5-26-21
Today was an incredible day. eye opening to say the very least. It started out with some coffee on the guest house porch, and mouth watering breakfast made by the wonderful house mothers/ cooks as well as Gena and Cindy some other goers who volunteered to help. We then had a chance to purchase some Haitian metal art, handmade bracelets, paintings, t-shirts and wooden bowls. The next stop... Grace village!!! This was my first time ever at grace village and to say god is working miracles through Healing Haiti would be an understatement. God has blessed this organization through land, the staff, the children, Fleri, the clinic, and sponsorship programs for both the children and elders. this leads me to the next event of the day which was elder visits. We took the rough rock roads through windy and narrow streets to get to these elders homes. Once we arrived our translator and Smith and Rosevelt helped us communicate on a personal level with each elder. The first stop we combined three in one which happened to be a husband, wife and her sister. They openly invited us in and showed us how to make home made Haitian coffee. The process is an artwork. Water boiled over an open flame, that was poured into a cloth strainer that rushed into a big bowl all the while filling the cup and re-pouring the coffee water back through over and over. This was then given to us, while allowing time for it to cool we were able talk and ask questions about their lives and many years of combined wisdom and experience. Once it cooled, and I took my first sip it was like my tastebuds were dancing for joy as it was unlike any coffee I've ever had in my life. We were then able to sing and pray with the three elders before heading off down the street to the next. The last elder visit was filled with laughter and smiles as Dufort was cracking jokes left and right all the while praising God for everything he had and his health. It was a spiritual shift that could be felt in the air as I couldn't help but appreciate how living in a rough condition all that he could do was thank God for everything. This is truly a life changing and eyeopening experience that I will never take for granted. Lastly, we all met up at Fleri which is a bakery ran by Haitians in the community but originally created and funded by Healing Haiti. Fleri means to flourish and the way God has worked with this opportunity in the community it is truly flourishing. We were able to eat and try their handmade pizzas which were so wonderful, I can see how they are flourishing with pizzas that taste this good. This concludes the day and truly one that I will never forget. Life changing. God is SO good.
