Haiti Take-aways . . .

Our day began in the most amazing way.  We traveled to Grace Church, just down the hill from Grace Village - home of beautiful children being given a chance at a brighter future.  What struck us so much at Grace Church today was that those with so little were giving so much to God.  They put on their Sunday best clothes and they openly and freely shouted their faith to the mountain tops.  The music was upbeat and inspiring and we were all smiles as we left the church for one last day in the tap tap, which has been our reliable transportation this entire week.  After church, we drove through Port-au-Prince, up the mountain while shopping along the way.  Being a group of all women, no one complained about shopping! 

We supported the Haitian culture by purchasing many hand-made goods.  We counted out our dollars, leaving most if not all of our cash in Haiti.  Some were better at bartering than others.  It was fun to get a deal, but even more fun to see the smiles from those we bought from.  Being efficient shoppers, we still had time for a quick dip in the pool once we were back at the guest house.  As we reflected on our week in Haiti, we each identified one word to describe our feelings here.  Below is our inspirational words of the week painted on rocks from the beach.   A reflection from this week is that no matter whether it was working to make and sell goods, doing daily chores like getting water and food for the day, or worshiping - we observed many Haitians did it together as a family or as a community AND with smiles on their faces.  We can learn a lot from the Haitian people!

Written by Megan R. & Barb B.

A Day at the Beach

Hi!  This is Sydney and Megan!  Today, we brought the neighborhood boys to the public beach just north of Titanyen, Haiti.  We took three tap-taps and intermixed with the other Healing Haiti team staying in the guest house next door.  When we arrived, we handed out orange swim shorts to the boys because most of them did not own swim shorts.  As soon as we were allowed, everyone jumped into the ocean.  We played with footballs, floaties, and other swim toys, which was a ton of fun for all the boys.  After swimming for an hour or so, we prayed and treated the boys with snack packs.  We gathered all the boys together to read from a Haitian Bible that was translated in English as well.  Shortly after lunch, some people took water taxi boat rides along the shoreline, while others painted rocks.  We used acrylic paint and everyone looked for rocks to paint, which was not a problem considering the beach was totally covered with rocks.  Everyone loved painting the rocks and the view from the boat was breathtaking.  The ride home consisted of people sleeping on each other's shoulders and very bumpy roads.  This was a fun day and relaxing, which was a change from the emotional serving that we have been doing all week.

Written by Sydney and Megan (both 15 years old)

My Broken Heart

Hi!  This is Phoebe! Another emotional day! We visited the elders. The first one we visited was Izna. Izna is a 91-year-old who used to live with  her son in a tent. Her son was an alcoholic and stole from her. Thankfully, now she lives in a cement house where she is visited often by Healing Haiti. When we arrived at her house, she was sitting alone on her little chair. I then ran up to her and gave her a hug. She looked at me and smiled. Suddenly, I was feeling sad that all Izna had was a mattress and a chair, that she was alone, and that people had tried to steal from her in the past. I thought, "Why can't she live in a retirement home where she gets 24/7 care like my grandmother.? What was God's plan for this 91-year-old woman?" Emotions overtook me and I started to cry.  Balling. We sang with her and brought her food. We then prayed over her and asked if she had any prayer requests. She answered her pain.  As we began to leave, I gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. She spoke to me in Creole which I still do not comprehend, but I thought it was beautiful.  How could I leave this woman?  I went outside and cried thinking about how I would have to face my fear to leave this woman alone. This woman has truly changed me and broken my heart.

Written by Phoebe (age 13)

Visiting Grace Village

What an amazing day we shared today! We journeyed to Grace Village which is situated on top of a hill in the small village of Titanyen. The name Titanyen means "less than nothing," but ironically something wonderful and beautiful has risen on this land. The colorful buildings perched on top of this hill and the hope and joy we witnessed inside the village reminded me of flower blossoms in spring and all the beauty and potential they represent. In Grace Village, children are thriving in families, learning in school, being nourished in the feeding center and by the hydroponic garden, the sick are being cared for at the clinic and the community is giving thanks in Grace Church.

