Lois's Post

We started our Sunday morning with worship led by our dear friend, Fanfan. Our worship time began with songs of praise, and Fanfan’s message was based on John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches…” This verse spoke to all of us as it confirmed that, apart from God, we could not have served the Haitian people in the way we have. God’s presence and our open hearts to hear Him enabled us to act on the unexpected opportunities He put before us. This verse has never really spoken to us in quite the same way before. It takes on such a powerful meaning now -- We could not have been useful for His purposes on this trip had we not continually stayed "connected" to Him.

After our time of worship we piled into the taptap and explored downtown Port au Prince. Our first stop was the president’s palace that had collapsed in the earthquake. This pristine white building had fallen in on itself. The lawn was still beautifully maintained, while there were tents directly across the street. All the city parks were also filled with tents. What was supposed to be temporary has now become their permanent residence.

Next we stopped at various markets as we wound our way to the top of the mountain, Boutilier.We enjoyed bartering with the locals while purchasing some Haitian crafts for our loved ones back home. The closer we traveled to the top, the larger and more beautiful the homes became. In fact, only those who are truly wealthy can afford the homes at the top. Land is expensive and homes are expansive. The view is breathtaking! Although this part of Haiti is easy on the eyes, it is uncomfortable to think about. This small population has physically removed itself from the Haitians we had come to know and live among this past week - those whom we've grown to love deeply.

We enjoyed our last night at a very nice hotel restaurant for dinner, seated outside in the "cool" evening air. Good food, rich laughter, and great conversation was had by all around the table! We've become such a close group. We were friends before the trip, but because we have now shared such a life-changing experience, the depth of our knowledge of each other has become even greater. What a great way to end our trip...........

But wait! It's not over yet. For most of us it's time to dance!

Jean, another one of our fine Haitian friends, gave us a crash course in dance last night.

After dinner tonight he took us to a club to dance the night away. We had a wonderful time! (Even if we quite clearly didn't do the Salsa justice.) We braved the dance floor, but we also soaked in the atmosphere. These local Haitians belong on "Dancing with the Stars." Wow -- they were amazing to watch! What a great way to end our night and our trip. We crawled into bed around 2 a.m. with beautiful memories in our minds and smiles on our faces.

Tomorrow we go home. It is with a bittersweetness that we bid adieu to this country and to its people whom we've grown to know and love. Thank You, Lord, for choosing us to serve You and Your people this week. Thank You for using us.

Becoming comfortable…

As we moved into day five, we were given a choice of how we would like to serve. A majority of the team chose to do a few runs on the water truck in the morning, and serve at the Home for Sick and Dying Babies once again in the afternoon. The only team member to serve elsewhere was Chad, who has experience working a backhoe. Chad was able to help excavate the land and move many large rocks up at Grace Village, which he said was the hardest land he had ever worked.

As we made our way out to our first run on the water truck, it was evident how comfortable we had become, almost overnight, at our new jobs. We were thoroughly enjoying our time serving the people of Haiti. Where there was trepidation a few days earlier, now was confidence to run the water hose, organize the bucket line, and carry heavy buckets of water through winding paths to shacks far from the truck. We saw many more smiles, and heard peals of laughter ringing in the air. The heaviness of the last few days had lifted a bit as we continued serving with our new found confidence.













After a short rest at the guesthouse, we went to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies to once again serve the sick and dying children. As we entered the Home this time, it was interesting to watch all the teammates scatter to their “favorite” rooms or babies that they remembered from the previous visit. We found that all the children were still there from our previous visit, giving us relief that no children had died since Tuesday. Once again, we entered with an eagerness to serve. They had just finished having a special party for the kids, to celebrate their 19th year of operation. The little girls were all dressed in matching fancy dresses and bows in their hair, and the little boys had on matching blue pressed shirts and shorts. The older kids had been given suckers and were all in a very festive mood when we arrived. Again, the heaviness we felt during our previous visit was lifted a bit as we celebrated with the kids. There was singing and dancing, and lots of hugs. The hard part of this visit was leaving, as we knew we would not be back to see these little ones that we had become so attached to.

