The Bridge Day 6/ Team Work

Bonswaaaa my fellow Americans! I hope I spelled bonswa correctly…probably not but besides the point. How are you all doing on this fine day? To be honest, I’m not the best, physically, or emotionally. Lately we have been seeing things that not every American sees on the normal daily basis, or possibly ever sees. In Haiti these beautiful, welcoming, caring, hard working, people have a whole different world. Everything we take for granted we might not even realize, such as things like water, bathrooms, paper, coffee, soap, those kind of things. And then we got to see how happy, joyful, they are even without those things it really got me. When we are at home we whine about the internet not working or we keep losing in a video game or even the ketchup bottle is out. And they don’t whine and complain about not having things. 

That’s the first thing that got me but then when we went to the home for sick and dying  children I about lost myself. These kids, even with sickness, are still joyful. But some of them were not…Mrs. Jacinda talked about this but I will add on a bit because it hit a lot of us. When we were at the home of sick and dying there was this little girl, 4 years old, in the corner. She was shaking, moaning and it was a really hard thing to see. When I got done in the baby room I went outside to see all the kids playing and being kids. I felt this uneasiness fly by me.  Although I saw all of the kids playing, I felt as if there was a little kid in this room that was kinda hidden and sure enough I got myself up and looked in that room and there was this little boy just sitting there staring at the wall. No emotion was on his face. I went up to say “Hi” but he ignored me. I put my hands out to carry him and he turned away. I went ahead and picked him up anyway. His face leaked of sorrow and his eyes full of  grief. As I kept hugging him and talking to him he slowly warmed up to me. But still no smile or emotion on his face. I decided to sit and let him lay his little head on my shoulder for a while. 

I did not know what He has gone through, but I did know God did. I prayed for him that God would bless him and help him through this rough time in life at such a young age and thanked God for letting me come here and hold him and give him as much love as I could. At the end of it, although I did not get him to smile I did get him to fall asleep on me. That shows that he trusted me- a stranger- enough to lay his head down, close his eyes and rest. When I had to leave I told him my goodbyes and it was really hard to let him go, not knowing what’s going to happen to him the next day. 

I’m still sad and heart broken but God is putting me back piece by piece, with the help of my awesome Haiti team. They are always there for me, and each other. They always hug when I need it and always are there to listen to me and I just want to say to my Haiti team…You guys don’t understand how much you have blessed me. Like I said, you guys always love on me and each other. Mrs. jacinda and Mrs Karen giving me back massages and Mrs. Natalie being a second mom to me. Eliana and Meghan and Izabelle being like loving sisters to me. Mr. Ken and Mr. Jeff being great influences to me. And you can’t forget about Mrs. Lisa! She’s always there to lighten up the day along with the uncle Eli, they just know how to make you feel better. And Jude is like a brother that knows what to say.... well sometimes…. but sure knows how to make a party up to a next level. Tommy, always a good person to be around and is a good man. And of course my wonderful, amazing, loving, mom that came to Haiti with me. She’s always there, it doesn’t matter what it is. That’s my team. 

-Ben Parrish

The Bridge Day 3/ Reunions

Today was a very emotional day for me after not seeing my birth mom for eight years. I tried to prepare myself the night before by making mental notes of what I was going to do first. So I woke up knowing the event was coming, and as it got closer I was getting even more nervous. Moments passed by and it was about time to head out to the orphanage which I was raised in. We got there. Security opened the gate and I looked to the left and saw my mom. Right that second I knew it was going to be a hard task as everyone in the vehicle kept asking if I’m ok; while really I’m trying to stop tears from running down my eyes. My niece Eliana was also seeing her mom and she took a look at me and saw that I was emotionally overwhelmed.

The first question Eliana asked if my mom was there. I looked at her and took a deep breath, and told Eliana to get out of the car first.  As she got out I trailed by a few steps behind, then went in and saw the saw my old nannies. Most of them didn’t remember who I was because I’ve changed into adulthood. Some of them even said that I used to be bigger and darker but now I look fit with a beard. I started giggling but all jokes aside, those nannies gave me the best life a kid could have growing up in a orphanage. Even though some of them didn’t recognize my face, and some of them weren’t there working the day shift I know they still love me and all the kids they’ve taken care of throughout the years. I remember there was one nanny I was talking to; her and I  had a good connection  because she was the cook. She asked “do you remember I would always tell you to be good and as long as you were being good I would keep on giving you special food and more food than the other kids?” We both busted out laughing. 