We then had the opportunity to visit elders in the community of Titanyen. It was such a moving experience to be welcomed into these people's homes and share music, song and prayers with them. As we traveled back home, we stopped at the Mass Graves of those who died in the earthquake in January 2010 and then we distributed meal packets to those who live in the hillside.

Finally... hot, tired and emotionally drained, we headed home. A refreshing dip in the pool and an amazing Haitian meal completed our day. We shared experiences and photos, and now we are off to rest to prepare
for what tomorrow brings.

Written by Shannon D.

All Who Hunger and Thirst ... Come to Me

"Jesus Calling" devotion asked us to laugh at ourselves and be joyful to God.  It was a day of laughter and tears as we rode the tap-tap to the 5-square mile community of Cite Soleil, the poorest slum area in the Western Hemisphere. Brunet, our tap-tap driver, skillfully navigates the vehicle through massive traffic jams, deep potholes and loud honking horns.  We arrive at Water Station #17 with many children running to meet us.  As soon as we step down off the tap-tap, children are like velcro on our bodies.  They cling on with all their might.  We say "Jezi renmen ou" (Jesus loves you) to each of them, hug them, sing to them and play hand games.  They are all smiling and very curious about our hair, glasses, hair bands, etc.  There are too many to count, all precious!

I go to help with the water distribution from the water truck.  Two people support the 4" round heavy hose, one person directs water into buckets (usually Kathryn) and others assist moving the filled buckets out of the way, setting them on top of heads of Haitians or carrying them to the shanties.  I will never look at a 5-gallon bucket in the same way again.  There are hundreds of them, each held by a person desperate for the water of life.  We actually go to three different water stations throughout the day.  The process is the same at each station, but the stops get progressively more crowded, noisy and chaotic, filled with children wanting to be hugged and people desperate for water. 

We go to the building site of the future Hope Church and School.  A large cross greets us.  The grounds are a dumping station of garbage and a public latrine.  Broken glass is everywhere.  Brunet leads the children in singing praises to God.  God is truly making something beautiful out of this destitute environment.

Another awesome adventure for the day was a visit to Haitian Initiative, a children's soccer program.  The children receive a daily meal and learn to play soccer.  Some of the most skilled players play in the Schwan's Cup International Soccer Tournament in Blaine, MN.  We watch the children enthusiastically do their warm-up exercises.  Afterwards, we graciously serve "Feed My Starving Children" food to the children.  They are so patient and polite!  What a humbling experience!  I was especially drawn to a 12-year-old boy named Jonslove.  We share many hugs, words of love and even dancing with the children.

We head back on the tap-tap through "rush" hour and home with very soiled, tired bodies.  We rinse feet and shoes off outside and then head in to the shower!  A Chipotle-style taco dinner awaited us. Yum!   Our evening devotion centered around God as the Potter forming beautiful creations out of clay.  We trust Him as He molds us and each of the precious Haitian people.  

Written by Marilyn

Water Truck Day

Hey it's Abby! Today was water truck day! First water stop was the hope church stop. The moment I stepped off the tap-tap multiple kids chose me as a target and started to say "Hey You". I love kids so I naturally tried to pick up as many as I could. Eventually I had 6 clinging to me in some sort of way...(two in my arms, one on my back, two clinging to each of my legs and one grabbing my back). Then with that many kids I fell over and got a little cut but nothing serious. I then saw a teen girl by herself bringing buckets constantly to the water truck to fill up. She was a Restavik or a child slave for a family. So I hung out with her for a bit until every time she brought her full bucket to me she asked for my help to put it on her head. Her name was Hellen and she had the most impact on me today. The other two stops we went to were crazy compared to our first one and Kathryn was our line organizer who tried to keep it orderly. Today can barely be described with words and if I continued I probably would write forever so I'm going to end it here. Today was life changing in so many ways and we saw glimpses of Jesus in every kids face.

-Abby

 

Haiti has our hearts!

