Thursday

Today, our 4th day here in Haiti, we visited the elders and got a tour of Grace Village. It has surprisingly been my favorite day so far. On Monday we played soccer with the neighbor boys and I loved that, it was so much fun! Tueday was water truck day, we had 3 stops, and I also really liked that, especially the 1st stop. On both days I loved seeing all the kids and they just instantly swarm you and want love. It's crazy how fast you make connections. I will admit I got a lot of attention from some teenage boys, a couple of them asked for my number and if I have Facebook. LOL. I really liked seeing the teenagers though, talking to them, having real conversations like I do with my own friends about life and school. Then yesterday we went to the home for sick and dying babies and an orphanage for disabled kids. I didn't really enjoy yesterday because I just felt really awkward and uncomfortable. Since last night though I have had a really good feeling about today. Before we came on this trip  my mom had told me all about the elders because when she came to Haiti last year it was her favorite part. I didn't think I would enjoy it that much. I honestly thought I would be grossed out and wouldn't want to touch them but that all changed the second we saw the first elder, a man named Dieufort. I even cleaned one of the elders feet and put lotion on her. I was so surprised at how much I loved today. Every stop we went to was just magical. That's the only word I can think to describe it. But when we all stood around and sang and prayed, it felt magical. I never want to forget that feeling. All of the elders made me think of my own grandparents, especially my Great Grandma. Then,, when we were on the tap tap later on, my mom said they reminded her of Great Grandma too and I realized how lucky I am to have her and be close to her. Our last stop was a woman who is 43 years old, and it was her and her daughter. We got to go inside their home which was smaller than my bedroom and had nothing but still felt like a home. There was one bed that she shares with both her kids with curtains hanging up above. There was an old picture of an ocean that was faded and broken. There was a table with all of their belongings and a little kitchen area. They do the best they can with what they have. She was worried about school starting soon because she can't afford books and uniforms for her kids. It showed me that they are really no diffrent than us, kids are still kids wherever you go and she was still a mom, just like mine, only wanting the best for her children. She, like my mom, would do anything for her kids. We also got to get a tour of Grace Village today and it was INCREDIBLE. Such a beautiful, amazing place, with beautiful people. I can't wait to go back on Saturday! Today was just a GREAT day!


Amanda

Haiti - Faith in Motion

This morning the group arose early to attend a local church service at 6:00 AM.  To all this was an amazing and awe inspiring experience, even drawing several members to tears of wonder and joy. 

Here surrounded by so much want and need the people, many of whom have little as we all were reminded by our trips into Cite Soleil yesterday, and the surrounding tin shacks and tent cities, came together and built a place of worship, their place of worship.

What struck me immediately was the raw power and totality of the faith therein.  Here everyday, from 6-8 AM, the people come to worship, to thank Jesus for providing and caring for them, and for being their savior and their strength throughout.  Everyday.   From outside you begin to feel the energy, with loud, joy filled, thankful singing rising up from within.  As we entered it became clear we were witnessing faith in motion.  The large but simple structure was filled with people, singing, releasing their sins, or more powerfully deep in personal prayer – walking to and fro, up this row of folding chairs and back that one, in the aisles, along the walls, everywhere.  Arms raised, hands opened, moving, moving, moving - physically and spiritually.   How can I begin to touch this level of faith?  Awesome.      

After another bountiful breakfast provided by Focine, and the Healing Haiti kitchen staff we journeyed to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies, and then on to Gertrude’s home for children with special needs. Some had expressed concern or reservations about this day, anticipating sadness or being overwhelmed by a desperate or hopeless scene, but it was not this that we found. 

Though some circumstances were dire indeed, the opportunity to touch one of these children, to connect and raise a smile, was all that mattered- overpowering all else.   There were many children in each place, but what was important was to be there with that child in front of you, at that time and place, to make a connection.  As we gave our small gifts of time and love to these little ones, I was struck that they in turn with each priceless smile, glee filled laugh, or just a simple sigh expressed while being held, channeled back Gods boundless love.  We were called to give love and attention to some of God’s littlest ones, and I believe God put them in our paths to move and feed the faith within each of us.   

 

-Chris 

One!

Feeling complete today after delivering water and loving on the children. My heart was left in Cite Soleil last August in 2012 during my first trip. I experienced so many emotions with my heart breaking and asking God why? Why these children? Why can't I help all of them. In America, I could call 911. I could get them new shoes, underwear, something. After praying to God to prepare me for the day and ask for his strength and guidance, I was able to get out of the tap-tap, hold a child and SMILE! I did become emotional at some point, but I knew at that very moment I was holding ONE child and giving them what they needed. I was making a difference with that ONE child. It did not have to be material rather I gave them the hug, love and smile they needed for that moment. I was reminded by my team leaders last year about the starfish story that saving at least one starfish may make the difference! I did that today. My team did that today... We touched at least ONE child. God is amazing and he was with each of us today holding our hands walking this difficult journey. I feel so blessed to be experiencing this trip all over again. God is so good!

Contentment

Wow!! I am really back in Haiti! 2 days in and this experience is so very different yet the same as a year ago. I feel different about it, things look different, it smells different. But the kids, the people, they are the same, they love us, they love the Healing Haiti staff, they love school and they love Jesus! Yesterday was new as we got to play soccer with some neighbor boys, awesome experience, they are great soccer players! Today was water truck day, we traveled back into City Soleil. We made 3 stops. Last year this was my favorite day ( next to visiting the elders ), I was so happy to go back, it is a different world then we live in. Last year it was a lot of loving on the little kids, but with Amanda here we seemed to attract many more teennage boys ( go figure!, they all say I love you to her! )Loved hearing  them talk of getting to attend school as that is a privilage here. We also hear alot of God Bless you and thank yous from them. I feel absolutely content, so very Blessed to be here!

