You Are My Friend Till the End

Hello! This is Fanfan, Amy and Lauren! Today is our last day in Haiti. This is a bittersweet moment for all of us. We had the great privilege of having Fanfan lead us in worship and prayer this morning. What a wonderful man of God he is! After this we packed up bags of shoes, toiletries, toys and packs of food that the White Bear Campus packed for Feed My Starving Children. We got to deliver these to a tent city that was in the neighborhood. The people were so excited to see us pull up. It broke our hearts to not be able to give something to everyone. During our visit there were many children following us up and down the narrow pathways between the tents. They became our tour guides through the city. It became a bit chaotic toward the end and we quickly headed out.

We took a Tap Tap tour of the Presidential Palace. It was incredible to see the destruction that occurred during the earthquake, what is even more surreal is that a large tent city now stands directly across the street. The cities largest cathedral was also destroyed. We were excited to see that there were several cleaning and rebuilding projects going on around us.

After a brief tutorial from FanFan and Jean on bartering, we set out for the mountains and a few hours of shopping. Some of us had a more difficult time with the artwork vendors.....enough said. Have no fear, there was a huge influx of American cash into the Haitian economy.

We stopped for pizza at our favorite pizza joint and shared our new favorite chicken pizza. As we were just starting to eat we experienced a refreshing downpour. I don't think we had seen Jean and FanFan move that quickly. No worries not one slice of pizza was lost.

During our final reflection time, it became evident that few of us are leaving Haiti as the same person who arrived last Monday. God has used Haiti to transform each one of us.

We bid the children and people of Haiti farewell and until we meet again Ke Bondye Beni'ou.

In Christ,

Lauren, Amy and FanFan

The Lords Pharmacy

Bonswa! This is Angela, Barb and Ryan, Today we had the choice to join the group on the water truck or go to help out at the wound clinic. We chose the wound clinic. Jean dropped us off with the sisters early, 17 of us were loaded into a 12 passenger mini van with no AC and windows that opened half way, and at 8AM it was already 85 degrees:) We wound our way thru Cite Soliel to a clinic in the lower level of their school.

We spent an amazing time watching and assisting the sisters and nurse volunteers organize severe wound patients and Mom's with sick kids. Nothing can sum up what we witnessed. The sisters served hundreds of Haitian's in merely hours. Giving them life saving medicines, advise and biscuits for the little ones. We were truly in the presence of angels. How did they diagnose and dispense all the correct prescriptions, salves, amoxicillin, literally hundreds of different medicines, for sure the hand of God was guiding them.

It was truly a morning spent with angels, I don't think any of us will ever forget being crammed into a tiny van listening to the calming prayer and quiet singing of Jesus's warriors.

Blessings from Haiti,

Angela, Ryan and Barb

Living Water Trip #2

Hello everyone, it is me Amy. I am one of the more seasoned members of the team. Yep, I am over 25 years of age. Today our team split and 3 members went to the Clinic to help out and the rest experienced our second day out on the water truck. After 2 days of recovery from our first trip we were ready to face the masses. It started out with ride on the side of the water truck and managing to hold on and not burn one's arm on the muffler. We entered the first town of Cite Soleil to the clapping hands of a beautiful family. Everyone on the team jumped right in and if you weren't filling buckets, you were moving them thru la lin (the line). Of course we were never short of kids to hold, play with or love.

Today we did experience that Cite Soleil has all the components of any other city, the good and the bad. We were able to extend love and grace as God the Father has shown to us. We were not discouraged, but kept our eyes on the goal of being servants to all. God blessed us with the presence of a new friend named Patrick. A wonderful boy who had the voice of a young Michael Jackson and the moves to go along with it. He entertained us between water stops and managed to dance with a few of us ladies. He is such a playa. I returned the favor by teaching him the stanky leg. I don't know who was more impressed him or my team members. We were also able to give a young boy Renaldo a new belt. It was wonderful to see the other boys help him put it on and celebrate his good fortune. A few of us were also blessed by getting to meet Alex's mother. She is truly a sweet woman and was thrilled to hear us tell her what a wonderful son she has. Her smile would melt your heart.