As light as the mood was throughout most of the day, I didn’t want to become immune to what I was seeing and experiencing around us. We were still surrounded by extreme poverty, garbage everywhere, and sickness and death. But because we had allowed God to push us out of our comfort zone, I believe we can now see God in the midst of this all. As our leader Jeff has been telling us all week, if we allow God to have His way with us, we will be amazed at what He can do through us. We have been challenged to see God in every child and adult that is put in our path, and even among the devastation, I believe we have all seen God in Haiti…in every smile, every hug, every tear, and every helping hand. God is so good, is so good, is so good!

Refreshing...

This morning we woke up before dawn and attended a Haitian worship service at a church down the street. It was amazing to see the sun shining over the mountains and the people purposefully walking as we approached the huge tent. As we searched for our seats and looked around to wait for church to start, we quickly realized it was already starting and people don’t simply sit and listen. This was an experience like no other. It was refreshing to feel the hope, trust and faith the Haitians have in God. His presence was truly felt as we praised and worshipped God along side the people of Haiti.

After church, we walked home through the streets filled with people, pigs, goats, dogs, mud, potholes and garbage.

Today our plan was to make some elderly visits, see Grace Village and play with the children of Yvonne’s orphanage. We had a few unexpected moments, but a very fulfilling day!

Our first stop was Grace Village. Hallelujah, it is beautiful! What a work of God! The children in the village followed our truck up the road and through the gate, running alongside us. We were greeted, and again, the kids followed us holding our hands. The view of the countryside was gorgeous! We had a tour of the future feeding center, dormitories, playground, fish farm and hydroponic gardens. Jeff also shared his visions of a home for the elderly and the restavek children (slave children), a future village for children as they “graduate”, garden area and irrigation system. The dormitories and feeding center are anticipated to be ready for the children in about 6 weeks. They have dug a well and found water, which was a more plentiful well than could ever have been imagined. God’s work was definitely evident here!

Next, we visited the elderly individuals. We went to visit Antoine, who was not home yesterday. We were concerned when he still was not home. A neighbor woman offered to lead us to the garden where he had ridden his donkey to tend to his rice. This turned out to be quite an adventure through the hillside, searching for him in the hot sun. We were delighted by the butterflies and beautiful view… not to mention the humor we were able to find in this journey within the journey! However, we still could not find him.

We visited another individual in the elderly program, Jude Jean Paul, a young teenaged parapalegic. Although not elderly in age, he is still in the program because of his disabilities and isolation. Had he been in the US, he would possibly have been treated to prevent this and most certainly would be given therapy, medication and treatment. These individuals are left aside and ignored here. He was cared for by his loving mother who appeared to attend to his needs the best she could. We brought him some supplies, food, water and medicine. We prayed for him, sang songs with him and massaged his hands and feet. This was an opportunity to truly be the hands and feet of Christ.

Then, we had a fun visit to Yvonne’s Orphanage, where we played with the children and had a busy afternoon. The children were delighted in the video of the St. Michael’s Crosswalk children and adored the cards and notes from them. They worked hard on some cards to return to St. Michael’s. We can’t wait to share them! They sang for us and invited us in to play. We brought a parachute to play with them, some jump ropes, soccer balls, bubbles, and crafts. The kids loved every minute and we all did, too! The shine in the eyes and their bright smiles reassured that we were in the right place today!

I am sure you are wondering, we finally found Antoine. He was home resting with his donkey. He was thin and frail, dressed only in shorts, lying next to his home on a tarp in the hard rocky dirt. He invited us into his home and we gave him some necessities and visited with him. His home, made of tarps, wood and tin, was so hot, it was hard to imagine how he would sleep at night. We discussed his health and gave him our blessings.

Thus far, our trip has been such an eye-opening experience. The sight of the garbage, rubble and scantily built homes, the smells of the dirt, the garbage and smoldering fires, the feeling of the hot, heavy sun, the loud sounds of trucks, cars and honking horns, and the tired, weary people in the streets have been so hard to see and accept as a reality. But, the rainbow through the hazy sky on the way home, was a vision of hope and refreshing reminder that God is present and has His hand is working to heal the wounds in Haiti.

Melody
Healing Haiti Team Member

Today we encountered God

Tom’s Blog
Thursday in Haiti:

Today we encountered God in many ways throughout the day.

