Serenity Village Community Church 09-12-2017

Day One from the SVCC Healing Haiti Team!

September 11th, 2017

The first team consisting of myself (Garrett), Angela, Diana, Raven and Kiley showed up to church at 12:30pm to gather up donation luggage and pack the passenger van for our trip to the airport.  Pastor Jed came by to help us out and to pray over us for the upcoming journey.  Steve was willing to be of service and drove us to the airport.  We arrived at the airport safely and Steve provided much laughter on the way there.  Thank you Steve!

When we arrived in the American Airline terminal, we sort of expected some challenges and as we were doing the self check-in, our reservations were not working so we were instructed to go to the ticket counter.  God is always faithful and the young woman who happened to book our group flights happened to be at the counter.  At first there seemed like there were going to be some problems getting us all on the flight and Kiley said a prayer and immediately after the attendants told us we were good to go. Praise God!  Getting through security and onto our flight went really smooth and we were on our way to LaGuardia Airport.

Our flight arrived at LaGuardia around 8pm.  After we arrived in New York we needed to get the five of us with ten suitcases to JFK airport.  We found a van service that was able to bring us to JFK.  Upon arriving at JFK, we found that we weren't able to check our bags and needed to find an alternative way to store our bags since our flight didn't leave until 7:10am the next morning.  We found a service that would store our bags until our check-in time (3am) and from there the five of us were headed to downtown NYC!  We found a pretty cool taxi driver that would take the five of us (taxis in NYC can only transport four people at a time).  We took about a forty minute journey to Central Park.  We were all pretty excited to get out of the taxi since we were all squeezed in pretty tight.  Central Park was a pretty cool experience that late at night.  I remember thinking how incredibly quiet it is in the park with the busyness of NYC right next door.  It was pretty cool to walk through and just enjoy the beautiful landscapes.

After Central Park, we headed over the Times Square.  Kiley felt pretty excited when he found a cool NYC app that helped us around the city with ease.  Kiley had us posing for pictures every fifteen minutes or so and we didn't really mind because we were all having a blast.  We made it to Times Square and just did some sight seeing before walking around the rest of the city and just enjoying the atmosphere.  Around 2am we called an Uber to get back to the airport and started checking in for our flight around 3am.  We finally boarded our plane around 7am and got some of the first sleep any of us had in 24 hours.

We arrived in Haiti at 11am and got through customs pretty quickly and was greeted by our tap tap driver.  The country is absolutely gorgeous and we were all happy that we finally made it here.  We got settled into the compound and ended up going to the resort nearby and swimming at the pool.  We came home and had dinner (homemade tacos!) before going to bed at about 8pm.  The theme on everyone's heart the first day here was endurance.  Everyone operated like a champion through the first 36 hours with very little or no sleep and God showed us how to operate within his strength instead of our own. Everyone is in good spirits and excited to jump in and start loving on the people here!

Blessings from day one! =)

WI/MN Team - Croatian Relief Services

Greg Wagner here. 

I wanted to express some of my thoughts about our time at the Croatian orphanage, which we visited on Wednesday.  First of all the kids were great.  They lived in a well kept compound and seemed to be well cared for. 

The kids sang some songs for us and we did a skit about Jonah and the Whale.  Coincidentally our translater for the day was Jonas…  the skit was great (thank you Dawn for writing the script) and was well received.  Then the ladies did nail painting and other things while some of us played basketball and volleyball (with a soccer ball, the net was a row of chairs). 

I could not help noticing that the basketball backboard was broken and only about 20% of the board was intact.  Being from Kentucky, this of course was bothering me.  Everyone deserves to have a functioning backboard!!!  It actually took me back to when I was in the 5^th grade (about the age of some of the kids).  I didn’t have a Hoop and I desperately wanted to make the 6^th grade team.  My dad, seeing my delimma, looked around at what he had available (he worked for the electric company).  He took the wheel from a round wire reel and attached it to an electric pole and planted it in the middle of our back yard.  That was in 1970.  It became my hoop.  I played and played and wore out the grass down to the dirt.  I also made the 6^th grade team!  OK, moving on, what does this have to do with Haiti.

