What now?

I look around and nothing has changed, yet I have changed. Our Haitian mission trip is now a flood of memories. Peoples faces lighting up when you simply smile and say hello.A sick little girl who only wanted to be held. The tears on an old man's face when kissed by a team member. The hug from an old woman when her water bucket was carried. Frustration in not being able to help the sick in City Soliel. The feeling of hopelessness in not being able to solve the problems we've seen.

So much has happened in so little time. Most of us volunteered for the mission trip to Haiti to help in a country we'd only read about. We all wanted to try to give comfort when needed. We all wanted to try to ease a burden, even if only for a little while.

Most of us were unprepared for the onslaught of raw emotions we encountered. Yet there was great comfort in knowing that you could share your feelings with a team member. We were all struggling at some point. As meaningful as the work we were doing was, the sharing and bonding that occurred amongst us was equally so. We came as individuals and left as a family. We cried, laughed and shared our deepest feelings and together we found a way to cope.

On the trip, we tried to make a difference in the lives of the Haitian people, but now we have the chance to make a difference in the lives of all peoples. The softening of the heart, the increased compassion and the change of your life's focus is the great gift of a mission trip such as this.

Thankful

I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father for the many life changing experiences we have had thus far. God brought together an amazing team of people who have many special talents and gifts that were used to serve the Haitians.

Today, five team members went to the Wound Clinic in Port-au-Prince. Our team was blessed with three experienced nurses and a pharmacist. Seeing them in action at the clinic made me so thankful for the special talents God provided to hundreds of wounded and sick Haitians.






Each team member was given an invitation from our Father to come on this mission. Thankfully, each team member was obedient and accepted His invitation. Not only have we strengthened our relationship with God, but we have been blessed with many new lifelong relationships.

I am thankful for having the privilege to serve the Haitians, the remarkable Healing Haiti staff, the many new friendships, the messages God has revealed to the team, God shining His light through all of the team members and for reminding me of what being obedient and committed to Him really means.

Thank you Father God for an amazing experience, all the glory goes to You.

Our Hatian friends...we will miss you!

beautiful day

visiting the elderly

joy

stepping out of our comfort zones

singing

resilience

inspiring

worship

prayer

gifts

visiting Yvonne's orphanage

touched

satisfying

watching others use their God-given gifts to serve

Hope

After visiting one of the many mass grave sites in Haiti (a result of the earthquake on January 12, 2010) our day began by touring Healing Haiti's Grace Village in Titanyen. I visited Grace Village exactly one year ago on my first journey to Haiti. I felt pure hope and joy as we drove through the gates of Grace Village to see the progress that has been made. The feeding house and the children's dorms were colorful, welcoming and secure. To think, two people that went on a mission trip several years ago made this all happen.

After Grace Village, we went on elderly visits. Our first stop was to a man named Edmond. Edmond completely broke our hearts. He is blind and cannot hear well. We visited with Edmond, prayed over him, gave him food and water and rubbed his arms with lotion. Edmond praised our Father God over and over for sending us to him. He has nothing, but yet he is full of hope and his faith is so deep. While our time with Edmond was limited, I was encouraged by the support he is receiving through Healing Haiti and the love that the teams have and will continue to provide to him. He is so deserving.

We spent the afternoon at one of Healing Haiti's orphanages and made crafts, sang songs, danced and played with the children. The joy and laughter that we experienced by the children was delightful. The children have so little, but are filled with hope, joy and happiness.

Simple acts are so meaningful to people in need.

How can we let God transform us into new people and change the way we think and act? What more can we do to make a difference? God sent our team here for a reason and know he will reveal his plans to us in his own time through worship and prayer. There is so much to be done, but am hopeful by what has already been done and what is still yet to come.

All the glory to God.

Hope and Loss

For months I've thought of a 2 year old girl whose big brown eyes could look right through you. Her smile brightened the room and her hugs could melt the hardest of hearts. Last February I had to walk out of her nursery, forever hearing her cries that echoed through my heart.