We are all still amazed at the reaction of the people of Haiti toward what we would consider the simple things of life.....a smile, a touch, clean water. Today it really began to sink in that we not only were delivering life giving water for the body, but for the soul as well.

After a brief stop at the guesthouse and for some a "dip in the pool",we reunited with our teammates from the clinic. We were all excited to see if some of the children at Home of the Sick and Dying Children we had held and fed were improving. I am happy to tell you that some have been moved to the upper floor as they have gotten stronger . It did seem that for many of the cribs, there were now two children. Ours hearts broke and rejoiced for them as we knew this place was their best chance for a healthy childhood. It was also an opportunity to reconnect with some of the mothers and siblings that have essentially made Home of the Sick and Dying, a second home while caring for their sick little ones.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Know that this team has remained strong and tightly knit. I can't think of a better group of people to experience my first trip to Haiti with. I love you all. Orevwa (au revoir),

Amy

Simplicity

Hi all! This is Lauren again!

I titled my blog simplicity today because that was my word of the day. I chose this word because this is something that I have been feeling since I've arrived in Haiti. Life here is so simple and so joyful. At home we tend to focus on all the material things and that those are the things that will make us happy and bring us the joy and comfort we think is important. I tend to disagree with this now that I have experienced this great place. The people of Haiti take great joy in relationships, spending time with people and the blessings that God has given them. It has given me a new perspective on my life and what I find to be important and know that I have been forever changed by these amazing Godly people.

Today we started off the day by going to the market in Titayen. I felt like the minority for sure, as I'm sure most of the team did. This was an experience I will never forget. The people were selling fruits, vegetables, clothes, shoes, goats, medicines and home-made food just to name a few. I have never seen so many bananas before in my life! After the market we went back up to Grace Village for a little bit so Charlie could see it since he stayed back at the house yesterday. It is just so beautiful up there. The local children saw us coming and ran after the truck up to the village. I met a new boy today named Nelson who was 12. He was the sweetest little boy ever. He had bracelets in his hand and asked if I wanted to buy one. I told him I didn't have any money and that was the end of the conversation. When we were getting ready to leave I gave him a hug and kiss and he handed the bracelet to me saying it was a gift from him to me. This moved me in a very big way. What a simple gesture that will forever be on my heart.

The rest of the day we got to visit the elders and go to Ivonne's orphange. I loved seeing the elders that Healing Haiti sponsors. They are the sweetest people. Charlie had the opportunity to bring a sleeping mat to a 103 year old woman whom he had met on a previous trip and saw she was in need of one. It was amazing to see the joy this brought to not only her face but also Charlie's to see that this will make a difference in her life. We also had the opportunity to visit Jude Jean Paul a 19 year old handicapped boy. He was beautiful in every way. We got the chance to pray over him and visit with his mom in their home. What an impact he had on the entire team. His life is such a blessing and I know God has a great plan for him! We also visited a couple, Pierre August and Laurissain who live right by Grace Village. I think for everyone they had the most impact on us. We were able to give them 2 bags of toiletries that gave them such great joy. We think of these things as necessities and things that we just always should have and to them these things were such a blessing. Pierre started jumping around, crying and praising God for the things we had brought him. He was giving everyone hugs and couldn't stop exuding pure joy for the things he had just received. This experience was incredibly moving and humbling.

We went to our second orphanage of the trip today. It was Ivonne's orphange. These children will also be moved up to Grace Village once it is completed. I love going and seeing these beautiful children. We arrived and they sang worship songs to us and prayed. God was smiling down on that place today with all those amazingly beautiful faces. We were able to play with bubbles, do jump rope, paint nails and make bracelets. Again simple activities that brought great joy to these children and to us as well. I spent the whole time with a sweet little 7 year old girl who never told me her name and would barely smile. She clung to me and wouldn't leave my side to play with any of the children. She just wanted to be held and loved. She will forever be in my heart. I just loved her! Again just a blessed day here in Haiti filled with many great experiences. I have been able to experience God's love in a new way and it will forever change the person I am!

