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
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
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
*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
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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
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
Monday, October 31, 2011
Dreaming Wide Awake
A team of 8 people gathered at 4 am to have their worlds changed. The trip here was uneventful and we arrived safely although not unchanged. I opened my eyes in the airplane to see the most beautiful scenery imaginable. It was difficult to know if I was still dreaming. The land is lush and the water is a perfect shade of blue. Mountains in the background and island spread before me. I felt like we were headed to a vacation destination. Just as I decide I am dreaming I see small square cinder block houses which lead into smaller shacks with tin roofs until you see a dense patch of tent cities. We land and are overwhelmed with the realization that we will be forever changed. While we knew coming here that we would be different the realization is far greater than the knowing. Some of our teammates expressed the overwhelming feeling of walking out of the airport to people shouting, just trying to make a living. Defenses high we stand in apprehension but it only took minutes to find the genuine smile and interaction in the local people. Our minds had been prepared for the mental imagery that we did see but nothing could have prepared us for the scent of poverty that greeted us. We drove through the streets of chaos to land in what might just be a slice of heaven at the guest house. The feeling of anointment is filled everywhere in the guest house as the team discusses the impressions left from the day. The stark contrast of the chaos of the streets to the peace in the house. 
The contrast of our impression of poverty to the sincere joy in the smiles of the local people. We thought that people would need us to bring them light because of their devastation but really they bring us light in their ability to find real pleasure in simplicity . To some it feels like home, to all of us it feels right. We so look forward to what God has brought us to do and what He has brought to us. And we are certain that we are building fantastic relationships with each other.
submitted by Elizabeth
The contrast of our impression of poverty to the sincere joy in the smiles of the local people. We thought that people would need us to bring them light because of their devastation but really they bring us light in their ability to find real pleasure in simplicity . To some it feels like home, to all of us it feels right. We so look forward to what God has brought us to do and what He has brought to us. And we are certain that we are building fantastic relationships with each other.
submitted by Elizabeth
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Bittersweet Sunday
The title of bittersweet Sunday reflects what many of us are feeling as we pack up and prepare to leave tomorrow. Sweet for the joy of serving others and growing as a team, bitter for leaving a country and people that need so much and yet are so appreciative of the small acts of kindness that each person on this team has extended to them. Today we toured Port Au Prince and then went up into the mountains that over look the city. Downtown at one time was a beautiful city, vibrant and busseling with business said FanFan. But today as we drive through the town, you see the crumbled buildings, the crowded streets and the tent cities that many are still living in.Yet, the people smile, kids wave and life goes on. The words: grateful, blessed, and thankful come to mind as I reflect on our life in the US. I will never take for granted the things I have or the food I eat and the clean water I drink. As we stand at the look out point on top of the mountain looking over Port Au Prince I am awestruck at how quiet and peaceful it looks from here. I wonder to myself what Jesus would say if He was here looking at the city. I believe He would weep for His children and their suffering. Jesus stated we are His hands and feet and when we extend ourselves in whatever way to help those in need, we have done it unto Him.
Let's pay it forward and as our team returns home, each one of us will hopefully take what we have experienced and pay it forward to our families, neighbors, friends, and the elderly. I have been honored to have had the priviledge of participating in this journey with others that are now friends. I look forward to seeing how each of them grows in their walk with Christ as well as how He will use this experience in the transformation of their faith and their lives.We thank everyone for actively reading our daily blogs and pray that our journey in Haiti has perhaps inspired you in a personal way to live more obediently in your walk with God or maybe perhaps take a leap of faith and go on a short term mission such as this. You already know you would have our support and encouragement. :)
In Christ,
Team 3
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