Intentional

We had the privilege to visit three elderls up in Titanyen today.  Lindor lit up when we got to his home and said, "My family is here" with his beautiful toothless smile and gave everyone hugs.  He thoroughly enjoyed the company and got super excited when we gave him his bag of donations and a nice new cane to help him get around.  When asked if there was anything else he needed, he mentioned a radio. He said it would be nice to know what is going on here and also said something about not having anyone to talk to.  To think about Lindor's days, he doesn't have any family to come visit or to help care for him, and all he needs in his mind is a radio to give him some company and to keep him informed.  He didn't ask for a better house, or cleaner clothes, or any other major thing he could have asked for.  He simply wants company.  It is so true that God is all about relationships.  What a blessing Healing Haiti is to the elderly of Titanyen.  To intentionally seek out and help 30 elders is amazing to me.  The care and love the team showed Lindor, Nikolai, and Charitable today was a blessing to be a part of.

After visiting the elders, we went to visit Jeax Jean Paul, a boy who started having seizures at age five.  He is now severely handicapped from the affects of the seizures.  The team felt the Holy Spirit in his room like something we hadnever experienced before.  When Jeff began playing guitar, and we began to sing, it was as though the music poured into Jeax Jean Paul's soul and filled it up completely.  He was looking around, moving his mouth to the words, and he even lifted his arm up in worship.  The time spent with Jeax Jean Paul will forever be etched into my heart.  Intentional about physical touch with him,with the massage given to help his joints, laying hands on him to pray over him and just the intentionality of Healing Haiti in seeking out this beautiful boy who in many cases may have been pushed aside out of fear or ignorance by many.  What a gift it was to meet this beautiful child of God.


Finally, we spent some time at Yvonne's orphanage. What a joy it was to meet the children who live there.  Their presentation for us was fantastic as they sang as a whole group and some brave individuals came and sang solos for us as well.  My thought before arriving at the orphanage was to go against my normal tendencies of migrating toward the toddlers.  I wanted to be intentional about spending time with the older boys in the group.  I met Son Son who is 15 years old.  He and his friends were totally into the craft we did making butterflies and it became very clear to me that these young men were just little boys at heart.  They took such care and attention to detail on the butterflies and at the end were very proud of their work.  They glowed when I praised their good work and beautiful butterflies.  My favorite part about the time spent with Son Son was when he leaned over to me toward the end of our time there and said, "Alicia, I will pray for you."  Such a wonderful heart he has!


Intentional.  That is what God calls us to do.  Be intentional in all you do, because like it was shared during our group time today, each time we hear, "Hey You!  Hey You!"  That might just be God whispering in your ear, "Pay attention to me".  What are those "Hey You" moments you encounter each and every day while at home hustling through each day from here to there, always moving on to the next thing?  Pay attention to the Lord's whispers and be intentional about how you answer.  I know I will...


Ke Bondye Beni'ou
Alicia du'Monceaux

Jesus Lives in These Streets

     As we rolled out as a team on the Healing Haiti, in my mind I knew one of the things I was supposed to do.  The same thing I am supposed to do back home.

Love my neighbor as myself.

    If this is what I am supposed to be doing back home, I have sadly misunderstood what that truly means after experiencing today.  As we arrived at Soleil 17, one of 3 stops in Cite Solieil. I had an inkling of what to expect because of previous blog posts.  I could even picture it from some photos.  None of those things can give a true feeling of what this is. You can't smell the odors of the streets.  You can't feel the roughness of the streets, the jagged rocks cutting into your knees if you happen to kneel down so you can be eye to eye to love the least of these. You can't experience the hands of so many children longing to hold onto you as you leave the stop.  You can't hear the voice of a young 12 year old pointing to his friend of the same age  whose shoulder I have my arm around saying "you - papa" wanting me to take the boy home with him.

But Jesus IS here.

More than anywhere I have traveled (just the U.S.) He is here.  As I stumbled along with a 5 gallon pail of water, I was surrounded by around 10 children that I had previously been playing some games in the street with. As we walked I thought I would try something I had never done back home.  I yelled out to the children "Jezi renmen ou!"  Jesus loves you in Hatian Creole.  Immediately in unison every child said "Wi" (Yes) I tried it again "Jezi renmen ou!"  the response, louder this time, was "Wi". Again. "Wi"


Jesus is here.