Glwa pou Bondye

Hope for Orphans

My name is Judy Anton. Today we briefly toured Elder School. We were so impressed with the enthusiasm of the students there, and some in our group were happy to see calculus (I think) on the chalkboard :) It was a joy to see the opportunities this will lead to for the future of these children.

From there we moved onto Grace Village, a work in progress where orphans from two current orphanages will be combined in a beautiful facility on a mountainside, with a stunning view of the ocean. We were told that Alyn chose the site, and selected the colors, layout, etc. It was absolutely perfect and we know the future tenants will feel like they've moved into a palace. It's so evident that God is guiding this project. Three local children followed us into the compound and we shared our snack lunch & water with them, and had another opportunity to witness how the children (and adults) are so kind and loving to one another and, with the little they have, are always wanting to share and take care of each other.

From there we moved on to Guillaume's Orphanage, stopping on the way to dip our toes into the ocean and get photos with that gorgeous background - again just stunning. At Guillaume's, we were greeted by a round of songs, with hand motions, adorable. What a greeting - we loved it! We had brought crafts & activities for the children and divided up into four stations, something for everyone... string bracelets, nail polish, soccer balls, 3D wooden puzzles, and probably more but I was so wrapped up in the bracelets that I didn't see much of the rest. Oh yes, balloons and markers to write on them - names, faces, messages... Here, and everywhere we go, we are struck with the joy the children express in having these opportunities. And they are SO affectionate, the moment we walk in some are attached to us and that fills me with joy, as I know it does the rest of my team.

It was such a huge blessing to see where the orphans are moving to, and visiting them in the afternoon made it all the more meaningful, to actually meet children who will call Grace Village home! I felt immense gratitude toward God for giving them this new home.

Lastly, it's apparent everywhere we go that Jesus is at the center of all that is done through Healing Haiti for the Haitians in need. Not only are there physical needs being met, but their hope for eternity with him. My heart was broken today and I'll never forget the experiences of this day! Love to all from all of us!!!

So Many Little Ones, Not Enough Of Us!

Hey everyone, this is Ryan. Today was another awesome day for our team in Haiti. The things we experience here continue to alter our perspectives and push us beyond barriers we had before. To start off this morning, most of our team got up early to go to a local church that Fanfan attends. Here, there was amazing worship with members of the church. The praise and worship in Haiti is very active. It was fun for us to see how involved the Haitians get in their worship. They lose themselves in the music and praise of God.

After eating breakfast and our daily devotional from Charlie, we drove to a home for sick and dying babies. In this place, dozens of cribs are packed into two small rooms. The women who work there go about nonstop fixing IVs and cleaning, changing, and feeding babies. Here we had the opportunity to hold, feed, and care for these babies. Many are malnourished and sick. I think it was a special, yet difficult time for many members of the team. It was hard to see so many sick children in poor condition. However, it was cool to see how we could go from hauling heavy buckets of water one day, to gently feeding a small baby the next day. We are truly being used as Jesus' hands and feet in many ways. The babies there crave attention and love, and simply holding them, bringing them outside for a bit, and caring for them is a way we can make a difference.

After we helped feed lunch to the children there, we also were able to visit a place called Gertrude's; a home for special needs children. It was fun getting to know and playing with the children here. Everyone on the team really threw themselves into the activities; swinging the children, pushing them in carts, playing with balls, etc. The kids here loved playing with us and didn't want us to leave. To finish off the day, we went back to the home for sick and dying babies, and helped feed them dinner.

After a pizza dinner, we had group reflection time followed by some praise and worship as a team. This was a great way to connect with God after our day and have fun together as a team. On one last note, today is Charlie's birthday! We celebrated with a delicious cake after dinner. Happy birthday, Charlie!

I saw God today.

Hi guys, it's Danielle.

Today was fulfilling to say the least. Our team has meshed so well and everyone has had an open heart throughout our journey thus far. To say that I felt and experienced God today is an understatement. God is everywhere here. I have never felt so comfortable in such a foreign place. As i look at each Haitian face, I see God. There is nothing like greeting someone here with a simple "hello" and getting such an emotional loving response. This is something that we don't see very often in America and makes being in Haiti such a blessing.

