Welcome to the Healing Haiti + Eagle Brook Mission Blog. We invite you to follow mission team members as they experience what God is doing both through them and in them while in the mission field of Haiti.


'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 invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Monday, July 30, 2012

We Have Arrived!!


   
After a very long day spent at airports and sitting on planes, we finally arrived  at Haiti around 5:00 this evening (EST).  I had my first glimpse of Haiti and I was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of Port au Prince and the people! 
The flight from Miami to Port au Prince was 1 ½ hours and when we arrived, we had to take our carryons and get on a bus which took us to go get our luggage…standing room only on the bus and it was around 93 degrees out and we were packed in like sardines J.  However, even though I was very tired from traveling most of the day, I felt energized by the excitement of seeing the Haitian people and just soaking in the sights and sounds. 
Claiming our luggage was an adventure in itself…we had 32 cases that we had to find and pull off the luggage-go-round and it was very hot and sticky in this very small room and packed with a lot of people.  We managed to find all our luggage and then as we left the airport, we were swarmed by Haitian men who wanted to help us with our luggage and do whatever they could for us (and expect some payment in return).  It was pretty intense, but our driver from Healing Haiti thwarted all their attempts and got us to our truck in one piece. 
 We then loaded up the luggage and crawled in the back of the truck and stood or sat while the truck made its way through the city going 5 mph because the roads are unpaved and very bumpy.  I was enthralled by everything I saw around me … people selling their wares on the street, pigs rummaging through garbage along the streets, kids playing kickball in a sandy lot and crazy traffic! 
I am looking forward to our day tomorrow where we will be delivering water to people who do not have access to clean drinking water .  I have no idea  what God has planned for me tomorrow…but I am excited to just let things happen and go with the flow!

Colleen C 
7/30/12  

Life is Beautiful

Good Morning from Haiti and our last morning here.  This is my first and last post as many have already written the words in my head.  This week was nothing short of amazing. I saw Christ in each person on our team. I saw Christ in the people who protected us and helped us each and everyday. I saw Christ in the beautiful Haitian people we met each day, the babies, the children, the mothers, the fathers, the orphans and the elders. 

A song came to mind this morning "One" by Chris Sligh

........But love, we keep trying to find a way to come together lord take these fears away
 Make us one. Make us one, one,  Lord make us One

We are the face of Christ in a world of shadows, is it God's love we are fighting for or denominations ego? We gotta let go of pride and embrace the idea of difference........

The journey has been one of transformation for so many of us. As we re-enter our lives home we ask you Lord to guide our intentions and our hearts to continue learning to be the light ......
As we looked in the eyes of each person they each  have a story to tell. A story that is filled with living and dying, laughing and crying..... I have found so much joy and laughter here in Haiti. So much more than I ever imagined. I want to remember each part of this. The journey I have taken. The hurt, the hunger and pain I saw as well as the smiles, the joy and the love for Jesus. Remember when you look down to always look up. When I looked down and saw sadness I looked up and saw beauty in the mountains, the sky, the ocean, the people and all God created.


LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL


Kari

Beauty

Haiti is truly a beautiful place.  There's beauty in the mountains, beauty in the ocean, beauty in the people (especially the smiles), and beauty in the architecture.  But there is also beauty in the sorrow, pain, and poverty.  Those are the things that bring us to our knees and in the process bring us closer to God...and nothing is more beautiful than being close with the Creator of it all.  God bless Haiti!
Until next time...
Trisha

departure

Yesterday was our last full day in Haiti and was full of such beauty.. it is blatantly evident that God's hand has been present in the creation of this land, the Haitian people, the experiences were were gifted with this week, and the dynamic of our group.
     The day began at Grace Village to attend Sunday service. Again we were greeted with smiles by the little ones, each one donning their Sunday best. The lunch tables that are typically set up in this multipurpose room had been converted into benches and were packed with children from Grace Village and families from the community below. The children saw each of us and made room on the benches so we could be with them. I felt so welcomed here. Church was wonderful. Even though I did not understand the language the majority of the service was conducted in, this was one of the best I have ever attended. The kids sang at the top of their lungs to the worship music, dancing was conducted in the aisle, hugs and comfort were given during the teaching time. There was such community, love, and fellowship in the room. A lovely experience to soak in that I want to bottle and take it with me.
     We loaded up into the Healing Haiti tap tap (the vehicle we use as transportation while in Haiti). I looked around at the faces of each of us.God has diversely created each member of this group and picked each person to be here for this experience.  Strangers a week ago now physically leaning on one other, freely sharing inner thoughts out loud, experiencing each moment together. I cry a bit out of happiness because it has felt so good to be in the presence of such positive Christian community this week.
     The interpreters that have been our guides, protectors, and communicators have been wonderful... they have been so thoughtful to us and taken such great care of the team. We love them and consider each to be a member of the group. They took time on Sunday to show us the capital of Port-au-Prince and explain the community to us. Once beautiful buildings... the cathedral and palace... now stand as proud rubble. We traveled up into the mountains and took in the cooler air, the lush vegetation, and views of the city below. Amazing sights taken in with an amazing group of people... trips don't get much better than this.