Moments after that I saw my birth mother getting inside the second gate and my heart beat started racing. She came up the steps, nature took its course and I gave her a big hug; within those few seconds of holding each other it felt like nothing mattered at the moment except for what our heart was saying. We know we haven’t seen each other in a while and we both know we don’t have a mom and son connection like most family but all I know is this is a rare moment and I’m going to treasure it in my memories for the rest of my life. All the bad memories I had about my birth mom I think slowly faded away through out the years and that hug just capped the bottle and a second hug threw the bottle away.  One thing that bothered me throughout the years is finding full forgiveness for my birth mother. It’s funny I came to this trip looking for something even though I didn’t know what it was; whether it was finding my inner peace by doing unselfish acts or knowing that I might get to see my birth mom and I was going to find a way to meet in the middle. I don’t know what or why all of the reasons I came on this trip for; but I know it was part of God’s plan. 

Throughout the years I’ve found myself at arm's length from God and family and in my opinion this trip is giving me a sense of togetherness, meaning we all are working towards a goal and I know some of us are searching for answers, searching for inner peace, value, or some of us may of came to see what’s in the other side of the fence. Whatever our reasons are I know it’s intended for good, and it’s in God’s hand. It’s a blessing that I came on this trip, it’s a blessing that I got to help my people. It’s a blessing that I got to meet good, genuine people who enjoy each other’s company and work toward the same goal, I’m not the kinda guy to cry, and if I do- not in public but I’ve seen this throughout the whole trip, when someone cries; the whole team will support and feel their pain. That alone is a huge blessing, and it shows how God’s love can even spread through someone’s tears. 

The biggest blessing out of them all is the blessing of seeing mine and Eliana’s familes well and alive. God kept our families safe, even when sometimes I wouldn’t know if my mom was safe or not, so I think that was a big blessing and a gift. Also I’m marking this date down. 10/10/18, I cried on my moms shoulder and in front of people and I didn’t feel ashamed or weak because I had a team who was right there to support and cry with me.

We’ve been doing words of the day lately and I think if I would pick one out it would have to be “blessing”, Sometimes it’s hard to see how blessed we are until we get a glance at the other side, so I want to set a reminder to myself and challenge you guys to always count your blessings because things can always be worse.

My prayer for the day is: “Dear God, I thank you for allowing me to breathe another day on the beautiful earth you have created for us. I am great full that I was able to grow up with such amazing people in my life who played a part in the man I am today. I thank you for allowing me to see my birth mom and exchange conversations with her. Thank you for blessing me with all the many blessings you have given me. Help me to wake up tomorrow and be filled with goodness and let your love over flow my cup so people can see how real your love is for us. Help us to have safe travels as we go out and do your work and spread your word. Please help the broken hearted and the lost for I too am lost, I pray this in Jesus name, amen.”

-Eli Harmon

The Bridge Day 3/ 200 Eyes

All I see are sad eyes and 200 of them staring back at me.  Psalms 127:3 says “Behold children are a heritage from the Lord” and Proverbs 20:7 says “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after Him.”

Those are the two verses that keep ringing in my ears as I try to reconcile the 200 sad eyes following me as I walk into the infant room at Home for Sick and Dying Babies.  I know that God has not forgotten these children.  But why are there so many and only a few workers attending to all of them? 

My goal immediately became loving on as many of these sick babies as possible during my 2 hour visit.  Others in the group simply could not detach themselves from the 1-2 sick babies they were attending to.  I was especially drawn to a frail baby in the corner who looked as if she had been burned. She seemed to be in a lot of pain as she just kept murmuring and moaning softly.  Some of her family was there with her because I don’t think she had much time left.

We spent the next 2 hours holding, singing, feeding, and loving as many babies and toddlers as possible.  It was a gut-wrenching experience that I will never forget and I don’t think I will ever be able to get the memory of those sad eyes out of my head.  Even though this was a heart breaking day, I also don’t want to ever forget those precious babies as they taught me an unbelievable love and connection that I will hold in my heart for days, months, and years to come.