Today, we brought water to the people of Cite Soleil. As I rode the water truck to our first stop, I was completely overwhelmed, but that feeling didn't last long. Here in Haiti, there is no hesitations and being selfish is simply not an option. Our whole team jumped right in and to witness such an act of God was simply incredible and to see His face in each of my teammates was one for the books. I have seen transformations already and it's wonderful. Who knew water, which we all take for granted, meant so much? I think that this experience of helping fill the water buckets and carry them to their destinations will be remembered by us all.

Our time in Haiti thus far is unexplainable. Pictures and stories simply do not do this place justice. I have met so many friends and have so many "God" moments and it's only the second day. Our Healing Haiti hosts have been such a joy and have been generous beyond belief and for this I am forever thankful. God is here. Tomorrow we will be visiting the Home for sick and dying babies and I pray that God blesses us all with an unforgettable experience.

God Bless,

Danielle

We Made It!

This Is Lauren NOT Charlie!

Team 3 made it to Haiti! What an experience it has already been! When we arrived in Miami one of our team members was feeling under the weather. She had taken medicine which wasn't working. We laid hands on her and prayed over her for a quick healing- and by golly the good Lord answered our prayers! Within the next hour she was back to 100% and ready for the last leg of the journey here. It was truly amazing!
When arriving at the Port-au-Prince airport I had no idea what to expect. Nothing could have prepared me. It is nothing like an airport that we would see in the United States. We walked off the plane, down the hall and outside to a shuttle that took us to immigration. We got in line to turn in our papers and to get our luggage. This place was chaos! Lots of people and not a lot of space. With patience and love we worked with each other to collect all of our bags. We exited the airport with a flood of men surrounding us to help us get all our luggage to our top top where Jean was waiting. Again, pure chaos! We made it to Jean and boy were we excited to see him!
We got all our bags in the back of the top top and climbed in. Nothing could have prepared me for the sights and smells I was experiencing. There were pigs eating the garbage on the sides of the road, there are no traffic laws, no stop signs or speed limits- I have never heard so much honking in my life! We were able to say hi to people that were on the streets as we were driving along and to see them greet us and smile back was a gift.
We arrived at a beautiful house where Fan Fan, our other Haitian staff member was waiting for us! What a welcome he gave! We unloaded the luggage, got our room assignments and then got acclimated with the grounds. We were able to go over and see the hotel swimming pool which was also beautiful. There were chickens roaming the streets by the house, as well as dogs. There was a soccer game going on up the road with a ton of kids playing. When the children saw us on the street they came running from all directions to get our attention.I have never seen children so excited to see someone they had never met with huge smiles on their faces. Those faces just melt your heart, they are so precious. They introduced themselves and wanted to know who we were. We didn't get to stay in the streets long to play or talk but it was just a taste of what we will be experiencing the rest of this trip. We have had a great first day in Haiti and I can't wait to see what God has in store. What an honor and blessing it has been already to be able to come to such a beautiful place.

AMAZING

Today was Amazing! What a great end to a great week. We started the day with Church at our house with Fanfan. It was so wonderful to start the day this way. After Church we went to the tent cities to deliver donations that we brought down from MN. We also included food that was packaged by Feed My Starving Children. I was excited to deliver the soccer balls my son's bought with their own money. The kids were so excited!

The rest of the day we made our way up the mountain to tour the life in Haiti and do some shopping. We went from the very busy town of Port Au Prince through Petron Ville to Boutilier at the top of the mountain. What a beautiful trip! We traveled from the very poor to the very rich. Shopping at the street market was wonderful. The Haitians are such great artists and work hard to barter with you to make a living.

We ended the night with a walk to the Visa Lodge for dinner. It was a great ending to an AMAZING trip. I loved every moment here but I do miss my family. I love you all and will see you soon.

God Bless! (Ke Bondye Beni'ou)

Love

Love...so much meaning in such a small word.

Today is our last full day in Haiti and as I am sitting here this morning reflecting back on the week all I feel is love. A love for a country that I had only read about in the paper, only seen pictures of in magazines and newspapers, a love for Haiti and its people. At the beginning of the week, all I could see is the garbage, the broken streets, the mass cluster of homes bunched together, the smells around me. Now I see the faces of the people, their smiles; the people on the streets saying "Bonjour", the children yelling "hey, you!", the people working in the market. It is the people.

