Elder Advisor Team - Serving Day 1 - Titanyen

 How lucky are we!?!

We are a small team of 8 who are ready to serve and love any way we can this week with Haiti's precious Elders. I, personally, feel so lucky to be here. Last year our Elder Trip was postponed due to Covid. It has been a full two years since we have been able to focus our entire week and attention in this way.

We arrived safely yesterday on three different flights. We have four team members from MN, one from OH, two from ME, and one long-term missionary. We have a nurse (graduating next week!!), a social worker, a past long-term mission, a physical therapist and many willing and devoted hearts.

Today we had plans to see our "original" Elders in Cite Soleil. God had other plans and sent us to Titanyen instead where we were able to see four of our most vulnerable Elders in their homes - Sitalia, Lindor, Edmund and Volcy. 

We were able to do medical and safety assessments. We got caught up on their living and family situations and tried to understand what their current needs are. We provided some TLC with foot and hand washing and nail clipping. We sang with and prayed over them. The visits are long because of the nature of our team/trip, so this allowed us more time to spend with them. 

Edmund is our most vulnerable Elder. He is blind and VERY hard of hearing. Today we used a Pocket Talker (basically a microphone connected to headphones) and he could hear very well. It was the highlight of my day! To see him being able to take part in a conversation and worship felt so dignifying.

Titanyen is a village along the west coast of Haiti bordering the beautiful Caribbean Sea. There are 35 Elders in our Titanyen Elder Program. Most of them are sponsored by American's, most of whom have traveled with Healing Haiti and made connections. Sponsorship is $20 per share per month and each Elder can have five shares. Their sponsorship includes a meal a day if they want it, their basic medical care and medications, and their basic needs. We have two fantastic Elder Care Workers - Chantal and Vania who work so hard to care for our Elders on a daily basis. The program has been in existence for many years and the concept works well overall. Many of the Elders have outlived their children. Many are caring for several grandchildren. Some have jobs but most do not. Life is hard in Titanyen. Please pray for our Elders and our Team!

Marni

Piti Piti N’ap Rive (Day 4)

    “Piti Piti n’ap rive”. Which means, “little by little we will arrive”. That was the heartbeat of what we saw today. To say this trip is multi-faceted would be an understatement. We arrived in Titanyen which literally means “less than nothing”, the message that the community hears, but doesn’t embrace. We visited Grace Village, a place where kids can come and get an education, health care, and be raised in a safe family environment. 

    After that, we delivered meals to the elderly and were humbled enough to wash their feet and sing worship songs with them (they even sang to us!). We witnessed joy in the midst of hardship, and it reminded us that love is rooted in Jesus and those around us. 

    Lastly, we visited Fleri Resto (Flourish Restaurant). This started as a bakery and was envisioned to be a school for the community of Titanyen. After listening to what the people of Haiti truly needed, it was redirected to be a bakery and restaurant in one providing sustainable jobs and career path for the community – 175 job opportunities have flourished from this idea alone.

    Piti Piti n’ap rive. These little by little steps have provided a solid foundation to continue building a “city from nothing” to something. Seeing all that Healing Haiti has done the past few years is nothing short of a miracle.

Haiti (Day 1-3)

Haiti (Day 1-3)

Day 1

    Our team arrived in Haiti on Monday morning, ready and excited for all we would experience! When we pulled into the Healing Haiti guesthouse, we were all blown away by the beauty of the house and the kindness and hospitality of the Haitian staff! 

    After we settled into the guesthouse, we went to serve at the Home for Sick and Dying Children. Our purpose in going was to help with the babies, many of whom are struggling with illness and malnutrition. By a miracle that only God could orchestrate, there were exactly enough of us for each baby to be held and cared for. We fed them dinner, changed their diapers, and played with them in the breezy courtyard. Our whole team cuddled and played and loved on those sweet babies. It was such an incredible experience to cover those little ones with prayer and affection, showing them the love of Jesus. We also got to play with some of the older children on the playground. They loved to play games with us!