So, because I have some expereience in Latin American cultures, I knew that nobody would mind if I helped out a bit.  Guided by, I believe some inspiration, I looked around the sheds on the grounds and low and behold, there were a few boards.  One of them, a piece of plywood, was cut to exactly the shape and size that would work as a backboard. Awesome!

Feeling some hope, I looked around and found some more boards that would work as supports.  Then the little handy man for the compound noticed that I was doing something.  Once I sort of explained it to him (bit of a language barrier, but hoops is hoops) and laid out the boards, the light bulb came on and he right away went and found some very rusty nails and a hammer.

Now that I had buy in from one of the locals, we were off to the races.  Then Dale and Brian from our team pitched in and joined the effort.  Our translators Max and Jonas dived in and pretty much took over.  Best of all were all the kids, mostly boys, who gathered around, watching and learning, wanting to participate in the project.  It was especially fulfilling that they could see men, especially Hatian men working, accomplishing something, completing a project, and especially doing something that would benefit them as hoops players!! 

It was a great blessing to all of us to see the Hatian guys take over and finish the project.  For me it was a blessing to be used by the Lord.  In an unexpected way, to make a difference…  For the boys, they learned to take what you have at your disposal (just like my Dad taught me), make something of it that makes life a little better for someone else…

Afterwards, everyone played and enjoyed the new Hoop/Backboard.  Thank you Dad!  For showing me.  Thank you God for providing the materials and working through us to make things a little better.  But thank you God especially for providing a teaching moment.  So beautiful to see the Haitians take over and finish what you started!

We are Here

Good Morning from Haiti. It feels like it's been a long time since I have been able to blog so I am happy to do it this morning! Our team consists of 18 members - 5 return goers and 13 NEW goers and it is an AWESOME team!

Monday was travel day. The WI portion of our team (12 members) made their way to Atlanta and on to Port-au-Prince. The MN portion of our team (6 members) were delayed on the runway for 2 hours and missed our connection in Atlanta. We spent the night and made our way to Haiti Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday the team members that were here went to 2 different orphanages - Dios and Croatian Relief. Maybe one of them will blog about it later this week :-)

On Wednesday we headed out for water truck. Everyone was filled with anticipation for what they might see for the first time or excitement to return to something that is so special to them. We visited 3 stops today, saw Hope Church and Fleri Farms. The stops were pretty chaotic, very busy and super AMAZING. We helped with the water hose, held babies and carried buckets for women and children. Fleri Farms was pretty great. I was fun to imagine what this will mean to so many.

It is so nice to be back in Haiti with a team. So many new goers. One of my favorite parts is to witness what they are seeing and hearing for the very first time. It brings back so many great memories of my first trip. It's been 4 years and 12 trips. I LOVE Haiti and everything she has to offer.

An update and some prayer requests. My co-lead, Darren stepped off the tap tap yesterday and heard a crunch. He couldn't walk on it. He went to the hospital and found out he broke his leg in 2 spots by his knee. He will be flying home today. Also our team member Greg slipped and fell. His foot/ankle slid under a tin wall and was cut. He also went to the hospital and received 3 stitches and kept Darren company! Greg is fine and will be joining us today. We are excited to have him back.

Our prayer requests are - safe travels and healing for Darren. Healing for Greg. Continued open hearts for our team. Thank you.

KCC Teen Team - Day 3

God blessed us with another amazing day in Haiti.  We started off by eating a yummy Haitian breakfast.  Then we went to an orphanage where we played soccer with the children and some girls on our team got their hair done by the sweetest Haitian girls who love to play with our hair. We spent a lot of time hanging out with them.  They were so full of life and it's so amazing to see how God used the team to brighten the lives of those orphans.

We visited the metal market on our way home to see where and how many artisans make their living. This place was absolutely stunning. The men showed a tremendous amount of passion toward their metal creations. The team had a great time looking in the shops and buying neat things to bring home.