God is present in Haiti and it is evident on their faces. God cares about the people. Yesterday, we made a second visit to the Orphanage of Sick and Dying Children, amidst all the babies and children were the workers. While feeding a baby, I observed the ladies that work there. They selflessly share their love to these children everyday and they come back again the next day and the next. They work so hard to give God's love and touch to these children.

All around me from the people at the Healing Haiti Guest House, those who deliver water everyday, the workers at the orphanages, you can see that they have a love for their country, for Haiti. It is on their faces. These people do not have much, but they praise God for what they do have. They are grateful for all that they recieve. I do not feel sad for these people, I feel sad for myself and hope to leave with a greater appreciation for what I have and remember that all I have comes from and belongs to the Lord.
"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."
—Mother Teresa

Comparison

Today we went back to Cite Soleil for the second time to deliver water. It was nice to see some of the same children again. They remember you and run right to you. I loved it! At our first stop I met a 17 year old boy named James. He told me that he is very poor and that his parents are not able to buy him school supplies. He said that he loves school and knows he needs to be educated to reach his dreams. He prays to God to send someone who can help him buy a backpack, pencils, paper, English book, shoes, shirt etc. I felt God tug at my heart to help him. I told him that I will get him the supplies he needs and to let me know if he needs anything else. It felt so good to help him.

In the afternoon we went back to The Home for Sick and Dying Babies. A lot more babies seemed sick today. I helped feed them dinner, change diapers and held them. I felt so grateful that I could help out. God bless the sisters and workers who run this home. They have sacrificed so much for these children.

Today I compared life in Cite Soleil to the Orphanages. In Cite Soleil children have both or one parent and are the poorest of the poor in Haiti. The children are a lot more aggressive for love and attention vs the orphanges. At the orphanges the children are more laid back and well discipled. The people who run them love the children so much. The orphans too want love and attention but it is different. In Cite Soleil the people need water and human touch to survive. At the orphanges they want a friend to play with them or a parent to take them home. Both are in such need but in different ways. God thank you for letting me see what Haiti needs. They need you. With you they all have such joy in their eyes.

Hope

Today we visited the Elders School where they teach 700 Haitian Children. There were no kids in school today but we toured the school and classrooms. It was a very dark and gloomy place. Healing Haiti has rebuilt cement floors, walls and delivers clean water once per week. It gives me hope to see Healing Haiti and others donate supplies for this school that is in great need.

Next we visited the mass grave site of all those who perished in the 2010 earthquake. We drove up into the mountains and saw a hillside of crosses. I began to cry. But then my hope was restored when I read a cross that said, "we will not forget, we will remember."

We then headed to another mountain top to see Grace Village. This village is in the process of being built by Healing Haiti. What a beautiful sight! Not just the new buildings being built but the beautiful view. Beautiful Haiti - Mountains and ocean below. Grace Village will be the new home of Guiliaume's and Yvonne's Orphanages. It will consist of a cafeteria building, bunk houses and play area. So far it is bright and beautiful! Such a change from where they are now.

Then we started to make our way to Yvonne's Orphanage. On the way we stopped at two Haitian elders homes. Healing Haiti helps support these elders. The first man was 78 years old, blind and mostly deaf. We just talked with him and held his hand. He blessed us and thanked God that we came to visit him. The next elder was a women who was 107 years old. She was walking around and talking like she was 50 years old. She had such joy in her eyes when we hugged her. She showed us her home which was a very small shack that she could only fit in. She was so thankful and loving. Again I feel the hope that Healing Haiti is giving the Haitians.

As we arrive at Yvonne's Orphanage I feel myself getting excited to meet the children. Again we play with the kids and do activities like jumping rope, painting, making airplanes, nail painting and head massages. Before we begin, they sing us a few songs and then pray. They were so kind and appreciative of us. I could of played with them all day.

Thank you God for these wonderful people who run the Orphanages. Without them these children would have no one. Without you God they would have no hope. Please pray for these people who take care of the orphans and that God gives Healing Haiti all it needs to spread more hope.

