Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Tap taps

Day #1 Haiti or Bust Team

We made it!  There was a 90 minute bus ride at 2:00am.  There were two plane trips that were on time, safely landed and full of smiling faces.  There was a wonderful greeting at the airport in Port Au Prince by our Healing Haiti Leaders.  There was a soccer game with laughter and locals that everyone enjoyed!  Exhausted-yes.  Exhilarated- you better believe it!

Day 7 Scott/Loween Team - Beauty

A week in Haiti

Seven days ago, a team was brought together on a common mission. To serve the people of Haiti.

We have served alongside each other at a home for sick and dying children.  We have made multiple trips into Cite Soleil to deliver water. We have visited multiple orphanages and spent time sharing music, games of soccer, and craft work with the children.

We have had some emotional ups and downs.  We have seen the extreme of poverty.  We have seen, fed, and changed the diapers of children who may not live to see tomorrow.  We have felt the touch of a child looking, simply, to be loved. 

Yet despite the poverty, we have also experienced the beauty of Haiti.  We have shared smiles, laughs and words with the wonderful Haitian people.  We have witnessed their resilience and unshakeable faith.

This team, mostly strangers seven days ago, is now bonded.  We are friends; I dare say we have become family.

We started our final day sharing in church at Grace Village.  From there, we traveled another 40 minutes north up the coast.  Our trip culminated at a beautiful beach resort.  The same sort of resort you might find in Jamaica, or on the other side of the island in the Dominican Republic.

Despite the natural disasters that have devastated the country of Haiti, there is so much beauty here.  There is beauty in the landscape, and more-so in the people.

1 Corinthians 13:13 reads “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

The Faith of the Haitian people is a model for us all.

There is Hope here, we witnessed it. We experienced it.

Cite Soleil is the poorest slum in the western hemisphere.  A shanty town encompassing a little over 8 square miles with a population estimated between 200 and 400 thousand.  Deep in Cite Soleil, we witnessed love.  Love of community. Love of neighbors. Love of strangers.

Yes, Faith, Hope and Love are alive and well here.

Seven days ago, a team was brought together on a common mission. We arrived thinking we were here to serve. Tomorrow we leave having found ourselves the recipients.  Haiti has done so much more for us, than we for her.

Faith. 

Hope. 

Love.  

Indeed, these three remain. . .

~Aaron

Day 6 Scott/Loween Team - Baptist Haiti MIssion & Lalou Orphange

Greg and Avery’s Story

We’re wrapping up a busy week here in Haiti. Our first venture of the day, we went to the Baptist Haiti Mission high in the mountains above Port au Prince. It took forever to get there. High above the clouds and boy did it get cold in the tap-tap.

I guess it was nice to have a break from the heat. Once we got up to the Baptist Haiti Mission we walked over to a tiny little zoo with a hawk, some other birds, goats, snakes, rabbits, and an alligator. Then we walked over to the museum but it wasn’t open yet. As we walked over to the gift shop all the street vendors were trying to push us into buying their goods. We gave in….

On the way down the mountain, our driver took a little detour to an overlook. At the overlook we were able to see some of the places we have visited during the week including Cite Soliel. The overlook gave us a better idea of how vast and densely populated the area is. What was most striking was seeing one of the most poverty stricken slums in the world pushed right up to the shores of the Caribbean.

Our next stop was at Lalau Orphanage. The children swarmed the tap-tap when we pulled in. The enthusiasm and energy was infectious. The younger ones did basket weaving (organized entirely by our teammate, Carolyn) and the older ones played a mean game of futbol (organized by our resident soccer fanatic, Carlos).

The Healing aHawweeweeHaitvgggggtrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhdrgbdfghsrgbdrgbdrgbefgbergbdfxgbdrgbhhhhjjjdkkdkdhhhhhhh

sHaiti team came away bruised but happy to have been able to bring some pure fun to these youngsters.

We have enjoyed the entire week. It has been challenging, thought provoking, emotional and most of all, TOTALLY WORTH IT!

~Greg & Avery

Day 5. Scott/Loween Team - Water Truck and a Visit to Monfort

Jamie’s Story

We started the day almost before the rooster crowed. Bright and early, around 515am, giving us enough time to board the tap-tap and head to tent church for the early morning service.

Church was very interesting and enlightening. Although it was entirely in Créole, we could pick up some body language. Some Haitians, wept while several others walked back and forth, praying, singing praise and joy for God. We commented to each how nice it was to see the young school age kids in attendance before their school day begins.   We decided to take the short walk home as breakfast was ready. Our hearts were fed and it was time now to nourish our bodies before going out into the field for our daily service.

Next up we were able to make a water run into a different district deep into Cite Soleil. As

As with all water runs we experienced this week, the citizens all welcomed us with buckets, barrels, anything and everything water can hold. Women and children quickly massed, all there to wait in line for water. That very staple we come to take for granted. We were able to fill most, yet not all buckets before we emptied the truck. Seeing the faces and hearing the thank-you’s (some even in English) was both heart wrenching and fulfilling.

One more short stop to the guesthouse to change out of wet clothes, then off to the Monfort School for the Deaf. A few members of our team visited here just last May, and were completely in awe at the transformation. The changes included the development of empty spaces into a full size basketball court, boys and girls dorms, an almost fully working, nearly self-sustainable, farms. Everything with the goal of teaching these great kids valuable lessons that they may share with their families someday.  We played basketball with several kids, played soccer, and gave many hugs.  I was a bit disappointed when Sister called the students back to class, cutting our games short. The kids react to verbal cues very well and love to laugh and smile, how sweet a sight!

We hugged goodbye, waved goodbye and chose to head straight to the newly built Grace Village restaurant Fleri (Creole for Flourish) for pizza.  Our translator suggested that rather than trying to navigate through the crowed and slow moving traffic, we head straight to supper. Driving past the Earthquake Memorial was still as chilling as the day before when we stopped to pay our respects.

Following a long and rather adventuresome drive, we arrived at Fleri. We dined in the newly built outdoor patio area.  Here is another shining example of a newly constructed business focused on hiring local Haitians (some from Grace Village). Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the pizza and appetizers. We were all impressed by the staff, service and excited at the opportunities the bakery and restaurant brings to people here. 

The sun is just setting behind a mostly overcast sky and the breeze feels good through the mesh in the tap-tap. Although its completely dark with very few streetlights, nighttime gives us another new perspective. I don’t think this country, these people, ever stop. Morning, noon or night, it’s a constant bustle. Yet I think, in most cases, their survival depends on it!

Have a good night!

`Jamie