The needs of children here in Haiti can feel overwhelming. Small acts of kindness seem as though they cannot even touch their real needs.

Today Jonas, our translator, shared with me his perspective.  He said, “Every drop in the bucket counts.”  And then he repeated it and it really struck me. He helped me to see that every act that demonstrates the love of God fills a huge bucket in time.  Yes, the need is overwhelming for one person to meet. But when many choose to put one drop in a bucket the result can be unfathomable.

If I’m really honest with myself  I have an ongoing need to experience love that is real, genuine and constant.  These children, in a beautiful way, reach out and even demand to be seen, held, nurtured, cared for and shown affection.  Seeing this differently gives me joy and hope as I see myself  as a “drop in a bucket.”

-Lisa and Karen

************************************************************************

Bonjou from Haiti!!! Wow, what an amazing, beautiful, joyful, loving and spirit filled country! I was immediately overtaken with the beauty as we were close to landing the plane Monday afternoon. The mountains were calling me- the clouds just hovering over them was one small reminder God is here. As the plane got closer, it became even more surreal that I was actually in Haiti and experiencing it for my first time. The houses and roads amazed me- they were everywhere!!! I couldn’t believe the sight I was seeing. We landed, entered the airport, and just around the corner, was a group of lively, friendly men playing maracas, drums and guitars. It was so up beat and lively that it stopped me dead in my walk. They looked at me, smiled with huge smiles and kept playing. That was a wonderful greeting into the country. My heart was warm and I was ready to start the week and explore this wonderful country. 

Today is day #3- We loaded the Tap Tap (which by the way is a an experience in itself) and started our morning visiting Haiti Design Co- there we were able to tour the company and see the process of how they make the goods, shop, and then we all made bracelets. The ladies there were so genuine and enjoyed helping us make the jewelry. Lots of smiles and laughs!! After that, we were given breakfast tacos and THEE best fresh fruit mango/banana smoothie I have ever tasted. This was the good life- we were enjoying time together and taking in the views from the top of the store. The palm trees and mountains with all the homes were splendid. I keep saying to myself that Haiti is so beautiful and it’s amazing how a place of such poverty and sadness can be such an amazing place but beauty is here and God is ever so present. Next on the agenda was Papillion / Apparent Project.  Here we did some more shopping and enjoyed a story of the background and how it became about. Local sourcing is the way for these places- the Haitians make all the goods and they enjoy doing so for us. They thrive and continue because of us who buy and support them. The views from Papillion are just as those from Haiti Design Co.  They take my breath away and make me feel so happy inside. The beauty here is a reminder to me that God is ever so sovereign and loving. I was on cloud 9 and really feeling excited. Little did I know in just a few short minutes, my whole world and perspective would be turned upside down….

Next stop for myself and four others on the team was the Home for Sick and Dying Babies and Children. We pulled up in the Tap Tap and got out beside concrete walls and saw a lady standing there with her baby. She motioned for me to take her, which I could not do. We walked down the hill, and saw a line of people waiting to get inside but little did we know, they wouldn’t be coming in with us. We came to this building, not too big, but completely full and packed with babies – crib after crib after crib. Crying, moaning, sobbing. Their little hands reaching up for us to grab them and love on them. Each one looking up at me with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. I walk over and the lady pushed a bowl of food into my hands and pointed to the little girl lying in the crib. She was hungry and so sad looking so I began to feed her. She ate almost all of her food, I wiped her clean and started to make my way through. Baby after baby, I began to see the awful, heart wrenching pain and sorrow these babies are in. I was broken, literally broken from the inside out. I continued to walk around and I came to a little girl, age 4, who had just been brought in today. She was moaning, whining and crying from the pain she was in. This little girl needs healing so I stood there and prayed for a minute while rubbing her head and arms as we couldn’t hold her. She turned her head towards me and glanced at me all the while being so broken and hurt.  I wanted to so badly wrap her in my arms and protect and comfort her but all I could do was give some love through physical touch. The pain was so unbearable that it was ripping my heart apart. 