Peaceful

Yesterday 8/4 we went to Gertrude's Orphanage. This Orphange is the home for special needs children. As we walk into the home we are flooded with children. They are so eager to touch someone. We spent time playing, blowing bubbles, drawing pictures and holding the children. My favorite part was massaging oil onto the children's scalps. The children just loved the oil on their dry scalpes and were in such need of some healing touch. They even returned the love by putting oil in my hiar. How cute! It was so peaceful watching them all relax and enjoy.

Then we went to Guiliaume's Orphanage. The children all lined up to sing us songs about God. It was so beuatiful. Then we did a little spa day with nail painting, massages, necklace making and hair glitter. I did some more head massages with the oil. I was amazed how the boys loved the oil on their scalpes as much as the girls. We finished by playing some soccer with the kids and then they sang us a song to say goodbye.

It was such a peaceful day watching these children enjoy these small gifts of love and touch. I loved watching the rest of the team shine with Gods love to help his children. God is Great!

Day 4

Day 4

Oh what a day!  I want to reassure all of you that may have been worried about Tropical Storm Emily- it never did come, and we haven't even received any rain :)  

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the orphanage for the sick and dying children.  Today we visited two additional orphanages.  The first one was Gertrude's Orphanage for special needs children.  What an awe struck morning.  My heart was saddened, but filled with so much joy.  Today I felt the need to just sing to the children.  It just filled my heart with so much joy to praise God. I walked into a room and sat on the floor next to a blind boy in a wheelchair with other special needs and just began to sing, and sing.  It was such an experience.  The young boy began to smile and sway back and forth and then leaned in towards my voice in his chair.  Though we have our language barriers, music is something that can connect us.  Pure happiness and joy filled me knowing that singing God's song connected me so much to this young boy.  I definitely felt connected to many children there this morning and definitely have many stories to share.  My heart sings with so much joy!

In the afternoon we visited our second orphanage for the day, it was Guiliaume's.  This is Healing Haiti's orphanage.  What an experience- when our team got there and got off the truck, children just swarmed us with hugs and laughter.  What a sight, what a glorious sight!  Guiliaume's orphanage will be moving to Grace Village in the near future, what a blessing that will be.  At Guiliuame's our team hosted a spa activity, bead necklaces, soccer and play- it was such a great afternoon.  I participated in the spa activity, at the nail polish table.  I truly felt like I was able to be God's hands and feet today.  I polished many little hands and older hands too, and feet that were worn, tough, and dirty.  These girls and women need to be pampered and feel that someone cares for them, and today, through Christ, it was me.  What a privilege it was.  After the activities, it was time to just play and love the children.  A young girl who was under the weather bonded with me, and I held her for hours.  When it was time to leave for the day- tears filled my eyes.  My heart broke leaving, I wanted to take all the children home with me, especially the little girl who had been holding and clinging to me.  

After we got back to the guesthouse after the orphanages, a few of my teammates and I were talking, I just have to share- that everyday here in Haiti has been better than the last.  I don't possibly know how that could be, but I do know that God is great and He moving us in so many different levels.  I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!  Another Best I hope!

My closing verse today is:

Psalm 100:1-2 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

All Glory, All Honor, Belongs to Him~ Phuong

Love until it hurts

A quote that I heard these last two days really touched me and I wanted to share it with you...

"If you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love"~Mother Theresa

Today, we went to an orphanage called Guillaume's and played with the children. We painted their nails, made necklaces and played soccer with them. The children at this orphanage especially touched my heart, especially Laika, a fourteen year old girl. She was tall and had the greatest smile, but liked to keep it hidden behind her shy eyes. I was walking and she opened her arms to me and gave me the biggest hug. I found out how old she was and was amazed. My heart broke to think of her life. When I think of teenagers, I think of them as only thinking of themselves and not caring about others. Before leaving for the trip, I imagined being so touched by the little children at the orphanages. I was so surprised that I was so taken back by this teenager, by this girl that only wanted to be touched, to be loved by someone. I continued to share with her and just continue to share small touches of love to her. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for her to be a teenager and trying to find where you belong. Being a teenager is difficult enough, let alone to have no one in this world and to just want to be loved. It made me think of my own boys, who want to be so independant, yet still need that love and still want me to tuck them in and give them a kiss goodnight. I just could not imagine growing up and not feeling that love.

