Our day
started with a team devotional, titled ‘Stop for the one’ It was mostly about
being present for every individual we encounter, rather jumping from child to
child and person to person. Giving the entire moment to that individual. This was a great reminder for the day that
was planned.
Our first
stop we were very fortunate to be able to go to Hope School in Cite Soleil. The
story of the church and school itself is absolutely incredible and a miracle. My previous trip here included a stop at the
same school, the continued progress that this ministry is making in this area and with the school incredible. The care that this one building has, it’s
clear the people have great pride in it.
They are currently in the process of adding a medical clinic to further expand in this area and to reach even more people.
When we
arrived at the school it was a buzz with the energy from the kids, we could hear
them chanting as we pulled into the compound.
Most of our members were quiet, and no one knew what to expect. We slowly walked into the area where they
hold church service, the kids started to move toward the door waving and
smiling and spilling out to be picked up and held. Order was soon restored and
we moved to the first classroom to work through a simple Bible lesson, as most
of the kids are 3-5 year olds. The verse
we focused on was Jeremiah 1:5. Before I formed you in your mother's womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart. We worked through a little
skit to show the kids that no matter what physical attributes they had, (playing
on the physical attributes we have) God made you and loves each one of
you!
We provided
every child with a picture frame with the words ‘Jezi Renmen Mwen!’ Jesus Loves
Me! As the children in the first classroom
started coloring and decorating their frame, part of the team moved to the second room, to
give the same lesson and skit. A few
stayed behind to help the kids color. As they finished, they moved outside and
got their picture taken with a Polaroid type camera. When they returned back to
the classroom, we taped their picture to their frame. The JOY, pride and smiles these kids had with
their project was so incredible to see.
We worked
through five class rooms, and approximately 150 kids all completed the same
activity. The team did an amazing job
adapting as needed and moved from room to room…being present in every
situation. It was controlled chaos, but
so much fun. After we got back on the
tap-tap, everyone was in a much different mood and chatty as they shared each
other’s experiences.
Our second
stop was at Rebuild Globally, which is a company that employees about 20
people. They take discarded tires and other recyclables to create very nice
items, such as sandals and handbags.
This was a nice brief opportunity for the members to shop, and visit a
small business that is focused on recycling and cleaning the environment.
This
afternoon, we visited two partner ministries… Home for the Sick & Dying and La Phare’s orphanage.
Since half
of our group had been to the Home for Sick and Dying on previous trips, we
decided to send primarily our first time trip goers to experience it. This home
holds many babies and young children who are suffering from some illness or malnourishment.
With the devotional from the morning
fresh in our minds we divided ourselves in to the four rooms, two people with babies under one year and two people with toddlers. We got there right as they
were being fed for the afternoon. Most of us were handed bowls and spent time
feeding the kids, others were given bottles for the baby kids. Many just wanted
to be held. There was a line of chairs outside of one of the rooms, facing the playground outside, filled with our
team members and one (but often times more) kid sitting on their laps. We got
to spend about two hours loving on these kids. It was an incredible experience.
The other
half of our team traveled to La Phare’s orphanage to spend time with about 20
children. We did the same activity as earlier in the day, but these children
were a little older and were amazingly well behaved. One special moment was
having a conversation with a 14-year old boy who had two other brothers and two
younger sisters in the orphanage. He knew enough broken English and we knew
enough broken Creole to communicate, which was great. It was fun to see his
excitement as we asked questions about his family but also his future. He hopes
to be a basketball player (Michael Jordan is his favorite), or a builder of
homes. The impact you can have on an individual is amazing when you just take
time to be present and have a truly genuine conversation with someone.
Before this
trip, we are often asked “what are you going to build in Haiti.” Most expect us
to respond with homes or schools, but we are building relationships and
confidence with these children who in many cases have been abandoned or forgotten.
We cannot forget that God often places people in our path that he intends for
us to uniquely intersect with. You may never know how impactful your prayer,
your conversation, your smile, or lingering act of service will be on someone.
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