Day 2 - Water Truck

There are hardly words to describe the impact of today.  Whether it was a first time experience or a return trip, Cite Soleil (the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere) made an imprint on our hearts which we will never forget.

Today the tap-tap took us to three different locations within Cite Soleil. The neighborhood is located at the western end of the runway of the main airport in Haiti.  Construction of homes, for 52 families, began in 1958.  Through a series of fires in a handful of slum areas, Cite Soleil grew.  By 1983, it had grown to approximately 82,000 residence.  Estimates today are over 400,000 people.

Our first stop, Water Stop 4: before we even got off the tap-tap, we were bombarded by a mob of little kids saying "Potem" (which means pick me up). Some of us scooped up children while the rest filled up jugs with water or carried water buckets for people. "Hey you!" is something we heard often as the children were trying to get our attention.

Hope Church: built on a dump... The foundation has over 80 feet of garbage below it.  How ironic that something so beautiful and spiritual was built at a place that once had so little value. "Imagine the children of Cite Soleil having a place to know God, to be safe, to dream of a better life, to sit and breathe in hope...Imagine."  Our group got to meet the Pastors, see the classsroom, walk through the clinic (which is still under construction) and we got to sit in the pews at the church.  It was awesome!  We felt peace and excitement for the people, especially the children.

Our second waterstop, Four Coffins: from Hope Church we walked to the next waterstation where a newly filled water truck was waiting for us; so was our largest crowd and longest line!  At this point we were all hot, sweaty and filthy dirty from lovin on the kids and carrying multiple heavy buckets of water. But no matter the shape we were in, it was easy to be fully engaged and present.

Special Stop: the tap-tap stopped at a filling station where we didn't get gasoline, rather we picked up the final two members of our team: Beatrice and Tunji.  They came from New Jersey and have family here in Haiti - how cool is that!

Water Truck Fill Station: Our next excursion took us to where they filled the water trucks.  We got to see four huge trucks being filled simaltaneously.  It was also time to clean up, hydrate, have a snack and bond as a team.  We are all certain that the stars lined up right and that God had a plan to put us all here together - we were having such a great time!

The third waterstop: the people at this stop were a happy bunch, waiting for us in a calm and organized line.  Like the children at the other two stops, the kids were eager to see us, friendly and highly affectionate. Though we were there to help them, their sweet little faces, hugs and smiles made us realize that they were giving us a gift.

Thankful:  As we review the day we have many things to be thankful for: our Haitian staff who made us scrambled eggs, oatmeal, pancakes and freshly squeezed juice for breakfast and chicken yakisoba for dinner, our drivers and guides who got us safely through town and taught us about their city, our Leaders, Tamara and Kristin who prepped us with everything we needed to know to be well prepared and finally, our team, who came from Minnesota, New Jersey and Canada; we worked together cohesively, with purpose and we had fun!

Until tomorrow... Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Linda and Jeanna

Day 1 - Arrival Day

For most of our group, the alarm went off early enough so that we could all meet at the airport by 4:30 AM.  It was easy to find our group since we were all in our gray Healing Haiti shirts.  One of our words of the day (from one of our leaders Kris) was "smooth."  We agree that everything at the airport went as we had hoped for and before we knew it, we were in Altanta where we connected with Mikayla and Josue (from Canada and New Jersey).   After a short layover, we were back on the plane and one step closer to Haiti.  Our flight was 2.45 hours,  just long enough to fit in two movies and complete our customs forms.

On the way to the Guest House, our team noticed many differences between the USA and Haiti.  The heat is a very different kind of hot.  The roads are part dirt, part asphault, with many potholes and lots of refuse along the sides of the road.  One of the last potholes we drove over almost bottomed out the tap-tap (our transportation).

As we arrived at the Guest House, the staff came to greet us with big smiles and even hugs for those they recognized.  Even the dogs came to greet us. We unloaded the tap-tap, met the rest of the staff and headed to our new home for the week.  We had delicious tacos for dinner and did our "word of the day."  This was a powerful team bonding activity because we were able to reflect, share and listen to each other's perspectives.  It was great!