I continued to love this girl and when the time came to say goodbye, I could not get enough of the hugs. It hurt to let her go and not know what will happen in her life. I will continue to love this girl through my prayers and even though it hurt and I feel so drained, I know God has filled me with enough love to give. Just as in the quote, the love that I gave hurt and brought me tears and broke my heart, but I know that God will continue to watch over all these children.

He is the HOPE and in Him is the FUTURE. God is Good and His love endures forever!

Day 3

Day 3 
I can't believe it's already day 3.  What a miraculous day- the Lord is so wonderful.  Today we had an opportunity to go to the orphanage for sick and dying children.  As many of you know, I was very worried about going to the orphanage, and to be honest I was probably so worried about it that I hardened my heart and was a little numb to it. However, the Lord knew this and gave me another opportunity.  We had gone to the orphanage in the morning, and then returned for the afternoon.  This morning, I walked in and really was numb and would not let any emotion come through.  We came back to the guesthouse for lunch and a break and during team time, I even said to the team that the orphanage was not as bad as I  thought it would be...now fast forward to the evening visit...God opened my heart, and I walked into the orphanage tonight and my heart sunk.  I stepped back, saw all the children and the little girl I had spent the morning with waiting in her crib for me just laying there crying, waiting for me to pick her up.  At that moment, God un-numbed my heart and I began to see all the beauty, pain and hurt around me- emotion began to fill me.  Oh, the day was another wonderful, best!
Then this evening- what a great group I am traveling with, our evening team time is always so amazing as we discuss our day and our experiences.  Today our Haitian staff, FanFan, shared how he joined the Healing Haiti staff and his faith story- his story was so incredible! He then led us in worship, it was AMAZING, we sang Everlasting God, and Mighty to Save- our voices together filled the room as we gave all praise to God.  
After the wonderful worship, Jean our Healing Haiti, Haitian Director taught us how to salsa dance- HOW FUN!!! And what a workout!
Such an amazing time- God is filling me up in so many new ways.  Oh He is Great!


My closing verse today:  1 Chronicles 16:9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts


To Him be the Glory~ Phuong

Honored

Today I was very honored to serve God. We went to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies. As I walk in I see crib after crib lined up. Babies arms up in the air, just waiting for someone to hold them. For 3 hours I held babies and toddlers who suffered from malnutrition, AIDS and Tuberculosis. All they wanted and all they needed was love and healing touch. I felt so honored to do that for them.

This afternoon 4 of us from the team went to the wound clinic where people line up to receive free care for their wounds. The people were so gracious that we were cleaning and redressing their wounds. I felt so honored to do Gods work.

After dinner FanFan, our translater/man of faith told us his amazing story of how he got involved with Healing Haiti. AMAZING! Then we sang together and whorshiped God. FanFan is an amazing singer and I was honored to sing with him and the team.

We ended the night with Salsa Dancing lessons from Jean the Healing Haiti Director of Engineering. Wow, he is good! I will keep practicing :-)

God, thank you for this experience! I am truly honored.

Imagine

Imagine yourself outside on a hot, steamy day. The sun is shining and you have been working hard all day long. In the distance, you hear the chiming of familiar bells and the whimsical music of the ice cream truck coming down the street. Your children storm up to you asking for money to buy a cool treat. You think to yourself, "that does sound like a great thing after a hot day" So you head to the truck and purchase an popsicle and savor the coolness.

Now imagine outside on a hot, steamy day. The sun is shining bright and you have no job, live in a cluster of tin put together to resemble a home and have no idea when you will eat. In the distance, you hear the sounds of a truck honking it's horn loudly...Praise the Lord! You grab your stack of 7 buckets and head out to meet the truck. This truck carries the neccesity of life...water!

