how to create jobs for people using items that could be obtained for little or free. They now employ over 180 people. One example is they make beads out of paper (or cereal boxes) then varnish and glaze them. They also have kilns and make pottery. In addition, they grind up broken glass and make glass beads. The tour was so amazing! We were able to see each department in action. We got the opportunity to shop which supports their work and the Haitian economy. Sweet!  Win win! At the end we had a smoothie in the restaurant above the store.

Then it was off to the an orphanage for special needs children. Some had more physical disabilities but spoke some English due to so many missionaries visiting. Others had mental and physical disabilities and were lying about on little mattresses on the floor where they could be out with others. Grace, who is a long term missionary, played the guitar and we sang some songs in English and Creole and held and played with them. They were sure soaking up the love and giving it right back! Some really knew the words to the English songs too! 

We came back to a great dinner of a chicken, noodle, vegetable mixture over rice. We had a little debriefing with the group and then it feels like 9 or 10 even though it is just 7:15 p.m.  The sun rises early and sets early here and it's been a busy day. So, for today I bid you Adieu! 

Kim N