     This morning, the group is settling into the fact that we will be leaving here in a few hours. Mixed emotions are present. It is a comfort to know that the next Healing Haiti team will be arriving today to continue the work and will be gifted with their God given experiences. There is a readiness to head home to share our physical and spiritual journey with family and friends; but also a hesitancy to leave this place where God has given us greater sense or purpose, community, and closeness to Him. We each hope to continue allowing these experiences to take root in our lives and spread.

Thank you Healing Haiti and Eagle Brook for existing and for being so thoughtful in the creation of this experience.

Thank you to those of who read the blogs, who pray for us continually each day, support the possibility of this trip in so many ways, and welcome our changed hearts home.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

much to be done


Today has been one of the hardest days of the trip, there is so much that occurred today and so much to share.

We ended our work today at the home for sick and dying children. I have been fortunate to encounter a nurse from the states several times this week. The nurse is currently volunteering at the home for sick and dying children and has been to Haiti numerous times to volunteer in the past 10 years. She told me that she feels so honored that God has chosen and allowed her to make this trek and to be called to work she feels so passionately about. I was able to have a conversation with her today as we were holding children in the outdoor courtyard. One of the first questions I asked was what types of things does she get involved with while staying in Haiti... what is her day to day life like when she ventures on her three week journeys here. She explained the structured day of the home for sick and dying children which begins with prayer. Next is off to give medication, feed, bathe, and take care of the children... which is a cycle that continues during the day until the late evening. The nurse also makes trips out to the wound clinic when it is held during the week. She debrides rotting flesh, cleanses infected wounds, lances abscesses, prays, and encourages hope of the patients she encounters. But what most took me back is what she does faithfully every Thursday while in Haiti.

She made a point to gather donations and supplies for the Haitian people while she is back home in the US... but the supply she struggles the most to gather are body bags. Every Thursday while in Haiti, this nurse who has dedicated her life to the living, buries the dead. She ventures to a local morgue that is filled with bodies of people who have no known loved ones or who's family and friends can not afford to pay for a funeral. When the body is turned over to the morgue, there is no protocol for placement. The body is placed in a room with many others... there is no table or specific space for each deceased. Sometimes the morgue is stacked with the corpses waist high; some naked, others so far along in the decaying process that feet and hands have started to fall off.

She carefully takes each body and places it into in a bag. Many infants can fit into one bag or a thin adult can have other children placed with him. She told me that this Thursday was particularly difficult for her. There was a small boy that looked so healthy that she could not believe he was even dead, those that had loved him had placed a tiny pair of clean new looking shorts on him. Another was a baby girl who had a crown of flowers placed on her head.

After being gathered, the dead are then taken to a cemetery where a burial with prayer, music, and respect are provided. The nurse told me that she feels drawn to the ministry because God thinks that each of our bodies is important enough to house the soul therefore each body is important enough to have a funeral and be lovingly buried...not placed in a shallow mass grave in an unknown location.

I stood back after speaking with her and realized that this is a ministry I hadn't even considered. So many things I take as basic universal human rights that are unable to be provided here. There is so much to be done that I wonder how anyone could ever really make a difference. But then Matthew 25:40 comes to mind, " And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.'" God does not say that He measures how many lives we are able to change in one attempt. I have been foolish to not act due to being overwhelmed or not feeling as though I could make a large impact. God has not called me to change the world, but to foster His love and compassion in my daily tasks and to be a blessing to others through each gift He has provided me.

