Day Six - Mountain top and La Phare

We started our day with a wonderfully prepared breakfast by our Healing Haiti gals andtheir weeklong assistant Chad.

We then ventured up the mountain with a brief stop at the street side metal art vendors before reaching the top. Wow- what a view from the mountain top ! His artwork of surrounding  Port Au Prince. Haiti with mountains to the West and the ocean to the East- Majestic !
On the mountain top we enjoyed picture taking, street vendors and lunch. Experiencing street vendors is certainly a new experience for the new goers !  A great time had by All

We then ventured to La Phare Orphanage where we enjoyed playing with all the children. we played soccer, chalk writing, jump rope and of course dancing ! Edna brought her love for dance to the kids and they certainly put on a great show!
Exciting news at La Phare- they added a 2nd floor! a brand new floor furnished with many rooms, two large bathrooms ( all new fixtures) , new bunk beds, new thick mattresses, and  6 panel bedroom doors- truly a gift form God.

We ended our day with playing a few games and team sharing with " Jesus Calling" devotional

Team Thoughts:

Beauty is not in the view but how it is viewed ~ Chris

If you take time to find God, You will find the answer~ Lexi

Glwa pou Bondye  ~ Glory to God

Day 5-Water truck stop 17 playdate

Today we started our day off by our team going to church on the rock at 6:00 am. It was a very spiritual service and we all had the chance to pray over each other. 

we then moved on to our half water truck day which many of us can say it was much different than the last water truck day. We connected with the people of cite soleil through music and dance. our team member Edna was teaching some dance moves and even had a couple of "dance off's" with the people. Not only children were involved but the adults were enjoying the fellowship. We had everyone involved with the music which made it so powerful and we can all say God moved in and thru through the whole town in such a beautiful way.! 

After  the water truck, we enjoyed some team time by the poolside.

The day ended with the most powerful time sharing Jesus Calling devotional. It was a time for us to open up and get vulnerable with one another. We invited the guest house intern, Ashley to join us. It was her first introduction to our SVCC teams' to see the level of trust and love we have for each other.

God Bless SVCC team!

SV Day Four - Grace Village, Elder Visits, Fleri Resto

Today we enjoyed a powerful day in the city of Titanyen.  We started our day at Grace Village taking a tour of the school, clinic, library, IT center and family housing.  The children were excited to have us there and many joined us during the tour, holding our hands and grabbing hugs and piggy back rides.  

We ventured off into the city to meet our four elders Lindor, Felice, Sitalia and Guerline .  While there we worshiped with them, washed their hands and feet, rubbed lotion on their bodies, and prayed with them for their needs.  We were so blessed as each elder asked us to pray for ourselves, as well.

Our final stop of the day was at Fleri Bakery and restaurant where we had the opportunity to tour the facility and see the growth, development and community impact through job creation the bakery has had on Titanyen.  And yes, we got to eat the pizza too!

Our time with the elders was the most powerful and spiritually gratifying experience our team has had to this point; it touched each one of us personally and as a team.  The selflessness of the Haitian elders was beautiful and inspiring, and we all look forward to carrying that with us upon our return home. 

God showed up in mighty way today.

SV Day Three -Water Truck

Today our team ventured out into one of our longest days: water truck day in Cite Soleil. It doesn't matter if it is your first visit or your 10th visit, nothing in this world can prepare you for water truck day.

Our team woke up, had breakfast, and shuffled into the tap-tap after our morning prayer. The drive is slightly longer than the ones we have experienced so far while being here. With that being said, the team was able to see many new things. The difference between Cite Soleil and Port Au Price is shocking. Many of us had the understanding that Port Au Price was an underprivileged area when we first arrived, but upon reaching Cite Soleil our eyes were opened to so much more than we had expected and seen in our short time here. 

Before heading out to deliver free water we stopped at the newly open Hope Clinic. Our guide explained to us how the people in this specific community are in dire need of not only medical attention but also education and prevention methods. It was a blessing to witness and experience the progress that has been made in Cite Soleil so far through the Hope Clinic.

Our team was also blessed to see the new education implementation that is being started in Hope School. We met with a wonderful Haitian man named Ash who shared the vision God put on his heart to help the children and teachers in the community learn in a new way that will change the future of education in Cite Soleil and hopefully one day, in all of Haiti.

Once we stepped outside the gates of the clinic and school we were able to see the streets colored with different clusters of adults working, children playing, and animals roaming around in search of food. Our tap-tap was followed by a large water truck that was ready to distribute water to people lined up and down the street with buckets in hand. Walking up to a situation like this can be overwhelming for many but our team allowed God to lead them  and guide their steps in this new and uncomfortable experience. 

As a team we worked together on the water hose: one person in the back holding the hose up, one in the middle as support, and on in the front guiding the clean & free water flowing out into the never ending rotation of buckets that was ahead of us. While three people worked the hose in a rotation, the rest of team was either helping carry buckets to peoples homes or loving on children and communicating the people of the community.