It was with great apprehension that I returned to the home for sick and dying babies here in Port au Prince where she was being cared for. Will she still be there? Will she still remember me as I remember her?

I looked throughout the building and she was just not there. I never knew her name, only the warmth of her touch. I pray that her bright little spirit is lighting up the lives of her family. I pray that she is safe. I pray that she is happy. I know that I never will know. All I feel now is that she is gone.

There are many other kids there. All needing love. All craving the gift of human touch. I walk to their cribs looking at their outstretched arms. I pick up a little boy and the cycle begins again.

delivering water

serving God

amazing

in the moment

unmet medical needs

hard to walk away

willing and open group

gorgeous pink flowers

Blessed are those who understand.  Proverbs 3:13-14

What difference can I make?

hopeful

joyful children

Matthew 25 

sad

delivering water

Cite Soleil

unexpected

overwhelming senses

What is God trying to teach me?

Monday, November 7, 2011

Team #2 arrived safely in Haiti.

As we began our decent into Haiti, the view was spectacular seeing the mountains, blue ocean and green lush fields. For those of us returning, we almost forgot the reality of the conditions in Port a Prince.

Only a few mishaps along the way - Dave lost his wallet at the Haitian airport (the good news is he won't buy any Haitian art)! Luckily an honest Haitian returned it to him. We tagged our luggage with pink duct tape only to find out another missionary team used the same color tape on their luggage. We had some of their luggage and they had some of ours. Other than that, it was smooth sailing.

We were welcomed outside the airport by Jean and the Healing Haiti Taptap packed with over 30 suitcases mostly filled with donations for the elderly, orphanages and the tent cities.

We arrived at the guest house to a wonderful Mexican dinner. Everyone met Jean and Fanfan (our Haitian hosts) and are excited for the journey we are about to embark on. We spent time after dinner sharing a "word" of the day. Some of the words shared are as follows - honesty, well prepared, grateful, hopeful, privileged, tired, friendship, comprehend, overwhelming, surreal and thankful.

We look forward to our time together this week as we serve our Father God. Our team has arrived with open hearts and no expectations. Tomorrow is our first water truck day in Cite Soleil in 95 degree weather. We cannot wait to experience what God has in store for us.

Team #2

WOW!

Day 7: November 6th, 2011

On our last full day of being the hands and feet of God, we were blessed with yet another day of great spirits and joyful hearts among everyone on our team. With the chance to sleep in a little later than normal, we were greeeted with another delicious breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and fresh fruit. After breakfast, Fanfan led us in a church service worship on the veranda at the guest house. Fanfan is an amazing leader for Christ and the Lord truly speaks through him. Not to mention his amazing singing voice leading us in song.

After church, we had some down time as we waited for our driver. Junior showed up at noon although he didn't feel well at all! Many of the team members today said they saw Christ in Junior as he served us through driving and putting his sickness aside for God. We drove through downtown Port Au Prince and got the opportunity to see the lifestyle of the Haitians along with more of the devastation. But once again, we saw the positive attitude and joyful spirits in their eyes. Through Port Au Prince, we continued up the mountain side around twists and turns and switchbacks. We stopped at a couple shops along the side of the road and picked up some souvenirs. As we climbed up the mountain, the temperature fell and the humidity continued to rise. The vegetation on the side of the road reminded me of a rainforest as we drove through the clouds. The drive home was uneventful and we were all tired and hungry. I, like every other day, used the pool while some of the others rested, read, or connected with people back home. We were all excited to hear we were having tacos for dinner again!! After dinner, we again shared our words of the day along with where we saw Christ. Then we did some "administrative" things to wrap up the evening. Currently, everyone is packing and organizing what will be left behind as donations.