Saturday Tent Church

Beautiful morning. A group of us woke up for tent church this morning...but what the white people don't know is that sunrise service is only M-F  :)  But the wonderful thing is, we were able to sit there alone, looking at the mountians, praying to this vast expanse that only God could have designed. But my most cherished moment this morning happend on the walk back to the guest house.  As we were almost to the bottom of "Trash Hill" (a hill that literally they dump thier trash down that is the path we take to and from tent church) a boy, maybe 8 or 9 years old, came running to meet me and grabbed my hand. John was his name and we held hands all the way back to our gate. He asked me (in English) when we were going back home and if we would be at big church on Sunday. Once we arrived at the gate he gave me the biggest hug ever and I told him "Jezi renmen ou" (Jesus loves you) and kissed him on the cheek. He just looked at me, smiled and nodded. He was the reason I woke this morning early after a late night, and he was a gift from God. Bon Jou!


Trisha

Friday, July 27, 2012

Grace Village

     Today we ventured to the countryside of Titanyen, Haiti to visit in need elders and Grace Village... I feel compelled to tell you about the amazing experience we had at a place called Grace Village. Grace Village is a home for about 60 orphans that opened only seven months ago and has been built on a mountain side that looks over the Caribbean Sea. The buildings are brightly painted, the ground is free from litter, a large playground stands in the yard.
     The children were the most reassuring part of the experience, I have never in my life met such a caring, respectful, God loving group of little ones. A few months ago, forty of these children were housed in a small orphanage that did not have enough beds for each child, not enough dishes... many times using Frisbees and lids to eat out of as they sat on makeshift beds. Not enough room for a kitchen or enough resources to go around.
     Several of the children I met wanted to know if every member of our group had Jesus in our hearts .. they want us to have salvation... they want us to have a good, fruitful life. So much love, respect, and sharing between each other as they played with toys and shared snacks.
     While speaking with several of the small boys, I asked what they would like to do when they grew up. Replies came in the forms of wanting to become a pastor or engineer like the Haitian men they so look up to at Grace Village. Others wanting to become doctors or teachers.  No hesitation came to them, no thoughts that they may not survive until adulthood, no notion that they would be limited by their surroundings.
    There has been hope in each of the places we have visited this week, but Grace Village is different. Grace Village is filled with the hope of the next generation and the difference they will make where as other areas have been filled with the hope that enough resources will be available for survival. These children are truly happy, able to go to school, and have the opportunity for a bright future. These children have faith in their hearts and the desire to spread God's love to others. The healing of Haiti has begun.


Danyell
Hello Matoska, family, and friends,
Many of my team members have been blogging each evening. Please read them as they are very authentic account of each day.  Their writing is much richer than mine   The Healing Haiti 2010 utube clip is right on with what we have seen. 
This experience is filling my belly with Jesus while being on an emotional rollercoaster.  Yesterday's experience of being on the Tap-Tap for what we thought was going to be a "bit" of a ride which was a 2+ hour drive mostly going 5mph up a mountain which in the States would have been considered a loose "surface" not to be driven on maybe fit for a 4 wheeler.  It was an adventure.  At one point we asked to get out of our locked Tap-Tap to walk.  The joy of walking up a rocky very loose gully (not pot holes) road in the sizzling heat with my friends was liberating.  This entire trip has made the Amazing Race look easy.  Survivor, bring it on!  
What I seem to have brought to my friends of 16 is my ability to let out a scream when.anything  unexpected suddenly happens...something drops from a tree and lands on me during our evening circle (kindergarten teacher at best) actually called devotional time.  During this time, we give a word or phrase of the day that leads to discussion about how each one of us is processing of the day serving the people of Haiti.  Today we are going to Grace Village, the actual site the founders of Healing Haiti are in the process of building. I need to elaborate on the scream.  My husband and son know what I am talking about.  I don't scream when we are actually doing our missionary work as everyting here is unexpected.  
As you can see, my blog is very light as I can't put into words what we are experiencing.  
Oh, yeah one more thing.  My ability to pull a childrens song out of my head on a whim has been very helpful.  "Have you ever been a fishing on a bright and sunny day...."
With love, peace, happiness and sadness,
Kristine Fischbach 

Days III and IV: Stephanie and Alexis

Greetings from Haiti on Day IV:
 