At this point, everyone was feeling very tired; however, we pushed on; there was a soccer game that needed to be played! We decided that we could muster up the energy to head to the lot next door to meet some of the local boys and check out the families, their homes and the darling little kids (humans and goats) who came out to greet us.  Once the sun went down, we returned to the Guest House where we read our daily devotions and reviewed the day together.

It was a full day and everyone is now ready for bed, but even moreso, we are all eager and excited for tomorrow and everything it has in store.  Until then, bon nwit and orevwa!

Jeanna & Linda

Day 6

God is...

The final day began with many of us watching the sunrise and helping with breakfast. We sat down for a final team breakfast before heading off to Grace Church to attend a Haitian church service.  As we made the hour trip to church, we sang and worshipped God.  We love singing as a group and today was special as we prepared our hearts with praise and gratitude on the way to church.

God is greater than barriers!

Church in another country is an incredible experience.  Although many of us know minimal to no Creole, the presence of the Lord knows no language barriers and worship is powerful no matter if you can understand what’s being said or not. Something really evident this week was that God was greater than a language barrier. Most of our communication is through our actions and tone and we were able to communicate with others and worship without having to say a word.

God is majestic!

After church, the team traveled to Kaliko Beach Club to unwind and have a day of fun at the beach as a team to wrap up the week.  The team was able to spend all day on the beach and enjoy a delicious Haitian lunch. The beauty of God’s creation at the beach in Haiti left all of us in awe of His majesty as we stared out at the water and the mountains nearby. The sight of it all felt like a painting or a screen saver.  God is majestic. The ocean water felt like bath water and was so clean and clear that you could see your feet.  A couple of the team members rode on a jet ski and others rested on the cabanas and swam in the ocean.   Throughout the week, we have all grown so close, and the fun that we had together today after an emotional week was priceless.

God is in the details.

We traveled home after the beach to have our last dinner together as a family. On the way home, it began to rain - the only rain we saw all week.  We were in the Tap Tap which is a truck with benches and open air cage like encasing so the rain hit us and got us wet.  We started to sing ‘There is a Cloud’ by Elevation Worship in that moment and it was powerful because God’s rain of blessings bestowed our hearts all week.  It was a perfect touch from Him as our week was coming to a close. It was a small detail, but if you are paying attention, God is always speaking.

God is in control!

After dinner, we had our last devotional time together as a team. Those who hadn’t shared their testimonies shared and afterward, we headed to the balcony and sat together as a family and had an intimate moment of communion and prayer.  Each of our prayers were full with such gratitude, emotion, and love.  Everyone was so thankful for the love that God had shown through each person on the team, through our service to those in Haiti, as well as our service to each other.  We were so grateful that God had a plan and perfectly weaved the eclectic group of people He had for this week.  The hearts He connected and the way each member was uniquely moved to be here as a piece of the puzzle overwhelmed us.  We can’t see what God is doing in moments at times as we are walking through a moment, but when you take another look, it all makes sense.  It reminded us of how God is in control and makes no mistakes.  He knew who He wanted together for this mission and though we were uniquely different, together we were complete unit and perfect fit.

God is so good!

Day 5- Two is better than one

  Today, after breakfast and devotions with the family we headed out to the ‘Tap Tap’. We travled to get and deliver free clean water. Healing Haiti delivers FREE CLEAN WATER. A lot of Haitian  cannot afford to pay for clean water for their families so this is a HUGE deal. It makes us think about how spoiled we really are. We discard even cleaner water like it is nothing, meanwhile, children are trying so hard to take a shower from the excess water coming off from the water truck. We helped pour water into buckets, carry the very heavy buckets for the women and children that have to carry them, and love on the children. We had two, three and sometimes four children at the same time hanging on us. The children are so sweet to us. We held and hugged many children. We received some kisses from a young boy. The love that we showed them is significant to them, the same way they have been significant to our lives. As we interacted and helped, it made us feel so full of the love of God. It was very hard for us as we were leaving because we had to leave behind a little baby boy who seemed to be unwanted. For some of us we know that feeling of rejection very well. We believe and pray that God will move someone to love and take care of that precious boy.