We started with some troubled stomachs within the group (discretion and TMI requires further silence on the details). However, meds kicked in so that everyone was feeling much better by the afternoon. (The God part is having the medicine available to make things work out)

Next we picked up in our little truck/bus an Israeli student named Leath who we met working as a volunteer at the Home for Sick and Dying Children yesterday. She had become so lonely being all by herself in Haiti that when we encountered her on Tuesday, it became clear to us immediately that she needed to take one of our extra beds and join our team for the duration so that she could complete her several month experience in Haiti. Leath was with us all day and was tremendously grateful for the chance to work with us even though she found it hard to leave the hospital with all the many needs of the children. (Remember, there are no coincidences – pray for her as well as us).

We then began our journey in our converted pick up truck to Titanyen to visit 3 “Elderlies” that have become part of a care group with whom Healing Haiti assists. Since the average life expectancy here is in the early 50’s and the few people who make it older then 50 have outlived their friends and even their children. This became quite overwhelming for me – the last elder we visited would have been in a full care nursing home in the states, but here, she was virtually helpless and on her own. “Aunt Jolie” needed to be dressed before we could even see her. However, she has no one to help her and is vulnerable to desperate locals taking advantage of her gifts from groups like ours. She apparently even sold her bed for food recently. While we were providing them a care package and took care of their personal needs, we also sang with them and prayed for them. “Aunt Jolie”’s wish was to soon go see Jesus. I was overwhelmed at her state and prayed fervently that her prayer would be answered or that she would be able to go to Grace Village soon and become a great grandparent to the many kids.

We then spent our afternoon with the children of Guilluome’s Orphanage (which in the next month will be moving into Grace Village under Healing Haiti’s organization.) There are a wonderful collection of babies through teenagers living together and being cared for quite well despite living in a very poor town outside of Port au Prince. They receive an education and are cared for and their lives have improved as funds have reached them through our organization. All the children received beds of their own in the last year so that they wouldn’t have to sleep on the ground. They are very eager and bright children who enjoyed playing, singing and making crafts with us all afternoon. One little 11 year old boy named Billo sat with me for some time late in the afternoon. As well as they are cared for, the one on one connections are the thing that they cannot always have. (Today, God ministered to me through the children just as He ministered to them through our entire team.)

Tom
Healing Haiti Team Member

God is so good…

Five jobs. That’s what our leader, Jeff, told us we would be doing today. “When we go out with the water truck, there are five different jobs you will be doing.” Filling buckets with the water hose, moving the buckets under the water hose and out of the way, keeping the line of people and buckets moving, carrying water to people’s homes, and making ourselves accessible to the kids. Five jobs – each one important, each one meaningful, each one refreshing in it’s own unique way. With God’s strength and a lot of teamwork, we were able to perform those jobs at the end of three different roads in Cite Soleil today.

Although I knew Cite Soleil is the poorest slum in the Western hemisphere and I had seen pictures of the water truck stops before, I was not prepared for what I experienced. It was unlike anything I’d ever done, seen, smelled, heard, or felt before. Our senses were overwhelmed and overstimulated. Today we have been left nearly speechless and unable to fully process all we have experienced in this culture that is so different from ours.

Having those five jobs to do gave us a purpose in this unfamiliar environment. Filling the endless line of buckets with water was fulfilling. Watching the crowds of people desperate for free water was chaotic. Taking the heavy buckets of water through the narrow path of tin shacks was eye-opening. Being the love and playmates the children yearned for was heartwarming.

After the water truck was empty at each stop, Jeff took us for a walk to and along the beach. All I can say is “wow”! The beaches in Cite Soleil are unlike any beaches I know. As Jeff explained to us, the water truck drives as far as it can on the paved road before stopping to deliver water. Beyond the water stop is where the poorest people in Haiti live. The further from the end of the road you go, the closer to the beach you get, the poorer the people are. They are farther away from access to water, food, and services. Unlike most countries where beachfront property is considered quite valuable and where wealthy people own homes, beachfront property in Haiti is the least desirable and where the poorest of the poor live.

On our walk to the waterfront each time, we were accompanied by a small cluster of children surrounding each one of us. Amidst the endless piles of garbage, the overwhelming smells, the scene of small one room homes made with tin walls and roofs, and some children’s bare feet walking on seashells and glass was the sound of children singing “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good” over and over. Hearing that song from the two little girls in my arms and on my back seemed like such a contrast to what one would think they would feel considering the destitute conditions surrounding us.