What a trip this has been thus far! Yesterday morning we began our day with Haitian church at 6AM. What a truly delightful way to begin the day. As we walked up to this "big tent church," I immediately became overwhelmed with feelings of humillity (one of the many times this has occurred during this trip already). As we approached from approximately a block away, we were able to hear the music already. Although the voices singing were in Creole, the notes and song were familiar. As a group, we joined in with our fellow Haitian worshipers singing, "Our God is an awesome God, he reigns from Heaven above." This experience was liberating and beautiful in so many ways. The Haitians were praising our God in such a powerful way. They were up and out of their chairs, walking, singing, hands raised, prayers spoken aloud. It was simply glorious. Many of us were overwhelmed with tears of joy and love for the people of this country who could praise God with such earnest joy while surrounded in such extreme desolation. It was a truly inspiring way to begin the day.
Following church we headed to the Home for the Sick and Dying which is an orphanage that houses children of all ages up to age 18. A few of us walked into one of the rooms with cribs lined up, each numbered, and picked up children with hands outstretched. Just like the kids in Cite Soleil, as soon as you pick them up they wrap their arms and legs around you as tight as ever. Each baby has a label around their wrist or ankle. My baby was 3 years old, and his name was Sifrey. He just wanted love. He was nearly emotionless the entire 3 hours I was there. We found a shady spot on the playground, and sat together. We played with a toy truck. Most of the time I just held him, walked around and sang to him. Sometimes he would meekly hum back to me. Around 11, one hour before our scheduled departure time, he began to fuss. Not cry, just fuss. I think this schedule is the same for the kids each day, and he knew I would be leaving soon. I brought him to the lunch table where I fed him rice and beans. Surprisingly, many of the kids don't consume their food greedily. They're clearly malnourished with their tiny limbs and swollen tummies, but I think they've become numb to the feeling of hunger. There must be 20-25 kids per caretaker. Their care is rushed, often overlooked and minimal at best. The caretakers do their best, but there are just so many kids. Most of the kids seem emotionless. They don't cry, and they rarely smile. Some kids have family members that come visit them throughout the day, but know they can't provide for them so leave them at the orphanage to be cared for there. We have a few people on this trip who were here on another trip this past November. They say that this place has improved immensely since then! They said that it used to be in a different building where babies shared cribs, there was no playground, and all you could do was hold the kids in a dark room. Improvement such as this is a promising sign for this country.
We left the Home for the Sick and Dying at lunch time, and headed to Gertrude's. Gertrude's is a home for the mentally challenged. Upon walking in it is small and dark. This home now houses both mentally challenged and abandoned kids whereas, last November it was 100% a handicapped population. This was a tough visit. The living conditions desperately need to be expanded and updated. We played music, sang songs and tried to be active with the kids in their grungy, small front yard. Hopefully, when missionaries come back here in the future, they will have positive updates to share as they did for the Home for the Sick and Dying.
Today 5 of us began our day with church once again. Then we took a long journey into the mountain and visited a place called entitled, "Real Hope for Haiti." Wow. Was this ever inspiring. Real Hope for Haiti was founded in 1994 by two American women; one of which is a nurse. They have an ICU which currently houses about 8 kids from 2 weeks old to 8 years old who are in very critical condition, a recovery clinic which currently houses 70 children (most of which were at one time in the ICU. Others have been abandoned in the lawn by their parents). They also have a clinic onsite which sees an average of 250 patients a day for specialty women's care to burns to a number of other more minor ailments. This place was incredible! These women who have dedicated their lives to serving the people of Haiti were so inspiring! The ICU was tough. Malnourished, sick babies. However, to end on a positive note, birthrate fatalities amongst mothers has substantially decreased since this clinic was opened. They are able to better prepare moms for delivery, and their goal is to keep families together. To nurse sick kids back to health, and return them to their families well and able to lead a healthy life at home.
The end of our day today brought me the deepest sadness. On our way home we stopped at the Mass Graves. Here is where approximately 5,000 of the 316,000 that perished on 1/12/10 in the earthquake were buried. This was so sad, because one of our translators was generous enough to share his story with us. Wilson is in his mid 20s and he lost his father in the earthquake. He was in school when it happened, and left the classroom for a bottle of water. The earthquake took the lives of everyone in his classroom. After he told his story of survival, we walked to the top of the graves (photo attached), and I stood beside Wilson as he shed a few tears. He said, "January 12th was a sad day for Haitians." We then shared our moment of sorrow together. We stood atop this mountain that overlooks some of the great beauty of Haiti- the Caribbean Sea- and I cried with him. I cried for this country that has exerienced so much devastation, this country that cares for one another and does the best they can to help one another even though more often than not they lose, this country that has seen more sadness and more loss than many of us will ever experience in our lifetimes, and I cried for this country that has so, so very little yet praises God each day. When we got back to our bus, one of our leaders gave Wilson a hug and thanked him for sharing his story with us. Wilson responded, "God is good." There is nothing left to be said.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hands and Feet of Christ