 Wow! God is doing a GREAT work in the lives of people all over the world. We are coming together in cooperation as the body of Christ, as brothers and sisters serving the Lord and others. In the midst of all the sorrow there is still beauty.

  Later on in our day, we visited the ‘Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon’. We learned all about the history of Haiti.

  Every evening we take the time to talk about our day, share testimonies, pray and worship together. Every night is a little different but tonight during our time, I could see that we became a lot closer today. We are so joyful and grateful to be here together as a team forming strong bonds. Tomorrow is our last day here in Haiti and we all have bittersweet feelings about leaving. God has done so much in us and we do not want that to fade away. We plan to keep growing closer to God. God has blessed our relationships so that we will have each other to lean on even after the trip. Two is better than one.

Day 4: There is no one like Jesus

Psalms 29:1

“Honor the Lord, you sons of God; honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His Holiness.”

  This morning our team woke up extra early to go to church. This was another special day on our journey here with God in Haiti. The church was full of people pouring out their hearts to Jesus. He said to come to Him with thanksgiving in our hearts and that is exactly what we saw and felt. Brothers and sisters in Christ were praying, singing, and dancing unto Him. The pastor was on His knees praying. We were captivated by the Presence of God. After seeing a lot of pain, poverty, struggles, and other hard things, we were filled with hope seeing all of our Haitian brothers and sisters giving praise to God in the midst of it all. Our Holy God has shown Himself mightily in their lives. We are in awe of who Jesus is. There is no one like our God.

  After church and breakfast with our new family, we went to visit a memorial dedicated to the victims of the earthquake that happened in 2010. It is called Mass Graves. When the earthquake happened, Haitians did not know what to do. They ran into buildings thinking that would protect them not knowing it would put them in more harm. Buildings fell on top of people and many Haitians died that day. All of the bodies were brought to this memorial site and buried. They have made it beautiful on top and once every year meet together there. A memorial service is held for the lives that were lost. After the earthquake a lot of Haitians lived in tents because they lost their houses. God showed us the resilience of these people.

  Grace village started through Healing Haiti is making a big difference in the community. Grace village is a place that takes in children and gives them education.They also have a library and technology room for the children. One of the cheapest medical clinics around is in Grace Village. They also offer dental services. They built a restaurant to help Haitians learn job skills. This restaurant helps the community out and supplies an income to many Haitian workers. It gives them joy and a sense of pride to be able to provide for their families and their children’s education all on their own. We learned about the restaurant and got to taste the yummy food. Grace Village also ministers to the elders nearby.

  We took lunch to some of the elderly men and women. Some of us were pushed out of their comfort zone and were surprised that they were able to do what they were uncomfortable with. We washed and put lotion on the feet, legs, arms, and backs of the elderly. Jesus first demonstrated this humbling experience in John 13:1-17. We painted the nails of the elder women and young girls. The elders had smiles and joy radiating from them. We were able to dance with one of the elder men. He loved it and so did we! Seeing their joy gave us hope because even though they have weak bodies and tough situations they still smile and praise Jesus. We blessed them but they also blessed us.

  God is extravagant in all He does. He goes above and beyond. Today we/ve seen things that only Jesus can do. There is no one like Jesus. What other God speaks back to us, lavishes us with love, provides above and beyond all we ask and need? What other God leaves His throne and washes our feet? There is no other God, there is only one- Jesus.

~ <3 ~ Michaela

Day 3 - - - God is among us.

 Today, we experienced God in new ways, yet again. He revealed Himself very real to us. We started off the day having breakfast as a family- because even though we did not know everyone in the beginning that is what we are now.

God is among us.

 God is amazing in so many ways. Sometimes, we overuse that word for things that are not actually amazing. However God really is AMAZING. He orchestrates our lives together so uniquely and perfectly that it truly amazes us. He precisely placed a team that fits so great together on the same trip. He knew who would be here together in Haiti before we even knew ourselves. We are full of thanksgiving for all that He is showing us. He is letting us be His eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart on a whole new level that some may never ever experience. His is giving us motivation and allowing us to motivate each other.