What a beautiful day!  It was very eventful, but every part of it was wonderful and according to God's beautiful plan. I woke up this morning expecting to go serve at a school, but God's plan was different.  My leader asked if I would be willing to serve at "Home for the Sick and Dying Babies." On the way there, I was a bit apprehensive and very unsure of what to expect.  How sick would these children be?  I also was nervous about how I would handle my emotions, but I prayed and God helped me to be strong and love these precious ones just like Him. The 2 year old boy I had for almost our entire time melted my heart. As soon as I picked him up, I immediately was attached. He held onto me like I was his mother and never wanted to be put down. He had the biggest smile that warmed my heart in such a way that reassured me why I was suppose to come to Haiti by showing God's love to these beautiful people. We were there for a couple of hours and once we were done feeding the children, we each had to put the babies we were holding back into their cribs. For me that was by far the hardest thing I had to do this week. It was so difficult to walk away and hear the little boy I had held all morning, as well as all of the other children, cry as we walked out of the building, but it is so comforting that other missionaries and volunteers from all over come daily and they are left in good care by the loving staff.   Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures there, but we will remember those precious faces forever in our hearts. :)

Isaiah 6:8 says "Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying "whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Here am I send me.""

Written by Brianna M.

Bonjour Beauty

Come to Haiti with me...
The sun rises, we have a breakfast fit for a queen (drink your water!), layers of sunscreen and bug spray, then to the tap tap (our beautiful transportation). See the woman carrying pineapples on her head? The one roasting corn? The children walking to school? They all say Bonjour to you. The 15 of us sing 'Glory to God' as we drive along and it rings out in the streets. The flowers bloom red and orange... they draw your eyes from the potholes and the piles of rubble. Bonjour Beauty!  Ready to be stretched? To serve when you're not sure you can? To hold that one year old that maybe weighs 12 pounds? To smile at the mothers waiting hours to maybe have their sick children be seen by the doctor? To open your hands up when only the opposite seems normal? I can't do it well, I don't have what it takes but God does, He is faithful and I am His.  Bonjour beauty!
Next a quick lunch and a tour of an amazing organization that creates jobs to keep families together. Do you know a box of cereal in Haiti can cost ten dollars?

These adults turn this box that I would throw away in to lovely jewelry. We get to purchase some. Last stop of the day,  you're tired and your legs are so sweaty they stick together ;) But there's an orphanage of bright eyed children eagerly awaiting, red bows in their hair, bright white smiles. Bonjour beauty! We sing, give hugs, take fun photos of them with a polaride camera and write  Jezi Remnen Ou (Jesus loves you) on the bottom of the photo. Then it's back to the guest house for showers, dinner (mmmm) devotions and blogging... phew.  Bonjour Haiti!

 

Written by Karyn S. 

 

 

 

Arrival to Haiti

WE HAVE ARRIVED SAFELY TO HAITI!!!!!! Today we got on the plane to Miami on time. Some of us got sleep....others did not. Once we arrived safely to Miami, our flight was delayed an hour and a half and the airport's fire alarm was going off for more than a hour (no fire, just testing). Once on the plane, we saw our bags getting loaded on the plane, but our medicine suitcase would not shut and we watched the security guys struggling to close it. It got closed eventually and we were all good. Once in Haiti, our tap-tap was waiting on time to rescue us from the rainy weather. We got to meet the neighborhood boys and then have shepherd's pie for dinner. Now I am writing this while sweating, but all glory to God! 

-Abby

P.S. I'm writing in pink all week!

Alo!

T-Minus one week until 16 amazing women take a large leap to Haiti to serve for one week. Looking around, you can see so many emotions, excitement, happiness, nervousness, anxiousness, determination, etc. Each meeting before our trip prepares us all differently and God will have an amazing way of touching our hearts and minds in an outstanding way.

Each person brought one large suitcase to our packing party today that we filled with items to provide on our trip and articles that are in high demand for people in Haiti.  The organization of the event was perfect as some teamed together to assemble pastoral care packages, including tooth brush and paste, brush, comb, wash cloth with soap, snacks and more. Others grabbed a suitcase to load it with soccer balls, shoes, bars of soap, meds, diapers and more! Being mindful of cost and space, it was fun to weigh each bag to ensure it was not over 50 lbs.  If bags weighed around 35-45 lbs., you might hear someone yell "add soap" as that was a heavy bag filler and much needed in Haiti. 

Once each bag was packed, we all shared a special moment praying over them. Every bag is an important part of this trip as these are the wonderful donations we received. While praying, I knew I was so blessed with the amazing job of sharing the items with children and adults in Haiti! 