     Today's journey led us into the mountains of Haiti to a remote medical facility led by a father, two sisters and their families, a newly arrived family from Kentucky, and about 120 Haitians that are employed and taught to give medical care to the thousands that have visited the facility since it's beginning in the 1990's. The facility was expecting to see about 180 patients today, deemed as a slower day by those we spoke with.
There was much to see as we toured the old buildings that do not resemble what I think of as a health care facility in US standards. There were two rooms in particular that stay in my mind that I feel like I should share with you.
     The first was referred to as an emergency/procedure room by one of the sisters who is a nurse. She has dedicated that past 17 years of her life to this area of Haiti; learning the needs of the residents and how to teach/provide, or assist in finding assistance for their health disparities. I am a nurse by background and could not resist asking about the most difficult procedure that is preformed in the room. The nurse looked at me. She said that it is not a physically difficult procedure, rather emotionally, mentally, and spiritually difficult to remove the rotting eyes of children and adults which is caused by basic vitamin deficiencies. So easily preventable. Vitamins are the biggest need at this facility.
     The second room is an intensive care unit for babies and children. No monitors. No IV pumps. Just cots lined up with listless little ones being looked after by caring Haitian women. All of the children struck me. The first I noticed while staring into the room was a small child that whimpered with each effort he made to move his tiny body. The nurses did not know the story of this little boy, only that he was brought in and severely malnourished. His arms, skin attached to bones. His abdomen, grossly protruding. His legs, peeling and swollen. A feeding tube in his nose. This little boy is in such a state of malnourishment that his cells have begun to break down due to lack of protein. The gravitational pull of the fluid that has escaped his breaking down cells led to such severe swelling in his tiny legs that his skin has stretched to maximum capacity and is now breaking and peeling. We were told that this little one has been being treated for a few weeks and is not responding well. The staff continue to pray and care for him to the best of their ability, but there is a high likelihood that his small body will stop fighting to hold on and he will become another that was treated too late.
     I couldn't help but feel like I need to do more to help these children and adults. I am a nurse, but do not feel prompted at this time to leave my Minnesota life to live in the hills of Haiti. What's wrong with me? In reality, there is nothing wrong with me not feeling prompted to live in Haiti. It would not be fruitful, nor the intention of God, for everyone with a medical background to live at a health care facility in remote village. God has created us in such diversity that we are all called to be the hands and feet of Christ by using our unique gifts that have been provided through Him.  Each of us is called to help those in need in some way... financial backing, supply donation, networking skills, or prayer would help to provide for the Haitian people and are all extremely important.
     How thankful I am for the diversity of God's people and that through Him we are each equipped to love and care for one another. The question I now need to ask myself is in what ways has God equipped me to act on behalf of Him to care for those in need and how am I using or possibly wasting His gifts.

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, support, and time reading this blog.
Danyell

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

God's love: Alive and at work

After this morning's ventures to sunrise service and the home for sick and dying children, some of us went back to the courtyard by the home for sick and dying children to await a ride to the free wound/medical clinic that is sponsored by a sisterhood of nuns three times per week in downtown Port-Au-Prince.The downtown area is littered with useless garbage and permeated with aromas of poverty... burning trash, sewage. Traveling though the crowded streets in a beat up van with the nuns and other volunteers was slowly achieved by honking to entice the crowds to part and let us pass. The van ride took this girl, originally from the small agricultural community of Shantytown, WI, way out of any personal comfort zone that had previously existed. As I stared wide-eyed out the open van windows, gazes from the crowd penetrated back at me. Anxiety crept into my chest, worried thoughts invaded my mind... Why are these people staring at us? What do they want? What are they thinking of me? And then, instead of gawking mouth wide open (wide open enough for all the flies of Haiti to swarm in)  at the people we passed, I was prompted to smile. In a universal language God designed for His people to understand, the people smiled and waved back.  How often in life I create my own imaginary barriers that keep me from openly loving others and engaging in the relationships God is calling me to take part in.

