Day5-Higher Highs

Today started out with a early morning Haitian Worship session, and it was a perfect and powerful way to get us going, and that was before breakfast.

If that high wasn’t enough we got to go higher...we went for a long ride up a rough mountain road to experience an incredible view, a great picnic, literal mountaintop Worship, and some awesome prayer time!

Both examples required extra effort...one an early rise, the other an uncomfortable ride, and the results were well worth it with each.

It’s a great object lesson for our lives, 2 options...stay comfortable, get the same old stuff...get uncomfortable, experience a new better thing...

Our words were peace, revelation, enlightened, and higher...

Peace to the point of sleeping on a bumpy road and forgetting obstacles that happened earlier in the day, revelation that we all walk our own unique walk with God and no one else’s, enlightened to accept and trust Him with each step, and a higher view of God’s Grace in our lives!

Entertaining Angels

Day 4 - Entertaining Angels

Today was a gift from God! 

We started our day with a visit to Peace Cycle. Peace Cycle is a ministry that recycles the drinking water pouches found around the streets of Haiti and repurposes them into various items such as bags, wallets, placemats, etc. We were given a tour of their operations and then had time after to pour into their ministry by shopping in their store. 

In the afternoon, we spent time at Le Phare orphanage. After spending only a short time, we grew close to the beautiful children while doing many activities together.  We played soccer, jumped rope, played frisbee, blew bubbles, played tic tac toe and hopscotch, drew with sidewalk chalk, and shared a snack together. Before we left, the Lord had placed on my heart to share with them Psalm 33 so I was blessed to share with them the Psalm with our translator. After the Word, we gathered together holding hands forming a large circle and prayed together.  We prayed over the children and their pastor who runs the orphanage.  His heart for the children and the sacrifice he’s made to serve them is inspiring.

  

After we prayed, the children burst forth into a worship song.  The presence of God filled the place. Some of us couldn’t hold back the tears and they were streaming down our faces. It was difficult to stand in that moment and not feel like weeping from the power, love, and presence of God. I closed my eyes and lifted my hands and it sounded like an angelic host of angels singing praises to God. What an incredible blessing and surprise. The pastor prayed a blessing over us and thanked us for traveling and taking the risk to be there with them when there is so much political turmoil going on in the world. We were so humbled. The children hugged us tightly as we left and each one made sure to hug each of us! 

The harmony of the voices and of the day, wrecked us! There were so many blessings and surprises that filled the day, leaving us in a place of peace and serenity. We are so full!

“Let the love of the brothers and sisters continue. Do not neglect the spiraling to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:1-2

Abbey

And on the third day...

Today we had an awesome day today!

After 2 days of staying close to home, today we went to Grace Village, about an hour away.

Everything went smooth and all our stops were a true Blessing...

Our words were connected, love, easy, and eye-opening...

We definitely connected in several ways, both with each other and those we ministered to, love just flowed in several unique ways, thing went easier than we ever expected, the things we experienced opened our eyes to a whole new world...

Sometimes things don’t go as expected, sometimes God shows up and things go even better...that was our day today!

Thank you, Lord!

Day 2 - Double Portion!

 Day 2 - Double Portion!

We started our day early with devotions and a Haitian breakfast, which was amazing! Oh how we missed Haitian eggs and oatmeal! We have tried to go home and make them but they never taste the same. 

After breakfast, we traveled to the home for the sick babies, the same place we served at yesterday! What an incredible blessing to spend over three hours there all morning to tend to the babies while the nursing staff cleaned out the nursery.  Last trip, when we traveled to Haiti, we were not able to visit and serve the babies, and it’s one of the greatest blessings and one of my favorite things to do in Haiti. How good is God to bring us back this trip and give us not one, but two days with them?!? We received a double portion blessing! 

As I sit here typing this, my heart is so full and tears are running down my cheeks just thinking about the precious faces of the babies we spent time with. There is no way to adequately articulate how much my heart felt today. Maybe it’s the mommy that I long to be that gets activated when I get to serve innocent babies that long for a loving touch when they are sick, or the heart of God that I feel when I look into the eyes of the sweet faces, or both, but it’s special and unique. 

Today, something shifted noticeably after being there yesterday and the babies were laughing, and smiling unlike we had ever witnessed.  It was incredible to see the children play peek-a-boo, as if they were not even battling any sickness.  I believe God was working mightily in that place.  As we listened to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we were able to pray over each child as we were prompted.  I even was able to pray over a baby with her momma that was visiting her, which was very special!  God opened so many doors and I know He will complete the work that He started today!  We were so blessed by feeding, changing, playing, holding, singing over, and praying over these babies, that our joy is complete!

Our team words to describe today were joy, redeemed, fulfilled, and grateful!