One by one, I grabbed babies out of the cribs to hold and snuggle, sometimes just to let them lay and stare in the distance, but the physical connection was what they longed for. Touch. Affection. Love. All of the things these precious babies, made in Gods image and for His glory, are craving and need. We were able to love and snuggle these babies for 2 hours- not long enough- but we did all we could. It’s indescribable the feelings that were in my head. I was hurt, confused, mad, angry, sad, heartbroken. You name it, I was feeling it all. We had to say goodbye- the hardest of it all. Putting one baby down to only see it look up at you with sad eyes, screaming and crying for more affection. Move on, they say. Just pick up another. I couldn’t grasp that and the severity of it. We had to do it. We had to let them go and be left there without life and love. We hugged and loved them as best we could and that was all we could do besides pray. 

Jesus tells us to love one another and be kind to one another. I found that I really don’t know real love. Love is Haiti. Love is the joy here in the Haitian people. Love is the eyes of the children who look into your soul and just take you in. Love is sick and dying babies who are craving attention and affection when they have nobody. Love is being present and taking the moment in. Love is being quiet and holding a child who needs to just sit or sleep. Love is letting a little girl climb your back and sitting on your shoulders. Love is emotion. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 says "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." God was before me today and He knew that I was going to need to be broken to see the true Haiti and what it is. He went before me like a consuming fire and knew that I needed to be broken and see the reality of this life. He is most ever present tonight as I write this . Yes, I am mentally, emotionally, and physically drained but what I witnessed today was nothing short of a miracle. Jesus calls us to do hard things. He will walk us through them and bring us through for our good. Tonight, I am thankful for Love and Jesus, who showed me what real love is.  Tomorrow is a new day and I can’t wait to see what God has in store! Love to you all!!!!!

-Jacinda

Romans 12: 12 and 15 "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

The Bridge Day 2/ #iamnotmypoverty

As soon as she spotted the big white tap-tap, she sprinted after it as fast as her strong, little legs would carry her.  The cage on wheels carrying blonde-headed cargo turned a corner, out of sight for a few paces, until it was in her vision once again. Her feet smacked the broken, rubble black top determined to gain the prize she sought.  As soon as the tap-tap slowed to nearly a stop, so did her feet, but her heart beat hard and fast, already feeling the warmth of the arms that would soon embrace her. 

The door opened, from it emerging a tall, white-haired, blue-eyed woman who had traversed from a foreign land with a love that knows no barriers, a connection authored by a common Creator.  Arms reached down and pulled in close the girl with grit, both hearts beating wild and free, full of joy. 

Cité Soleil is the poorest city in the northern hemisphere and it is where we spent much of our day, holding babies and children, and sharing the heavy burden of carrying water.  The city lacks fresh water, electricity, plumbing, and much more.  Like other cities around the world, she has a culture unique to her, where happiness, friendship, and love co-exist with hardship, fear, and loss.  Yes, astounding poverty is the path of daily life for these precious people, but they are not their poverty. 

Yesterday, Natalie reminded us that we are not the sum of a single experience or circumstance. There are many short stories that make up our whole story. While abject poverty is the reality for the citizens of Cité Soleil, it is not who they are. Like you and I, they are image-bearers of their Creator. They are individuals needing acceptance, needing to know that someone sees them- really sees them-as what lies on the exterior is looked past to see a person with feelings and needs and hopes and maybe even a dare to dream. 

The apostle Paul wrote to his beloved in Rome, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.  Outdo one another in showing honor.” During a time of great persecution for the Church, Paul was calling the Lord’s people to love and honor, not only one another as brothers and sisters, but also those outside of the church.  As we heard countless cries of “Potem” (“Lift me up”) while children reached their arms to us, we had, in those moments, the opportunity to let our love be genuine and generous.  It did not matter that those babies were not our own. In the fleeting moments that God gave us to see the one in front of us, He had equipped and called us to love well and show honor.  In a culture where dignity is often robbed of a person even before she knows she possesses it, it is our responsibility as Christians to recognize it and respond in like manner. 

#iamnotmypoverty is an allusion to the currently trending practice of aligning oneself with a particular place or movement or political stance, etc.  The truth is, no one is any of those things. The truth is, we are image-bearers of a Creator.  May it be that those of us who say #iamhis, see others with His eyes.