This is one of the days we truly realize that we do not have much to offer the Haitian people other than our love and support by being there. We also have the opportunity to realize just how much the Haitian people have to offer us in their love, worship, acceptance, and joy. The love of The Lord shines through every pearly white smile we see. God is everywhere in Haiti. In the hugs, in the attempts to communicate, in the laughter, in the smiles and kisses and the deep embraces we each experienced with at least on child. It didn't matter if the kids were soaking wet from the water hose or even half dressed, we welcomed their love as if they were Jesus himself. 

We were blessed to share this day with one another.

Blessings <3

SV Day Two- PeaceCycle, Papillon, Home for sick and dying Babies. 1-15-19

Today we had a wave of emotions. From learning how the Haitian people take their biggest problem and sell it, to loving on sick children.

We started off visiting the Peace Cycle which is a job creation company that reuses plastic bags that contain water. They use 8 million bags a day and it is thrown anywhere as trash. With their hard work they turn those bags into fashion bags, bibs, pencil pouches, and so much more. The resilience of the Haitian people is so inspiring and the pride they put into building up their country is so powerful.
After visiting Peace Cycle we visited Papillon Enterprises, which is another job creation company that helps parents work while keeping their children in school and daycare. They have a boutique that sells their hand-made beautiful Jewelry, handbags, and stuffed animals. We had a chance to see how they make all of the merchandise where many men and women that work so hard to provide for their families.

Lastly, we visited the Home for sick and dying Babies and nothing could've prepared us enough for what we experienced in that building. We each had our own experiences, but wouldn't change it for anything. We all connected with the children in ways God can only explain and poured as much love into them as we could. Being there, some of us had to learn and accept that we need to trust God in these moments. Even though things look so bad and it doesn't seem fair, we must remember that God has a plan and He knows what He's doing.

God Bless!

SV Day One - Travel Day 1/14/19

WOW! What a long day of travel for our SVCC team. We met at church at 1 AM, which meant most of us did not go to bed the day before...that equation makes for a sleepy team! We were able to make the best of our early arrival by laughing and playing games at the airport.

Despite our long day, we have found time to admire the beauty Haiti has to offer. Upon arrival, we were greeted with pearly white smiles and big bear hugs by Jean Jack and Valerie, two of our translators. This gesture provided a sense of relief to the team. Many of them being first time goers had no idea what to expect. After our meet and greet outside of the Port Au Prince airport we loaded into the colorful tap-tap (a caged in bed of a pick up truck with benches) and went on our way.

Many things stood out to us on our ride. To the new goers it was new smells, honking horns, cars zooming by. To the return goers the best thing was PAVED ROADS! Hallelujah! We pulled into the guest house after a 15 minute ride to find more friendly faces ready to meet us.

After settling in and enjoying dinner, a few team members gathered around the couch and spent time getting to know each other on a deeper level. Building these connections and becoming a family is one of the most important things we do on these trips.

We look forward to what God has in store for us tomorrow!

Blessings,

SVCC Team

UNW Day 6: WAHOO we had Fun in the Sun!

To wrap up and reflect on our week in Haiti, we went to Wahoo Bay. Once we arrived, we all piled into a small row boat to go snorkeling. For many of us this was our first time and it was an amazing experience. We got to see Dory and her friends along with beautiful coral reefs. On the way back we saw a couple jellyfish. After reapplying sunscreen (you’re welcome mom), we enjoyed a relaxing game of sand volleyball. Throughout the day each of us were able to relax in our own way, whether that be reading, laying in the sun, playing in the water and on the trampoline, or taking in the beautiful views. Each of these things allowed us to bond and grow closer together. Before we left Wahoo Bay, we took advantage of the breathtaking view and had a mini photo session with our “Be The Light” shirts.

Although we enjoyed a fun day in the sun, it also allowed each of us to reflect on the challenging and life-changing week of serving. There was a main focal point on God’s creation specifically compared to what we have seen this week, which included a lot of poverty. It was refreshing to the see the “other side of the penny” and how beautiful God intended His creation to be. It can be easy to think of Haiti as a country full of poverty but in reality, there are breathtaking views and beauty in the Haitians living here. Though the Haitians have little in regards to material things, their hearts are so full of joy from the Lord. Instead of focusing on the little that they have, Haitians are grateful for what God has provided for them and only look to praise Him. Another reflection we had was seeing the changes in Haiti because of the organization Healing Haiti. Their work through Hope Village and Grace Village has provided a sense of hope for all Haitians in years to come. 

Being able to experience life in Haiti would not have been possible without our coaches. We are so grateful to have coaches that, first and foremost, love the Lord and want to make God and serving others a priority in our lives. Not only have the Haitians changed our lives, but our coaches have helped shape us to live a life that reflects Christ. We will always be thankful for what we have experienced here in Haiti and the memories that will last forever. This trip would not have been as impactful and fun without our awesome translators and drivers that traveled with us each day. They allowed us to get the most out of this trip and are friends we will never forget. Our stay in Haiti was nothing short of great because of the amazing staff we had. We were well fed and taken care of each day and are so grateful for everyone who had a part in our trip. We will miss you Haiti!