During our debrief at the end of the day, Jeff asked if we sensed God’s presence today. I immediately thought of the girls I carried to the beach today. They were filled with God’s love, His hope, His Spirit. Maybe this is what Jeff was talking about when he said we need to empty ourselves completely so we can let God fill us – just like the water buckets today when we dumped any small amount of old, dirty water remaining in the bucket so we could fill it with the fresh, clean water. If we dump the remainder of our old sinful selves out and let His clean Holy Spirit fill us, maybe then we too could sing with the children without questioning: “God is so good, is so good, is so good, is so good…”

Vicki
Healing Haiti Team Member

Blessings...

Everyone seemed to have slept well and was anxious to get onto the Mission field. Our travels were in an open-air van/bus, but since the roads are so bad, we are only able to travel at 3-5mph. We took in all the surroundings very thoroughly. Our first stop was at the home for sick and dying babies from 9am-12pm. We helped care for the babies by feeding, changing, holding, and loving over them. I was able to go into the school area and play with all the older kids at recess. What a great way to see, meet and interact with 100+ kids.

Our next stop was Gertrude’s Orphanage for Abandoned and Special Needs Children. We played and interacted with the kids from 12-3pm. The children were unbridled with energy and enthusiasm, so needless to say we had a run for our money to keep up. Towards the end of our time here, I ventured into a bedroom with 3-5 very handicapped boys. They were unable to come outside where our group was. I felt very uncomfortable because I didn't know how to interact with any of them. I sat down on one of the beds and started to talk to them. All of the sudden this boy named Mickey started to speak English, so we talked for awhile and had a conversation. As we were. the other boys were moving around on the floor, but I was able to relax and feel God comforting me. Mickey's amazing ability to speak very fluent English really reminded me that if I stepped out of myself - God would be there to walk or carry me through.

We then headed back to the home for sick and dying babies from 3-5pm. Once there the group fed and held the babies, while Tom and I helped unload a semi trailer of donated biscuits with some local Haitian men. It was a bonding experience to sweat it out with them and complete a daunting physical task.

We finished and arrived back to our home away from home. Five of us went swimming next door and then we had a great meal together. Jeff had asked everyone to come up with a word to describe our day, so after dinner we shared our word and mine was “blessing” . Blessing - to be a part of a great team of people; the Haiti trip; and used by God. The other side of blessing is: What a blessing it is to be ministered by God through the joy, laughter, smiles, and spirits of these children and babies.

We ended our evening with prayer and songs.

Trusting in Him

Chad

Healing Haiti Team Member

Palms Up

Our lives will be changed forever!  This trip started at 3:45 am Monday morning as we all met at the airport in Minneapolis to begin our adventure to Haiti.  We were all excited and ready to go.  Everything went as planned and we were on the plane in Miami ready to fly to Haiti.  We sat on the plane for an hour after boarding and were told that we just needed the mechanic to sign off and we were off.  The plane took off and stayed at 7,000 feet.  The pilot announced that they were having difficulties with a flap and were going to check all their instruments.  Little did I know we were circling Miami as the pilots decided what to do!  I am not afraid of flying, but I am not a fan of take-offs and landings.  Scared does not begin to describe the emotions I felt as we were in the air!
 I closed my eyes and began to pray.  “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9) kept running through my mind.  As my mind started to focus on these words I begin to feel a calmness come over me.  I then was reminded of a comment Jeff (our leader) made as we were waiting to take off.  He said we need to go to God with our palms up.  We can’t cling to our plans or desires when we say we want to do God’s will.  We have to be palms up, not grasping for earthly wishes.  I don’t think I have ever felt such a peacefulness.  I knew God would take care of us.

The pilot announced that we were going to be heading back to Miami and that the emergency crews would be out just in case our brakes were a little hot, but he was trained to land a fully fueled plane and we would be boarding a new plane shortly after landing.  His landing was the softest landing I have experienced!  As we landed, we were all looking out our windows and watching these neon green fire engines following us.
I knew at that moment that Christ had used this experience to prepare my heart for what I would see and do in Haiti.

We flew out of Miami 4 hours later than scheduled and safely arrived in Port-au-Prince Haiti around 7:30 pm.

We loaded the Healing Haiti truck with our bags, all 10 of us climbed in and we were off to serve the Haitian community for the next 7 days.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us.  One thing I do know-I do not need to be terrified or fear anything I encounter on this trip because I am here with my palms up ready to follow HIS plan!

Jill Jopp
Healing Haiti Team Member