-Becky

The Bridge/Day 1- The Power of Stories

What's your story? They say everyone has one. What if the story most often recounted about you was the one that brings you shame, that exploits your weakness for gain? None of us is the sum of the worst thing we have done. Each individual is a collection of stories- some of adventure and joy, maybe more about loss and sorrow, some of selflessness, and others about wicked actions that harmed others. We live in a time where we want to reduce a person's character to a sound bite. So it is with Haiti. For years, Haiti's saddest stories have been told. And it was, in part, these stories of abject poverty that led my husband and I, nearly 14 years ago, to begin the process of adopting three children from this country.

One year ago, I flew into Toussaint L'ouverture airport with trepidation, but over the course of the week, my eyes were opened to the beauty here. I saw Haiti with new eyes. I heard a different story than the one we are so often told.

Today, I had the joy of seeing my son's excitement to experience this country, the land of his birth, as he returned for the first time since he was a baby. I saw Haiti through his eyes.

So often, we do everything within our power to avoid struggle, even as the Lord tells us "In this world you will have troubles, but take heart! I have overcome the world." It's hard for us to take heart and take hold of His promise that He has overcome the world, when we are still losing faith because of our troubles. As we spend time with the people in Haiti, we hear stories that break our hearts, and we marvel that their faith can be strong amidst great adversity, and yet, it is in the midst of this very adversity that the maker of heaven and earth meets them.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed  day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

This week we will be wrecked. {Haiti has a way of doing that to a person.} And yet, we will also have the opportunity to hear the stories of people who are created in the image of, and deeply loved by, a good God. We will walk with them, hold their hands, pray with them, take them water, laugh with them, and cry with them. It is my prayer this week, that our team would become excellent story-tellers, and that we would be able to tell the church in Alton, IL about our Haitian brothers and sisters in Port au Prince who are our partners in the gospel, whom we serve alongside, and that your faith would be built up as you consider this cloud of witnesses who have so much to teach us. We hope to show you Haiti through their stories. Our God is One of redemption, and I hope that even as we share the hard stories, that you would see the sovereign hand of God and trust in the great Shepherd of the sheep, who will one day make all things new. In Him, the lost are found. May He give us eyes to see Him, ears to hear Him, lips to praise Him, and hands that serve Him.

Until the Whole World Hears,
Natalie

Day 3: Cite-Soleil Play Day, Pappilon, and Mother Theresa's

Our team of men woke up feeling the effects of a long day working the water truck. We knew we had a full day ahead of us though so we shook it off and loaded the tap tap for Cite-Soleil for our "play day". Play days are something a little newer to the teams, and something our men's team has never done. We loaded up a bin full of balls, bubbles, and other things and rolled into the city.

Stop 17 was on the docket, our first stop from the previous day. We grabbed the soccer balls, basketball, and football ready to take on the men of Cite-Soleil. Our team decided that it was time for us to engage the men of the city, a group that typically just leans up against the wall watching us with disdain. We were led down to the basketball hoop and played a game of 3-on-3 basketball, USA vs Haiti. Playing basketball in the blazing 95 degree heat (with insane humidity) was a crazy challenge. The men, women and children gathered rows deep to watch and cheer. It was exciting and so much fun. I loved seeing the excitement in the eyes of the guys on our team and the missionaries who joined us. This kind of interaction just doesn't happen down there. The men that played had a lot of fun and we formed some new bonds today.

After a solid 90-minutes of playing it was time to move on to a visit to Pappilon. After having some delicious food and smoothies in their cafe, we were ready for our tour. What an amazing place with an amazing story. An animated tour guide named Tricky led us through the the production site where we watched some extremely talented ladies work their craft. Beads. Clay pots. Jewelry. Textiles. Dolls. Everything crafted from materials sourced in Haiti. They provided free childcare for their employees, most of whom were the sole or main provider for their family. Inspiring. Following the tour, Tricky led us to the store where a few of us contributed by buying stuff for our families to help keep the ladies going!

