This
morning began a little earlier than usual, as a majority of the group decided
to attend a local church down the road, Church on the Rock. The sun was just
beginning to rise around 6 a.m. as we walked to church, so the weather was cool
and breezy which made for a nice walk as the Delmas neighborhood began to wake
up. Speaking from personal experience, the service was incredible and moving. There is something extra special and beautiful about worshiping God in
a new environment and experiencing a different culture in a new way. In
addition to this, our group as a whole felt so welcomed by the Haitians in
their church. It was wonderful being united as Christians with just one
purpose, despite our different backgrounds and stories.
After
church and a delicious (as usual) breakfast, we loaded up onto the tap-tap to
visit the elders of Titanyen. Healing Haiti does an amazing job of pouring
into and supporting the elders of Titanyen. We were able to make four different
stops – Eliphet, Vertilia, Viergelie, Dieufort, and Pierre and Lauremise, and
all of the elders were gracious and welcoming as our group came to their homes.
With each visit, we were able to wash the hands and feet of the elders, sing
songs, and simply enjoy their presence. What a humbling experience to be able
to serve some of the strongest, most faithful people I have ever met!
Following the visits with elders, we took a tour of Grace Village, an amazing initiative started by Healing Haiti in order to promote education, healthy lives, and the love of God in the lives of children in Titanyen. We then finished off a very hot day with a relaxing evening and delicious dinner at Fleri restaurant. Fleri means “flourish” in French. The passion and joy of everyone working at Fleri is so obvious, and it made the experience that much more enjoyable. Fleri focuses on job creation in Titanyen and has been successful in doing so. It is also a growing business that is supporting Haitians through sustainable means.
Overall,
today was incredible from start to finish. As the week winds down, we are
beginning to reflect on the week and are realizing personal growth through
serving other people. This is just an added bonus to the joy that comes from
making connections with Haitians daily and serving God through serving His
people. We just ended our night with amazing team bonding and an adventure involving a mouse in the guest house.
That concludes day 5!
-Moriah