How blessed we are to receive a double portion! Thank you, Jesus!

Abbey  

Day 1-Firsts

Today was a day of firsts on many levels...

Fist time a team I’ve been on spent the night not sleeping in the airport waiting for the morning flight.

First time for one of our goers to travel outside the states.

Normally the first day, because of how late we get in, is not a real ministry day, but really a day to settle in.

But, because we stayed overnight in the airport we were able to jump right into serving today, ministering to babies...holding, feeding, changing, and laughing with the sweetest little ones...

So, yeah, firsts were prominent on our first day :)

The words we talked through as a team tonight were worth, innocence, fortunate, and laughter...

This trip, lack of sleep, risk, these babies, all worth it...the innocence of these dear children with potentially risky futures...how fortunate we are to have the lives we have and to be able to experience a trip like this...laughter flowed from us and these children as an expression of God’s Grace and Joy on our trip and our day!

Thank you Lord for a Blessed day of firsts!

Rely on Christ Day 2- Water Truck!!

It is really hard to put into words the experience of being here in Haiti. Today was water truck day.  Last time I was here I had no idea what that meant, but this year it was one of the things that I most looked forward to!  It is a day that our team  had the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus and is full of experiences.  As I reflect on the day, it started by having a cup of amazing coffee and sitting on the balcony of the guest house sitting and taking in the peaceful sounds and views of an early Haiti morning.  Sounds of roosters crowing and dogs bark and  horns honking.  What a glorious cool breeze blowing over us.  We go from that to eating a wonderful home cooked breakfast.  That is such a contrast to what we experienced over the next several hours.  We started by loading up in the tap tap (which is the vehicle that we travel around in) and then making our way through Port au Prince to Cite Soleil where we followed a tanker truck of water  in to the city.  As we enter the city we hear children shouting "hey you" to get our attention.  We are there to deliver water to a city full of people living where there is no running water.  What we actually do is sooo much more than that.  It is an opportunity to love on kids that are longing for human touch.  It does not matter that we cannot speak their language, we can speak Jesus language of love through human touch.  We are able to encourage the workers, love on kids, fill buckets with water, and most importantly offering them a glimpse at the living water that Jesus has to offer to all of them.  This puts new perspective on those verses in John that talk about water where they would not thirst again.  Water is such a necessity for human life and yet the water Jesus is talking about is the importance of having a relationship with him and how that is more important that life itself.  Water truck day is a ton of work but what a delight to be able to serve Jesus in this way.  It is hard to describe how different life is here than it is in America.  Our blessings run so deep that in some ways it seems to be a distraction that keeps us from hearing and serving God in the way that he intends us to.  After delivering water  in 3 different locations and getting a tour of Hope clinic, church and school, and a walk out on the ocean pier we loaded up on the tap tap for the ride back to the guest house.  Even here there is a stark difference from where we had been.  We came back to a shower and a wonderful home cooked meal again.  What a blessing to be here serving with this amazing group.  God is good!

Blessings,
Jeff Rud

Rely on Christ Day 3- Puzzles

Hey everyone!

Today was a special day, one that brought with it many challenges. We started off with a short trip to an artists market a few blocks from where we were staying. We all got to see a wide variety of art and things that they offered up, and many of us were able to help the economy with purchased souvenirs.

We then came back and spent the morning at a local Community Center, called New Hope. This ministry serves about 40 to 60 young kids who were so excited to see us and do things like play soccer, or do the Cupid Shuffle. While we were there we put on a special dramatic reading of the book, The Giving Tree. While Emma read the book, and Lincoln and Kayley acted out the story. We then did a craft were each student was given a Polaroid Picture of themselves that they put on a drawing of a tree. Being able to give those kids a picture brought an overwhelming amount of joy to the kids and to our team.

Next we spent part of our day out by going to Papillon, which is the facility that works to provide jobs to locals. We got to take a tour and watch people as they were making beads out of clay, rolling the paper beads, and many more steps of the process. It was a unique glimpse into one of the opportunities we used to raise funds for Haiti and our Team. It also gave us another opportunity to support the local economy and buy more goodies.

Our last stop before heading home for the evening was at a local home for sick and dying children. God allowed us to spend time just holding, feeding, and loving on these sweet sick children, praying silently over them. Once they were all fed we were able to take them outside and spend time just playing with them.

During our evening debriefing about our day, one of the things that we talked about was how we are all a part of God's marvelous puzzle. We are all a piece of this puzzle, and when we are in a spot where our piece doesn't fit, we know something is off God lifts the puzzle piece. However, we are all able to use our pieces  and when we do, it creates amazing things. Today we all found a place where the puzzle pieces fit!

We are all excited for what tomorrow brings.

-Nick