    We all connected so quickly to the babies, and nobody wanted to leave. The babies loved being held, and they cried when we put them down to go back to the guesthouse. We all cried, too. There were so many tears when the time came for us to leave! It was so hard to see those babies who are sick and struggling, but it was also such a beautiful experience. Even in their struggle and sickness, they are loved and not forgotten. They are special and unique and blessed. They are children of God. We had the amazing opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them and to tell them how special and loved they are. By the end of the first day, we all knew that this would be an experience that we will never forget.

Day 2

    From what we’ve seen so far, navigating life through Haiti is very difficult. Then we drove through the gates of the Haiti Deaf Academy. There was an armed guard at the door as we drove in. He was there to protect the children because they are thought of as having been cursed by VooDoo. Imagine living in a world that seems completely against you. Being a step behind in an already tough situation. 

    However, walking out of that truck, you can immediately feel the joy. The kids all sat down and wanted to ask us questions right away. They wanted to know our names and they gave us each a sign name. They wanted to know if we loved Haiti and where we were from. But what striked me the most, was when they asked us who had Jesus in their hearts. When we answered “yes” smiles beamed across their faces and they cheered for us. The gospel felt so simple then. It’s about people. We are all one family, no matter where we come from or what struggles we may have. We are bonded because we are children of God first.

    We did a craft with them next. We traced their hands under the words “Jesus loves you.” They got the decorate their hands and they were so proud of their work. They pulled you every which way to show you what they had done. They wrote their names, and taught us the colors. We came in ready to invest, when really they were the teachers. 

    They taught us how to see the world. They showed us how to sign and corrected our wrong movements. The best part is they were learning a version of American sign language. Communication no longer felt like a massive barrier. 2 languages, 2 different countries yet we could communicate through a common thread. The Spirit of God was so tangible there. It was beautiful to experience. Gods love through creation is everywhere. I was reminded to take the time to step back and just enjoy it. 

Day 3

    Today we went to Cité Soleil to deliver water to district 17 and 26. We delivered water to them because most Haitian families don’t have the funds to afford the water daily for their survival. The water we delivered will be used for daily cooking, cleaning, bathing, and drinking. Upon our arrival tons of people had approached us and formed into a line to get the water. They had to provide the buckets and we filled them and helped deliver them to their homes. Along side providing water to the Haitian families we played with many kids. These kids had been very excited and wanted affection from us. These kids had wanted us to hold them, talk to them, play with them, and nurture them. 

    As a team, this experience had made us feel many emotions that we could never express. We saw many things that we had never seen before. In Haiti they have no trash system, so they have created large landfills on the side of the roads. Initially it was shocking to see, but it is the best option they currently have. It was heart breaking to see what they call dirt cookies, this is a mixture of dirt, oil, spices, and clay that is baked out in the sun. People feed these to the kids to satisfy their stomachs, but it provides no nutrition. Seeing these people’s living conditions breaks our heart. Your mind races to try to find solutions, the whole time you wish that you could trade places with them. This is truly something you should experience to fully understand.

    We ended the day with going to the Fleri Farm (Fleri means flourish in Creole). This was a great way to end the day. Healing Haiti has a community farm in Cité Soleil, this farm creates opportunities and jobs for Haitians. We got to enjoy fresh mangos, coconuts, and grilled corn over the fire!

Alleluia Team Blog - Day 7

 DAY SEVEN

Today was a hard day for different reasons than the past number of days......today was the day that our team had to split up and say good bye to a few of it's members.  Some of us had to return home to the states a day ahead of the others.  When you spend the week going through so much together it is just not the same having our chain missing a few links.

That being said our group got up early to see off our members at the airport and bid them safe travels home.  The remaining team then proceeded to Rendez-Vous Christ Church to take part in an amazing morning of worship.  The music was outstanding as usual & the sermon was very pertinent to these troubling times we are all facing.

After some down time at the house we made our way back to the airport to get our Covid tests. Everyone came back negative!  (Sigh of relief)

We spent the rest of the day cleaning, and packing and getting ready for our trip home.  Even though it is our house ladies day off, they prepared an outstanding meal of shepherd's pie for us!  They take such good care of us, which is much appreciated.