God is among us.

 We went to teen challenge and had the opportunity to speak with young men and women that are battling with addiction. People battle the same kinds of things all over the world. We are not so different after all. They are there because they decided they did not want to live that way anymore. They are learning about the love and freedom and forgiveness of Jesus. Some students at teen challenge shared their stories with us. Some of the things they shared were very hard for them to speak about but the Lord gave them courage. They were once consumed by addiction but now are comsumned with the love of God. The Lord manifested in such a real way. It was like He physically reached out and touched us. During our meeting, a flower flew into the window directly in front of and was handed to a young woman who needed to be reminded that God loves her and cares deeply about her story. It was like He sent that flower to just the right spot to speak that she is beautiful and precious in His sight. Some of our team members shared their testimonies as well. The redemption stories that were poured out were splashes of encouragement to the others who heard them.

God is among us.

The last part of our day was especially special. We visited an orphanage that is only for special needs children.Each one of the children there hold a special place in God’s heart. Seeing the joy on their faces despite their differences gave joy to us. The joy of the Lord was present there. We sang worship songs with them,  prayed together, fed them snacks, colored, played soccer and with play dough. We held and danced with the children, pushed around the ones in wheelchairs, and gave out hugs and smiles. We were both a blessing to them and them to us.

God is among us.

Jesus spoke in Matthew 25:31-46 saying when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite a stranger in, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and in prison we are doing it unto Him. So we are to treat every person as if it was Christ Himself.

GOD IS AMONG US.

It was a refreshing day to be able to see all that God is doing in the lives of the men, women, and children in Haiti that we were blessed to meet today. Be encouraged that whatever you are going through - - - God is among you.

~ <3 ~ Michaela

Day 2- Contrast

Contrast

For day 2 our team experienced contrasting activities. In the morning our team went to two different companies that are enhancing and advancing the skills of the people and economy of Haiti. The first business, Peace Cycle, is a place dedicated to reducing the waste of plastic left on the streets by recycling the plastic and making beautiful wallets, purses, totes, and more! This business is also dedicated to enhancing the skills of Haitians who choose to work there. These skills fall along the lines of building a business, self efficiency, and English. The second business, Papillon, is a business dedicated to giving people a job with great benefits, such as an on-site daycare. This business makes many items like bracelets, necklaces, ornaments, and dolls, just to name a few. These businesses are important because they are empowering people. They empower them to not only provide for their family financially, but also spiritually.

The second half of the day was an afternoon spent at the home for sick and dying babies. The team held crying babies, fed small children, and played in the playground with many kiddos. This home was a hard visit for our team. It was a contrast from the hopeful businesses that the team visited earlier in the day. We felt confused but also joy. We felt helpless but also useful. We felt broken but we also felt love.

In our feelings of helplessness, confusion, and brokenness, it’s difficult to see God in those moments. Why do we feel conflicting emotions? Why is it when we see a child, ill and crying, we see love? Why do we see joy when a child is desiring any kind of loving contact? Why did we feel helpless as we soothed cries, dried tears, and filled empty bellies? It’s hard to say why we feel conflicted. It’s difficult to identify why our brains process the way they do. But it’s also easy to understand where God is in the midst of our conflicting thoughts.

When life comes at us we feel so hopeless at times. It’s easy to forget that Christ is walking through our valleys with us. It’s not until the end of our trials that we see our usefulness. Our valley is someone else’s encouragement.

Some may look at the sacrifice of Christ and see a broken man but really, it is agape love.

Some may look at Christ and see a story that doesn’t make sense. It’s confusing. There is a God that gave his only son, for us, sinners. But what it really is, is pure joy. Joy unspeakable.

There is so much contrast in life. That contrast is so important. It’s vital to see the difficult to appreciate the mountain tops. Sometimes we have to feel helpless to be useful. We have to be confused and not understand sometimes to feel the joys in life. And sometimes we have to be broken to love.