It was a nice break from the reality that was our next stop, Mother Theresa's Home for Sick and Dying Children. The name alone leaves lets you know what kind of a visit this would be. We were allowed to head into both the infant and toddler rooms. It was a very challenging couple hours as we held young children who had a variety of sicknesses and were left there to be cared for by the amazing ladies that run that place. Personally my goal to was to see a smile on the face of every child I held. I didn't always succeed, but I know we brought a lot of joy and comfort to these kids. There are some faces that I will have seared in my brain from that stop. You don't get to learn much about the kids, but their name and age in most cases. One young girl that I walked up to looked no older than 18-24 months old (she was in the infant room) but she was four. Malnourished. Desperate. But in the right place. These ladies are amazing with the care they give to these kids day in and day out. I don't know how they do it!

The bus ride home was a little quieter than usual. The men, usually loud and boisterous, with the energy of the city were realizing the tough reality for so many here. Life is tough. Food and water aren't a given. Illnesses that basically don't exist in the US are still very much alive here. I'm glad I don't have to go back there, its an amazing place but it really tugs your heart.

I love that our nights end with an amazing dinner, games like mafia, and bags with the security team, it helps you to unwind from everything you see throughout the day. Tomorrow we head back into Cite-Soleil for another water truck day ... I hope our muscles are ready!

-Trevor and the 2nd Annual Men's Team

Day 2: Water Truck and Hope Church

Greetings friends, family, and supporters
Day 2 is coming to a close for the three teams here in Haiti. Its exciting to be here with two other teams and hear about all the great experiences...the energy is really high at the Healing Haiti Guesthouses.

For our men's team, we started the day with a very filling breakfast prepared by the wonderful ladies that run the kitchen here (with some help from a few of the guys), these ladies take amazing care of us. Around 9 am, we loaded into the tap tap to begin our adventure. Our men's team was fortunate enough to get the water truck for our first full day in Haiti.  Most of our team has been here before, but three of us were about to enter a new experience that you really can't fully put into words (I'll do my best).

After a brief stop at Fleri Farms to learn how this organization is teaching the Haitians to be responsible stewards of their land, we entered the heart of Cite-Soleil. You quickly realize you are in a place unlike anything you've ever experienced and its a full sensory experience. As our tap tap pulls into the neighborhood, the city comes alive. Children running down the streets with buckets yelling "hey you, hey you, hey you" a call that the entire city knows when Healing Haiti comes rolling through. The tap tap is swarmed by women and children desperate for both our water and our attention.

As I got out I grabbed the outstretched hand of a young Haitian girl in all red who was about 8. I picked her up and she clung desperately to me as I took in the site. Orderly chaos all around. It took me some time of just holding the girl to realize how important this work was to the people. They live inside homes cobbled together by scrap metal, old port-o-potties, wood, and anything else they can find. Their floors are dirt. They have no water. Let that sink in. Some kids have no clothing. The streets are covered in trash. After an hour of carrying buckets down streets and small alley ways between the metal shacks and then walking back with 1, 2, sometimes three kids in our arms, we run out of water. The horn sounds and its time for us to move on.

Next, we had the opportunity to visit Hope Church (which was right next to our first stop, 17), a place my home church, Eagle Brook Church, played a huge role in making a reality. Seeing it in person brought feelings of pride into my heart, what a beautiful place. The views from there take your breath away, but not in a good way. This town extends as far as you can see. The water is filled with trash, the impact of the hurricanes and earthquake is still very much a reality for this community. Hope Church (its a church, a school, and now a clinic) is going (and already is) to change the very foundation of this neighborhood. I left feeling this tremendous urge to help ... there has to be more I can do to help. As I got to the tap tap, I found the little girl in red and gave her a huge hug.

We had similar experiences at the next two stops, though each neighborhood had a different feel, a different energy. I'll never forget the faces of some of the children I held. Their smiles and their laughter kept me energized as my muscles ached from carrying water and children all day. We left Cite-Soleil and I felt this feeling of frustration. Why can't I do more? Why is this city the way it is? I wish I could understand them and communicate with them? But more so, I left feeling hope. Cite-Soleil is going to look different one day. The work Healing Haiti is doing is making an impact. Tomorrow we go back ... I can't wait!

- Trevor and the second annual Men's Team