When we arrived to the wound clinic site, a small crowd was already waiting for the sisters to arrive. Approximately 40 adults of mixed ages were plagued by the shingles... a condition in the US that often affects our senior or immune system repressed population.There was another group of about 30 adults perched on a ledge waiting for wound care. Feet and entire sides of legs were covered in gaping ulcers that were absent of skin. The individuals waited quietly for their soiled and secretion covered dressings to be changed. The majority of adults helped as we washed and re-dressed their appendages. Leaving with a appreciative "Merci" (thank you), they hobbled back to the streets having just been part of God's love that is at work and alive in Haiti.

Danyell

God's Smiling Face

   Today we had the priviledge of worshipping in a Haitian Tent Church.  It was like nothing I've ever seen before.  The Haitians worship and pray with shuch passion that they literally embody the command to "cry out to Jesus"  Then after another delicious breakfast, we headed out to the home for the sick and dying babies.  The particular little boy that God chose for me to hold today had quite the little personality.  He had a tight grip and thought my fingernails were facinating.  He would go from joy to tears at the snap of a finger. After a big bowl of rice and beans, it was time to go and he screamed as his motionless litttle body just lay in his crib. That broke my heart.  The good news is I learned from the people who've been here before, the living conditions and level of care is greatly improved.
    Next, we went to an orphanage for handicapped children.  To see the sheer joy on the faces of the kids when they realized they got to go outside was priceless.  The last little girl I brought out just couldnt contain her silent squeals of happiness when she saw that she could reach up and grab a leaf off of a nearby tree.  She held onto that leaf , that gift from God, with all her might...so proud/thankful to have it.  This little girl has forever touched my heart.  We ended our day with some great group connection and prayer.
      Thank you God for sharing your smiles with us today!
Bonswa from Haiti!
Trisha

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Come all you who are thirsty

   Today was the first day of the water truck runs, it was so incredible and life altering. There are so many things that I saw God in, and so many people. At the third and final stop in Cite Soleil there was one particular little girl I was holding, she was tugging on my braid and I was afraid that she was going to steal my hair binder. Finally I realized she was braiding the little part of hair at the bottom of my braid. She smiled at me showing me her work and I was struck by the simple sweet joy in her little smile. She had helped me by braiding my hair and giving back to me in the only way she could. Also stroking my hair out of my sweaty face. It was utterly amazing that that little girl would try to make me more comfortable when that was exactly what I came here for. This day has been a complete blessing from God.
                                                                                                                         Ready for more!
                                                                                                                            Mikaela

Danyell's Post from Port-au-Prince

Hello from Port-au-Prince, Haiti!

Today we were blessed with the opportunity to ride along with the Healing Haiti water truck to three districts in Cite Soleil...the poorest area in the western hemisphere.  There are many trucks that deliver water in Haiti, but this truck is one of the few... if not the only... that buys the water and delivers this life necessity for free!
Our first stop was in District 17. We were greeted, as we were at each stop, by joyful shouts of "hey you" from the tiniest of Cite Soleil, the children. Many children walked around in the only rags they have to call their own, others with nothing to call theirs.
As we came to a stop, the truck sounded it's horn as a signal that water was here and the crowd began to form, members carrying the any container they had... buckets, basins, pots, old cut barrels, containers in my eyes that would not even be good enough to place on the curb for Monday's pickup back home. I was taken back by the many children, women, and men that carried these huge containers, many ontop of their heads, to their homes.  I don't know how to describe the structures they live in to you, I feel as though the word 'shanty' is too modern of a word to use when writing... shambles of tin standing to create makeshift walls and roofing.
On several occassions I was able to help carry these buckets and couldn't help wonder how the adults, let alone the little ones, managed. I struggled to carry this watery load, how do they carry their other burdens?  and many without any visible complaint. I was blessed to be a witness of the grace of God given to them through faith.
District 17 is on a bay of an ocean. We walked out to the bay ... the land is covered in waste - broken glass and other unusable garbage. As we walked along the trash laiden trail with our water truck guides, a hord of small children held our hands to make the trek with us. They followed where ever we went; longing for love, attention, a kind smile.
As we stood and stopped along the bay, the group of children began to dance and sing... God is so good, oh so good to us. So happy to be with us this day, so joyful and fullfilled in the promise that God is with them.

Love in Christ,
Danyell

Hello from Haiti

It looks like we are logged into our blog... this is a test to see if we figured out our technical difficulties. Stay tuned for more....

Lots of love from Haiti!