I believe blessings and happiness will continue to come before and during this trip to share God's love with Haiti, but heartache will sneak in too. I encourage you reading this blog to pray for the 16 women this week and next. Devastation, pain, nervousness and distraction are arriving, in the future or on some minds, but we pray and believe God will help us overcome each feeling/problem. For when we are weak, He is strong. 

Thank you for reading and stay tuned as these words are your ticket to join us on our trip to Haiti! 

He makes everything glorious and we are His. 

Inspiration verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

Orevwa! 

Written by Team Member Kathryn L.

Keeping It Real

Only two weeks until our team leaves for Haiti and I'm so excited, humbled and blessed to be serving as co-leader on my ninth return trip.

My first trip to Haiti was in the fall of 2010 after I had seen devastating images on television of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti in January of that year.  My heart was heavy and I knew God was calling me to go.  This step of faith was totally out of my comfort zone and I didn't feel quite worthy of the call.  Some people are apprehensive about serving in third world countries because they feel it would be too difficult to see the human suffering and poverty.  Others feel that it would be tough leaving family behind or their busy schedules.  For me, the difficulty was feeling that I was not holy enough to do the work that God was calling me to do.  With my past, what could I possibly have to offer? 

Still ~ I continued on in faith knowing that God chooses to use imperfect people for His purposes.

As part of preparations for that first trip, my team leaders asked each of us to share our faith story.  I wrestled with God big time on this task.  After all, I did not have a perfect past.  I had made many mistakes in my younger years and held several dark secrets.  I feared judgment from others on my team.  I remember thinking ~ "Do I sugar down my story or do I keep it real?"  After a week debating this issue, I felt strongly that God wanted me to "tell it like it is!"  Following God's lead, I shared my story ~ the good and the bad ~ and something amazing happened.  The other team members were so moved by my raw honesty that they decided to "get real" with their stories as well.  We discovered that we were traveling to Haiti with a bunch of sinners!  We sure were relieved, since we didn't have to pretend to be something that we weren't.  We embraced each other and the experience brought our team closer together.  We definitely could feel God's love, grace and mercy, as well as the unconditional love of each other.  God used our stories to provide healing for ourselves before we had even touched ground in Haiti! 

My devotion for today was based on Isaiah 58:12 and said ~ "Every city has deserted ruins left from poverty, drugs, or hopelessness. We can choose to keep walking or we can choose to restore."   We all have gifts that can restore a community in some way.  What bonds have you overcome (depression, anxiety, addiction, etc.) that you can use to bring healing to others?  Sometimes we forget that ALL human beings are sinners and struggle with various issues.  To accomplish His purposes, God uses ordinary people (sinners) who obey Him.  So don't let your past keep you from stepping out in service ~ either in Haiti or in your community.  Follow Christ's lead and "keep it real."

2 Corinthians 5:17 ~ "Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

Preparations Underway for June 15-22 Trip!

We are up and running on our Blog and a little more than a month away and we'll be heading down to Haiti!  Everyone going down is a mother or a daughter to someone on the trip and with my own family there are 9 of us.  Mother Joanne, sister Barb, daughter Abby, aunt Marilyn with her 2 daughters Karyn and Kathryn, cousin Paula with her daughter Brianna.

We also have my co-lead Kristin Pechman and her daughter Megan along with my dear friends Shannon Doyle and her mother Margie and Shannon's daughter Phoebe and Megan Remark with her daughter Sydney!  I'll try to get a picture Thursday evening to post at our "Prepare Your Mind" meeting.

The team has been doing a great job keeping up with tasks Kristin and I have been asking for them to do to prepare for the trip...travel clinic visit, passport updating, trip insurance, etc. with prayer and reflection on why God has placed this trip on each of their hearts.  I can't tell you how excited I am to have this opportunity to show these dear ones this country and people who have broken my heart wide open.  

We are all so blessed to be called to the mission field.  We want to use this blog site to communicate what God is doing both "in" us and "through" us with our Haiti experience to friends and family at home.  We encourage you to become a "follower" so that each time we blog, you will receive an email letting you know the blog has been updated.

Matthew 6:33