Welcome to Haiti - Just say Yes!

Greetings from Haiti - We made it!

Our morning started early at 1:45am when the wake up calls started being delivered.  Thankfully the plane rides were uneventful, but you could tell the anticipation begin to rise when we took off from Miami to Port-au-Prince.  As we exited the plane we knew our adventure was beginning.  Our Healing Haiti staff rescued us after we busily retrieved all of our bags.  We all boarded the Tap-Tap (basically a truck with a huge cage in the back with benches) and took off for the Guest House.  With people all along the side of the road selling a large variety of items we noisily passed them on the rough bumpy roads. The sites and smells of Haiti were now real.  I have to say it wasn’t all that bad.  They have been working on rebuilding the area since the 2010 earthquake and it shows.  I was reminded that we were traveling though the good part of the city when I saw a city of tin shacks off in the distance. 

Once we made it to the Guest House we quickly unloaded our bags, but our leaders had the great idea of rounding up some of the local boys and heading to the soccer fields.  Once our staff helpers alerted the boys that the game was on, they rushed towards the Tap-Tap and boarded on with us.  The boys were very comfortable with us and shortly down the road they broke out in song.  The first song was Glory to God and was sung in both English and Creole.  The mood was set for a friendly game of soccer.  The fields were busy with young boys and the soccer games looked intense.  After our makeshift soccer field was made we put on our previously donated Eden Prairie jerseys.  The local boys quickly got the game going and man can they play!  Most had shoes, but some boys were running in the grass with bare feet, somehow seamlessly missing the large rocks and chunks of broken concrete.  You could tell that this was probably a major highlight for them all and we all thoroughly enjoyed playing with them.  Sure they probably took it a little easy on us, but our team did manage to make a few goals (I’ll always remember the one that I somehow got to go in)!

                                      
After the game we headed back to Guest House #2 and enjoyed a wonderful taco dinner.  Needless to say we were all very hungry!  After sorting out our donations we started to relax a bit.

So the first day was awesome, but I think we all know that the next few will be much harder both emotionally and physically.  We can all tell that God is here and working though us to help glorify Him.  On Sunday I asked someone at church that went last January if he had any tips for a rookie and he told me to “Just say yes”.  To try new things and volunteer when asked to do so.  It doesn’t take long once you are down here to get into the helping mode.  I’m excited for our team to tackle this mission this week and I’m ready to say “Yes”.  God will be with us helping us with all that we will encounter.  For this I am thankful.

Justin Langager

Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it. -erwin lutzer

This sums up the motivation we come away with as we round out our week with the beautiful people of Haiti. We are changed. And better for it. The risks taken to come here are well worth the growth in faith, relationships and memories etched in our hearts. Someone on a previous trip said to me before I came that the most amazing feeling was to, at one point, feel so completely broken but by the end of the week so wholly restored and renewed. The Haitian people are rich in God's love in a depth we have never known and poor in material ways we cannot imagine. These contrasts exist to teach and remind us of what is truly important in our time here on earth. What lies ahead and exactly how we can carry forward all we've experienced only God's plans, patience and trust in Him will reveal. We are off on one more adventure today - Admittedly I'm most excited to first attend church with a message delivered in English. We need to listen.
-Darcy

The word of the week should be PROGRESS!  There has been a lot of changes here from a year ago. First starting with the airport. It was nice to arrive in Haiti and not have to wrestle in a small space to get our luggage. We grabbed our bags off the baggage line and off we went. When we reached the Healing Haiti guest house, we saw that there was a tap tap that had pads on the seats. Wow! After unpacking, we were able to go and see the construction of the new guest house. Amazing! On our trips I have seen that there has been some clean up efforts. New walls have been constructed throughout Haiti. Progress! After going on a tour of Grace Village, (Healing Haiti's orphanage) we were able to see glorious change. A new medical/dental clinic is being constructed. A new school on campus is open for not only the children that live at Grace Village, but also well over 200 children from the surrounding village of Titanyen. A blessing! There is an awesome new hydroponic system that has been built to feed the orphan children. The waste from the fish is then filtered through and supplies the plants food to grow. Incredible! We went into Citie' Soliel (the poorest city in the western hemisphere) and visited a school that Healing Haiti has sponsored and were told that if Healing Haiti didn't sponsor them there would be no school for the children. They would have had to close the school (due to the earthquake in 2010). At the home of sick and dying children, they use to have to function in a substandard building. Now all the nuns and children get to be in a beautiful building with a lovely playground. We also visited an orphanage for disabled children. The children use to get to play in a small 'driveway' and were crowded in a small first floor of a home. Now, they get to go to school in a brand new building and play in a big space with a swing set that even has a swing for wheel chairs!! Fantastic!

Haiti has endured so much throughout the years, but this very poor country is still not giving up. There is still hope. I heard today that Riser Relief donated a toy to every child in Citie' Soleil for Christmas. Can you imagine the impact? Can you imagine being a child that literally has nothing and receiving a gift especially for them? There are so many organizations and people here in Haiti that are doing God's work. Unbelievable!!

My last experience here broke my heart to pieces! This time, I feel broken, but know that God is here. He is here taking care of his people through many people. Many lives are being changed here. As the Haitian people love to sing....God is so good, he's so good to me! The people of Haiti have so much right here. They believe in God so deeply. They dedicate their whole being to our Lord. While there is so much that still could change, there is so much good here! I love the Lord myself, I just need to work at praying deeper, engrossing myself in his word more and live the life that he sacrificed so much for! I am a work in progress!

Rachel Krueger