This has been an amazing week and we can't wait to see what else God has in store for us!

KCC Teen Team - Day 2

Water Truck Day.

So many experiences. Yet no words to describe it.  Healing Haiti delivers water 6 days a week to the people of City Soleil, the poorest slum in the western hemisphere. They are the only ones that give the water for free. When the water truck and the tap tap pull into their district, they come running with their buckets.  The kids come running, shouting, "Hey you! Hey you!" They love for us to hold them and play with them and take photos with them.  It makes you wonder what their lives are like because they want strangers to love them so badly. For most of the people in City Soleil, this water is the only water they will receive unless they collect rain water or travel outside of their city to get more. It's for drinking, cleaning, bathing, everything. It's the worst place I've ever been, and the poorest environment I've ever seen. There are child slaves and it is a very real thing. You can't help but hug them and tell them that they are loved and wave goodbye, wondering when they will be hugged again. It was an overwhelming, tiring, and awesome day.

KCC Teen Team - Day 1

Today began with an amazing meal made by the Haitian cooks, A short hour later we all loaded into the Tap Tap and headed to our first serving destination...the Sweet Home Orphanage. It was an awesome experience being able to play and bond with the kids there. The most touching moment of the day was when a little boy named Zachary fell asleep on Dori. Our day ended with a little shopping at a place called Apparent Project and Papillon. Their business is dedicated to orphan prevention and job creation. We bought handmade things and ordered special smoothies. We look forward to another serving day tomorrow!

Hope for Tomorrow New Life in Christ Day 7

I have been involved in Global Outreach for more than 20 years and I am still amazed at what an honor it is to follow Christ's commandments to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Being one of the leaders of this Journey of Faith 2017 Healing Haiti team has truly been an honor and a joy.  Even though this team has many A personalities on it Christ took those leaders and molded them into a well oiled cohesive serving machine.  It has been amazing to see this team overcome adversity and pick up and support fellow team members.

We front loaded many physical and emotionally stressful service opportunities at the start of the week and then added a time of relaxation and reflection at the end.  Today we began the day in Grace Church.  It was a joy to sit with some of the elders we served this week as well as some of the kids from Grace Village.  It is amazing to see how Healing Haiti is now creating businesses which are already creating jobs and job training for many Haitians with Fleri Bakery, Fleri Resto, and now Fleri Farms.  Not only is this creating an income source for their families but it is also teaching them how to work as a family and to stay as a family unit thereby decreasing the number of orphans and increasing self respect.

Next, we did some shopping for those essentials and then up to the Observatory Restaurant.  As we looked from the top of the mountain down into the valley of Port Au Prince and Citi Soleil where we have been serving all week.  From this lofty perch the cool wind blew and eased our aching, tired bodies and all seemed alright but we knew all was not alright down in Citi Soleil and the valley below.  Quiet reflection again reminded us how Christ is using Healing Haiti and teams every week to ease their thirst, plant a light house (Hope Church) in the center of the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere on 18' of garbage, teach their children about Christ, and create jobs in a country with a 70% unemployment rate.  This is Hope for Tomorrow!

Today, two of my team members Chloe Basmajian and Brook Magpiong came to me, and asked me to baptize them.  They both stated that it was important that they were baptized in Haiti as God had been speaking to their hearts all week and they wanted to do it in Haiti.  We talked throughout the day and as a team we decided to do it.  As an Ordained Chaplain I decided to do it in the pool at the hotel where we had been swimming in the evenings.  We arrived and a DJ was playing and we asked if he could turn the music down while we conducted our baptism.  He complied and it was a very special time for our entire team as well as the guests in the hotel to witness.  I know the angels in heaven were just as joyful as Brook, Chloe and our entire team. After the baptism, all of a sudden the DJ began to play the song Celebrate and the entire team sang and danced around the pool in celebration of the new life beginning of two amazing young ladies which truly reflect our week, "Hope For Tomorrow, New Life in Christ."