It is also a difficult day because you are faced with the daunting task of trying to re-enter into each of our normal day to day lives.  We have so many emotions right now inside of us, that it can be difficult to find the words to explain what has been seen, heard, or felt.  Speaking for the team, I ask that everyone have patience with us and send prayers.  The Lord gives each of us heartbreak, so that he can fill that hole up with Love.....making our hearts stronger than before.

Our mission was not to come to Haiti and solve anything.  It was not to fix anything.  It wasn't even to try and change anything.   Our mission was to come to Haiti and give them LOVE.  And that is what we did........and it was enough.

--Troy

Team Blog - Day 6

 As I reflect on our day today, I think about how each morning we have been served a warm meal consisting of oatmeal w/bananas & spicy peanut butter along with a variety of other foods. Followed by a devotion and a run down of our plan for the day. Today our plan was to serve the children in the community around Grace Church through bible stories and crafts. These children choose to participate in the activities provided by Grace Church, which makes it extra special. The children loved hearing the story of Jesus' resurrection. It was read in both English & Creole. It was such a joy to watch the children following along in their bibles while the story was being read aloud. 

Following the bible story, we gathered the children into groups and did a craft with them. It was such a fun time and the giggling and laughter was contagious. Many of the children wanted to bring crafts home to share with their family members which shows what wonderful hearts they have. 

We left Grace Church and traveled the busy streets all the way to Wahoo Bay Resort where we enjoyed 'pose', rest & relaxation. We tried new foods like crab, lobster that was caught fresh for us, and conch. The food & fellowship was great, the beach was great, the water was remarkable, but most of all we were able to bond as a team and talk about our week thus far. We do have part of our team heading back home tomorrow, so it was as extra special day just reflecting and connecting and loving on them before they take off. 

On our way back to the guest house from the beach, we pulled off the road with a flat tire. No worries though, we were well taken care of and back on the road in no time. We had Haitian spaghetti and garlic bread ready and waiting for us when we arrived. Our devotions tonight were  extra special as well. We talked about how our trip thus far has impacted us and what we're going to do next. It's tough to describe our time in Haiti and may be difficult to talk about for a while after we arrive home as we may still be processing it all. There's so much hurt here, yet so much beauty. There is beauty all around when you open your eyes. I think we all will be leaving a piece of our heart here when we leave, Haiti is a very special place. God sure knew what he was doing when he created this beautiful land. 

-Amanda

Alleluia Team Blog Day 5

This morning we got up early and went to an amazing church and listened to the Haitians worship. It was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen. Every person there was raising their hands as they walked down the aisles; energy radiated around the room. There was one older man that was full of life as he danced down every aisle greeting every person he saw as he worshiped our amazing God. 

Following this amazing service, we had the opportunity to serve our awesome Healing Haiti staff. We set up a party just outside the guesthouse where the staff ate lunch and had fellowship together. They all arrived with their beautiful fancy suits and dresses on and were so excited to take pictures with each other. Carol presented them with awards for each and every staff member. As soon as she called their names, their faces would light up with the brightest smile. Carol's word of the day today was family; the Healing Haiti staff and all the missionaries that have come are really all one big family. It felt amazing to be able to serve the people that do so much for us, by doing anything from translating Creole to English to providing us with delicious food!

Nikki

DAY FOUR | God's Grace

This morning with open hearts we headed to Titanyen for another day of doing God's work and looking forward to the lessons he had in store for us - and what a positive day it was!  With smiles we toured Grace Village - witnessing first hand the impact Healing Haiti has had on this little village.  Our hearts were full watching the children play in the courtyard, and taking in the view from the Clinic balcony.  

With great joy we were able to have some time with one of the Grace kindergarten classes - excitement was high, children's laughter was higher, and the blessings each of us felt simply being present in that moment with them was even higher!  

God's holy spirit and love was everywhere as we visited our Elders.  We were honored when they invited us into their homes - introducing their families to us with such pride, along with thanking us for lifting them up in prayer.  It was such a pleasure singing worship praise songs - in English and hearing their voices join ours in Creole.   

Fleri in Creole means to flourish - and how rewarding it is to see how much God's love has flourished in this gorgeous place.   I can't wait to see what He has in store for ALL of us.

lessons  |  flourish  |  present  |  praise  |  positive  |  holy  |  rewarding  |  full 

(Kristi)