As our trip sadly draws to a close, there is only one word that can describe the entire week/experience and that is WOW! Every team member was wow'd multiple times everyday. Wow'd by the lifestyle in Haiti. Wow'd by the attitude in Haiti. Wow'd by the sights of Haiti. But most of all, wow'd by the amount of love, joy, and serving that is happening! Not only were we given the opportunity to serve the Lord, but we were constantly served throughout the week by the Healing Haiti staff. We cannot be grateful enough for everything they have done for us!! An amazing week and a wonderful experience!

Ke Bondye Beniou Haiti!!
Drew Gordon

Our service itinerary is not ending.....It's just beginning

Wow!!

Its has been my word of the day for the whole week...even though it was vetoed to be able to duplicate words...

Today, truly is the end of our schedule of service in beautiful Haiti - tomorrow is a tour of Port Au Prince.

This trip has been packed full of new experiences, the least of which is my first blog...

Today was well planned by our leaders - their experience pays in dividends!!

The day entailed:

#1. (2) - 2500 gallon water truck runs in the morning to Cite Soliel

#2 Guest house for snack-n-nap

#3 The Home for the Sick and Dying to spread some love....



We had #1 and #3 in our previous days, but returning to these locations was pretty special because the suprise factor was gone. The team could focus in on the relationship - and we are all about relationships.

The #2 was a bit of a present - We came home to the sweet smell of Phoneses' cooking (stew for dinner), had a quick snack and all found a place to take a snore...

Heidi - you call that a cannonball....?
The Home for the Sick and Dying was a great stop.....again... I got to hang with the same little one I had already along with 3 others and a good game of soccer with Wilfred.

Content - is my word today as we wrapping up an awesome week.

Peace.....
Punch

Flat tire Friday

Today team # 2 started the day very early and literally woke up with the chickens! At 5:30 most team members were still a bit sleepy, but very excited to experience our first Haitian church service with one of our hosts Fanfan. Everyday we are here our team experiences so many random and odd things different from home, so in my attempt to capture our daily events I will just list each item as I review the day.

*Walked home from Church and greeted many Haitian school children.
* Noticed a huge hog sleeping on the side of the road- stopped to take pictures of this... Very cool knowing we have pigs pictures!
*Enjoyed another AWESOME breakfast with fresh eggs, pancakes, fresh squeezed juice, & french toast (or what Jean calls Creole Toast)
*Driving in Haiti, which can only be described as WOW! Every time we drive it seems like our jaw drops. Cars honking horns, cows on the side of the road, people darting across the street dodging traffic. Trucks passing sometimes 3 wide at a time... Very hectic, but it seems to work..
*Seeing UN trucks.. This is one thing that always fascinates me. Troops from Brazil, Uruguay, and a few others we are not sure of. They are all armed with an M-16 and a camera- kind of funny..
*Stopping at a check point
*Driving up the mountain to Titanyen.
*Stopping to pick up a few of our guides to assist with going to homes of orphaned elderly.
*Flat tire on our taptap (Our means of transportation)
*Walking up a dirt road with a beautiful ocean view at our back..
*One team member who was a little sick.. :(
*Fanfan praying for our team member.. :)
*All kinds of animals next to us.. Chickens, goats, pigs, cows, donkeys- just walking next to us also enjoying the sights..
*Grace Village, which is a newly constructed orphanage on 17 acres on the hillside overlooking the ocean.. Awesome to see this almost completed..
*Yvonne's orphanage- Our team visited here for a few hours this afternoon. The children were very excited to sing songs for us, we were very excited to play with them. Some read books to the kids, some painted faces and I played a very crazy game of "keep-a-way" it's amazing how fast a few hours goes by playing such simple games. Our team loved the experience!
*Taptap wouldn't start so we had to push to get it started.. Not a common issue, but just part of the adventure.
*Taptap gets stuck due to our road blocked.
*Pushing taptap out and driving back home.
*Dinner- which was made by Fonese, she is our guesthouse angel. Everyday we arrive back at the guesthouse with dinner cooking, our beds made, and our clothes freshly washed. We are treated VERY well and we are blessed to have such great hosts!!!!
*Group discussion about our word of the day and highlights.
*Blog