Can you imagine not knowing if you will have water today? This is what we did today, we went out to a few areas in Cite Soleil and delivered free water to the residents of these areas. As we drove up to these large communities of homes (clusters of metal built to protect from the rain and the sun) people would see the truck and hear the horn and head out with stacks of buckets to get water.

Today, really humbled me and made me realize what I take for granted. I kept looking at the water and how it renews, strengthens and refreshes the body. God also renews, strengthens and refreshes the soul. I hope that through me, God's love can heal the citizens of Haiti and strengthen them. I know that they have strengthened my faith and my love in Jesus and how he will always provide for what I need.

Day 2- Water Truck Day!

Day 2
What a day!!!!  Where do I start this blog...
This morning, I got up early, since I didn't sleep too well- it will take me a few days to get comfortable with my surroundings before I can just "sleep".  I had a conversation with one of my group leaders saying that I hope that I could feel more connected to God and less connected to my "normal" life- because as you can see - I have access to the internet, which means staying in the loop with work, facebook and everything else...so I was just saying that I wish I could turn everything else off and let God do his work in me.  Well...our AWESOME God did...today was AMAZING!
Today was water truck day in Cite Soliel.  Cite Soliel is one of the most deprived areas in Port Au Prince.  Today we delivered clean water to the people of Cite Soliel for free.  Cite Soliel is a tent city, it truly is the slums.  
My word for the day is: heartbroken.  Today, my heart was truly broken, all for God.Yesterday when I arrived in Haiti, I was overwhelmed and the drive from the airport to the house was a lot to take in, but nothing like what I saw today.  The house that we are staying in is in a nicer part of Port Au Prince, but I didn't realize that yesterday...today, driving to Cite Soliel, emotions filled me, my heart was truly broken.  When we got to Cite Soliel, it was everything that the Healing Haiti video was, but more.  It was truly a reality.  Children swarmed me, and it was amazing.  They had so much love- and all they wanted was to be held and played with.  In Cite Soliel, half of the team played with the children, the other half worked the water truck.  We ran 3 water truck stops today- all three stops in different locations within Cite Soliel- I got to experience working the water truck and playing with and loving the children.  I cannot even tell you how awesome it was.
At my first stop, I bonded with an 8 year boy who just stayed by my side and really took care of me there, and a little girl who was 6 that was so sweet- these children reminded me so much of Hunter and Alexa- smiles and warmth fill my heart, and sadness all in the same moment- these beautiful Haitian children have so little, yet love so much.  And their love for God is amazing.  
A beautiful day!  A quote I love from a song "Break my heart for what breaks yours, everything I have for kingdom come"  So true, so true :)  Thank you God for breaking my heart..
I have so much to say about today, but I will end with this was an AMAZING DAY!!!!!
As I end this blog, I have to say, Thank you God for all that you do, and for allowing me to be your hands and feet.  To You be the Glory!!!!

My closing verse today: Deuteronomy 15:11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.


All Praise, All Honor, to you Lord~ Phuong

Awesome Cite Soleil

Today we went to Cite Soleil to deleiver clean water to the poorest area in Haiti. As we stepped out of the truck at our first stop we were greeted by Haitian children who just wanted to be held and played with. Overwhelming at first I felt God nudge me to love each one as much as I could. A task I know I could do being a mother of 4 children.

At our next stop I expereinced the water line. The need for fresh clean water is so great that people fight and cut in line to get it. Something I know that I take for granted back home. They were so thankful that we were there.

We then walked a ways till we reached an area that the Haitians use as their bathroom. Piles of garbage and human bodily waste. I look up and see the beautiful ocean and my heart just sank. But then the Haitian children and our team begin to sing, "God Is So Good." How AWESOME! Cite Soleil may have nothing but they still have faith in God. WOW, how AWESOME!

Beautiful Haiti

Today we arrived in Haiti. As we began to land I looked out my window and saw how beautiful Haiti was. I then realized why I was here. God has made such a beautiful land for us to live in and now I get to meet some of the beautiful people he created. I feel so small and insignificant but so blessed I am here to help those in need. Tomorrow we will go to Cite Soleil to deliver fresh water to the poorest of the poor. So simple, yet such a gift to the Haitians who live there.

Jennifer Klein
Haiti Team Member