Healing Haiti-Alleluia Team Day 7

This blog is a cooperative effort, with various team members contributing thoughts, reflections, and lots of emotions. We are writing at the end of this day, after our final team meeting, so we are all pretty raw! The realization of ALL that we have experienced this past week together is overwhelming, very rich and meaningful, and deeply satisfying. As our team sat together in our guest house tonight, it was hard to believe we hadn't even met a week ago tonight! The love, the closeness, the easy camaraderie we feel for one another is palpable, and we are very sad that tomorrow our ONE Healing Haiti team will once again have to separate (at least physically) into Team MN and Team CA. As I sat in our circle and thought about what I will miss most when we fly out of Port-au-Prince   tomorrow, it will definitely be the children; holding and hugging and rocking and pouring every inch of love I can into every single one of these a little ones who live in such dire poverty in Cite Soleil. The joy that results - the smiles, the shrieks, the sounds of laughter, the comfort, the security, the brief respite that physical touch brings to these little lives...there is nothing like it this side of heaven. Because of the way things are in our American culture these days, this rich opportunity with kids does not exist anymore. And this breaks my heart. It's also an example of how Haiti has important things to teach America. This is Dan, signing off.

This is Mary Lou starting out by saying my word of the day "Hope". I think the word hope is very fitting, because we were fortunate enough to be here for the dedication & first mass of Healing Haiti's Hope church in Cite Soleil. Hope church was said to be impossible & within a short period of time & LOTS of hope, we got to witness something absolutely wonderful today. Knowing that the church will provide a place to worship & go to school gives me hope to believe light will come to this forgotten city, but will NEVER be forgotten in my heart!❤️Bondye Beniou-God Bless You!❤️

Manda here, I'm writing on the night before we leave this amazing country of Haiti. Each evening we  are asked by Carol and Marni (our beautiful and outstanding group leaders), to pick a word of the day. Tonight I shared the word "miraculous". I picked this word because I felt as if I witnessed a miracle today. The miracle was the opening of Hope Church. How could this be anything less than miraculous? It was a church built on a place that was a garbage dump. It was a church built by people from Haiti- one of the poorest countries in the world. It was a church built in one of the poorest areas in the whole entire world! God is so great. He is nothing less than spectacular to achieve the miracle of this place. I sat in awe as I watched the hundreds of Haitians pour into the doors. I watched in amazement as I saw their arms raise up to praise the Lord. These beautiful people now have a place to go to worship and to learn more about God. Today was simply miraculous! 🙏🏾⛪️

Hi this is Al and just finishing with what's on my mind right now. First is about our team, and all that needs saying is was all were fun to be around and we were great, as we functioned great as a team using our different gifts to serve those we were blessed to meet. Today, was a day I simply can't explain in any words that can do justice. We attended a service and dedication of Hope Church as was mentioned above and as the people piled in and the numbers were many hundreds, and some maybe had on one piece of clothing and some had nice dresses or pants and shirt, they were all there and all got to experience this miracle that God had brought to happen. Where there was once garbage, there arose the house of God and we all experienced The miracle today and His presence. Feel totally blessed and incapable of what I saw:( I'm amazed and in awe! Will totally miss my team and the Haitian people!

Hi, this is Christina from California and this was my first mission trip. Going to Haiti was amazing for me to go to. It made me see another part of the world and this trip changed my life. I hope to go on another mission trip in the future.

Hi, this is Hollie and it's been a phenomenal day here in Haiti! I got to see the opening of Hope Church which was a surreal experience. My time here has shown me so many parts of the world and myself I never existed. I will forever cherish all my time here and all the incredibly amazing people I've met and the friendships I've made.

Orevwa,
From the West Coast Best Coast Meets Minnesota Nice Team