I know this blog entry was very random, but so is an average day in Haiti.
When we first arrived on Monday I experienced a small taste of culture shock, but that quickly changed once we had a chance to get out and see how beautiful Haiti is. Our days seem to pass by so fast and we are able to savor the moment each day!
Thanks for following our team-

May God Bless You.
Joe

Amusing Tears Of Joy

Today was filled with diversity as we visited the stages of our existence on earth. The youth of the morning brought us to the Mass grave of the people who parrished in the earthquake. The beauty and tragedy of life was characterized by a heap of crosses that lay atop the gravel set aside as a memorial on a hillside with a stunning view of the ocean. The simplicity of the memorial is a parallel to the simplicity of joy that exists here in Haiti. Many of the team members were moved by the observation that so many of the Haitian people celebrate life and the eventual resureection to heaven with glad hearts. Our driver and friend, Junior, told us that he visits the site weekly to remember the people who passed. But his constant joy was obvious even in his respect for death.

We passed a funeral the first day we were in the city and everyone was wearing white as opposed to most people wearing black in the United States. Several Christian groups publicly declared their faith on the "Day of the Dead" or what we would call the "Day of the Belly ache" (the day after Halloween). Our eyes were opened to the celebration of meeting The Father from the Haitian perspective.

We then moved onto visit some elderly people in the village of Titanyen. Several of us had the privilage to assume the position of which Jesus set the example by rubbing lotion on the arms and legs of the elderly. This was far more satisfying than one would think. We delivered food and water while spreading the word of God. Their genuine spirit and faith touched our hearts. We were able to have lunch on the side of the road overlooking the ocean where we met a man who needed a ride. He attempted to hail a taxi several times but was unsuccessful. After awhile we decided the man was harmless and offered to take him down the road with his bushel of wood. It felt almost Biblical. How often do you get to help a man with a bushel of wood? As we were driving to the school we saw a man on the side of the road whose car had broken down. Junior pulled over to see what was the matter and we discovered the man was a pastor of a local church. I can only imagine that he had prayed for help and the prompting was delivered to our truck. We felt that Mathew 25:35 probaly includes giving rides to the stranded. I often think about people on the side of the road and wonder about the phrase "one of the least of these," we all felt proud to be able to live it for today. (All the while keeping safe for those worriers at home).

Almost as if God's journey for us today was to work backwards in the life cycle we ended our day by visiting a school, then an orphanage. The children at the school mobbed us with hugs, smiles and kisses. Two of our teammates commented on how they could see the image of Jesus sitting down and saying "let the children come to me" as Heidi sat on the floor and the children surrounded her. After we were nearly suffocated with love we went to Guillaume's orphanage. Once again we were greeted like Justin Beiber in a junior high school. We felt so loved and so needed. We had a great time with the kids. We played games, colored, gave lots of hugs and sang. Each visit reminds us that the thing we need most is each other. Afterall, we were created for relationships.

The hugs and cuddling were more valueable to them than anything we could bring them. We all felt the pure fun in this amusing day. Standing in reflection at the foothill of Grace Village we can feel the heaviness of the lack of opportunity for so many kids in this town. But on the other side the bright red heart of Healing Haiti stands out to represent the resounding effect that people can have on the future when we live out the example that was set for us.
submitted by Elizabeth

A Day in the Life of Healing Haiti

Anxiety. High anticipation. Intense nerves. These are the feelings I had when I saw what this day would hold as soon as I received our week itinerary given at a training meeting prior to the trip. I find it very ironic and even amusing that the one day I was most fearful of is the day I am chosen to joyfully record our day's events.

Let's start from the beginning. The girls woke up early to help precious Jean make breakfast (Jean is very quickly becoming my Haitian best friend. I'm sure he feels the same way...). I was a bit delayed in waking up, but as I rolled out of bed into the kitchen, I joined Shan in the art of french-toast-making. Under Jean's watchful eye, we successfully prepared scrumptious french toast for our oh-so-affirmative team (heavy on the sarcasm... but just kidding now, because after tonight, we have become aware of our love languages, and I'm sure words of affirmation will be lathered on from this point forward).

After we filled our bellies, we dressed up in our Sunday best and headed out the door to our "Dan-Dan" (ask Punch for the story). Bumping and rocking, we made our way to the Home for the Sick and Dying. Voices praising God in Creole greeted us as we were introduced to the nuns and were given a tour of our surroundings. Hmmm, how can I describe what I saw? Cribs were tightly lined up throughout the room, nuns and volunteers were pacing up and down the rows, and our team was trying to squeeze into any space we could fit into. As I looked throughout the room letting all this soak in, there were these big, brown eyes that locked with mine.... and I knew just right where to start. I grabbed this sweet 18-month-girl (who I later found out is named Julianne), took her out into the courtyard, and starting making a friend. It was a neat sight to look up shortly after and see each team member grab a baby themselves and shower them with all the affection in the world. Or more accurately, shower them with all the affection Christ Himself has given to us. As Shan said, "Let's love on these kids!" and that's exactly what we did.... for hours. Praise Jesus for the time to pray over those kids, kiss their soft skin, and sing their nursery songs right along with their little voices.

It was time to go sooner than we would have liked, but we took comfort in the fact that we would return in a few hours. What would a mission trip be without an obstacle though? When we walked out of the Home for the Sick and Dying, our Taptap had a flat tire. I'm not a man, so I can't give you the technical terms of what happened or even give you a detailed description, but our male counterparts jumped at the chance to use their hands and helped our Haitian friends do what they could do. Thanks to the help of a random man (I still haven't figured out where he came from); we replaced the flat with a spare and were on our way. (I should mention the ladies made themselves very useful and built relationships with the Haitian women overlooking the scene.) I would say overall it was a pretty awesome bonding experience!

Next Stop: Guertrude's Orphanage which housed special needs children. Our host, Fanfan, led the way into the home with his guitar and as we walked into each of the rooms, we were further introduced to each age group of children. We waved and said, "Bonswa!" as we weaved throughout the house looking for a place to begin. The charge started with Fanfan as he shouted, "Feed the kids!" Some of our team members were handed bowls and they sat down in the nearest chair. Arms lifted with a spoon in hand, our team set aside any fear or anxiety and they served these kid-os and fed them their lunch meal. Some situations were challenging, but many of our team members were able to literally experience Matthew 25:35,40 where Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me...Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Personally, I was able to spend a good chunk of my time with a boy named Maurice who joined the orphanage that day. He is a sweet boy living with a form of autism, and he reminded me of this kid-o back home that I have the privilege of working with. Thanks to this previous experience I knew to squeeze Maurice's hands and arms knowing that he would respond well to physical touch; he totally did! I hope the Lord used me to make this boy feel safe and comfortable at his new home. Hmmm, I love it when our God proves Himself faithful.

After we finished up our time at Guertrude's, we hopped back on the taptap and headed back to the Home for the Sick and Dying after a few swigs of water. This time, our team headed towards the second floor where the toddlers were staying. Most of the kid-os remembered us (more importantly, remembered their special person), and we picked up where we left off. Fanfan grabbed his guitar and shouted songs of praise to our Savior and the kids shouted back just as loud. The swarm of kids around each of the team members was so encouraging; the Lord creates bonds in the power of His love that none of us could ever make on our own. I was able to sneak away after my little girl left my lap to return downstairs to the babies. Punch beat me to it, but I found Julianne and scooped her up as soon as her brown eyes looked up into mine. There's nothing better than when a pensive child nestles her head into your chest because she trusts you... and that's what Julianne did at the end of the day. Thank you God for the love your little ones show us. If I fell in love with this precious girl only a couple hours after meeting her, how much more does her Heavenly Father love her who has not only created her but has known her all her life? Wow. Just wow.

At the end of the night, our team worked our way into our spots in the living room and we started to debrief the day. We shared words such as surrender, love, helpless, and embrace (those that know me may be surprised to hear embrace was not my word!). We saw Christ from the eyes of the little ones to the workers at the special needs orphanage to the blue sky surrounding us. Man, you guys, our Lord was with us, surrounding us, holding us, sustaining us, encouraging us, strengthening us, and most importantly, He was working in each of our hearts to make us more like Him.

I want to leave you with a psalm that has done nothing but encourage my heart and mind as I've encountered each difficult and joyful moment alike:

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
Psalm 121:1-8

Peeps, doesn't that make you want to praise Jesus?! I don't know about you, but my team intends to do just that in the days to come.

Signing off (I've always wanted to say that),
Heidi Stoltz
Deemed MVD (Most Valuable Dancer) by Jean, Salsa Master

Open the eyes of my heart

Since yesterday I've felt the prompting to worship the Lord with one of my favorite songs. The chorus goes as follows:

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart,
I want to see you, I want to see you

This morning, as we pulled onto the streets of Haiti in our taptap, I began to sing this song and the group joined in. Together, we asked God to open the eyes of our hearts.

With our own eyes we were able to see the tent cities, the tin roofed shantis, the homes made of sheets, and the streets covered in trash.
We could see the sewage along the sides of the roads, the pigs and goats and roosters feeding on the piles of rubble. We were able to see the dirty water, the gates that lined the streets, the UN soldiers and Haitian police armed with their machine guns, and the images of poverty that we see in videos and commercials back home.

Our prayers were answered as we followed the water truck to our first stop in City Soleil, however, our hearts were able to see the things that our eyes could not. We were able to see the people of Haiti worshiping in the outdoor churches, hands and voices raised to the Lord. We were able to see the water trucks filling, over twenty of them, preparing to bring clean water to the streets of City Soleil. We were able to see the smiles of children as we drove by and waved. We were able to see the people of Haiti appreciating our service. We were able to see the affect our love can have on these people, and the greater affect it had on us.

With the eyes of our hearts, we were able to see past the nakedness, the dirt, the potential for diseases, and the possible danger. We were able to see the opportunities to be like Christ, to help these people carry their buckets of clean water home for the day, to see the the ways in which we could interact with these children and people and maybe, just maybe, make a small difference in their lives.

With our own eyes we see them as having nothing, however, with the eyes of our hearts we could see the incredible JOY these people have. Their joyous hearts are such an inspiration to our team. It is amazing to allow God to open the eyes of our hearts and to see the world the way Jesus would see it.

Today, my word for describing the day was: Jesus. I found myself often wondering, "What would Jesus do?" Jesus would pick up that naked child, carry that 5 gallon bucket, enter the winding paths to help deliver the clean water, go back again and again, and say hi to all the people He came in contact with. Jesus would love these people with an unconditional love and embrace this culture and beome a part of their lives. Like us, He would play London Bridges, Ring around the Rosie, Duck Duck Goose, and do the Hokey Pokey. He would hold the heavy hose as He fills the hundreds of buckets until the water runs out. Today, we were able to be His hands and feet, what an incredible opportunity.

To describe this day, the team used words like: Humbling, Compassion, Contentment, Peace, Grateful, Convicted, Praise, and WOW. The team saw Christ in the smiles of the children, the dirt on our shirts, the man that wanted to learn the "Our Father" prayer, the little girl who wanted to go home with us, the little boy with no pants on, the little girl singing "God is so good", the eye contact with the children, in our hosts (protectors and providers), and in all the people we were able to speak to.

Today, the eyes of our hearts were opened. We can only pray that our descriptions can help you see through our eyes, and that you can see the world the way Jesus might see it.

With love from Haiti, Team 1

~Shannon