Later I came up to group of young men sitting along the curb.  One called to me and we had a fairly short 'conversation', as I really only know probably less than 10 words in Creole.  When we were done, a man who was sitting with them said "Hey You" - a common phrase among many of the young children. We made some small talk again and I thought I would engage him a little.  I had just learned 'brother' from one of the water truck guys named Wilson.  So I pointed at the line of men.  
"Fre?", I inquired.  
"Wi,...Wi! He smiled and spread his arm toward his brothers. I was somewhat elated as I had only been communicating with kids. 
I continued "Se?"  (sister) 
"Non".  I thought I would take it further; "Mama?" a face change, one of sadness, "non" was his reply.  "Papa?, I asked.  He shook his head and said "Non"....sadder still.  I was almost out of talk when the Spirit whispered to me.
"Jezi?" (Jesus?) I said to the sad face.
The grown boys eyes watered as he smiled "Wi! Jezi!" and grabbed my hand hard. "Mesi, Mesi!" (Thank you)


Jesus is Here.


As I walked with children and mothers with buckets to homes that were smaller than most peoples bathrooms and seeing the floors muddied with water and dirt and other unrecognizable things,  I thought of Jesus' hands healing the lepers. My Jesus, who was not afraid to touch them,  but willing to embrace them with the truest love only He can posses. Walking back,  I viewed our spread out team doing it's best to Love like Jesus would love if he was physically walking in these streets and alleys today.  I welled up as I knew we were doing what He wants us to do.


Love your neighbor as yourself.


There were many more of these moments that told me of Jesus' presence within the poorest of cities, and I know there will be many more, This was really just day #1


Jeff Gjerde (James)
Ke Bondye Beni'ou
God Bless You

Welcome Summer Team #1

Amazing God, how I love thee and oh how you love us!  I would like to thank you for the safe travels of this team of people that you so perfectly sewn together to be your hands and feet this week in Haiti.  Thank you Father God for all your many blessings you have given to each one of us in our lives.  As I sit here listening to FanFan and Jeff Gjerde playing their guitars and this team singing praises to you, Lord please lift this team up to your arms.  May we be completely emptied of own will and their own wants and will allow you Lord God full excess to our hearts, words, and actions. Lord open our eyes to see you , to see what you see, to feel what you feel Lord.  We want to see you and feel what you feel....Lord we want to be more like you.  Please Father God....give us the strength to lose ourselves and to be completely consumed by YOU!  May our actions, our words, our thoughts glorify You Lord!
I lay each one of us at your feet Father God, I lay this week before you.  Please break our hearts for what breaks yours, transform our hearts to reflect you more.
Lord God Almighty....Thank you for all that you are, all that you will change us to be.
I pray for open hearts, open eyes, and open minds....to serve you and glorify you!

Let us be yours! ALL YOURS!

Glwa Pou Bondye-Glory to God

Ke Bondye Beni'ou-May God Bless You
Rachel Birdsall
Healing Haiti Team Lead

Living Waters ... continued

The last three nights, the glorious sound of rain has been heard throughout Port au Prince...  nourishing the land and nurturing the soul.  But as I lay in my warm bed listening to the beautiful beat of the drops thundering on the roof that was keeping me dry, I thought only of the people in the tent cities.

Yesterday morning we delivered food and bathroom supplies to one of the nearby tent cities.  This particular one was situated on slight slope.  We started at the top, and as we wound our way through the elaborate maze these people call home we found ourselves trudging through feces and urine infested mud and water flowing amongst the garbage.  There were "lakes" and "rivers" that had formed quite literally at these people's front doors.  Not exactly what we would call water front property.  As I watched the children playing in and running through the water, I was reminded of the opposite effect water can have... the destruction and devastation.  The water had washed away part of their property and with it most likey carried bacteria and disease.  I now understand how cholera has spread so violently here in Haiti.

I now also understand why the delivery of clean water is so important.  Water is a very powerful source in our world.  It sustains life but can also, in the blink of an eye, take it away.  Praise God for for the vision of Jeff and Alyn to bring life-giving, life-sustaining, living water to the beautiful people here in Haiti.  The people don't have much, but they know and trust in God, and their spirit is far greater than most in the north.  I can only pray to someday have that much faith, trust, and dependance on our Lord.

I will return to this beautiful country and do my part to lay God's healing hand upon these people.  What will you do?

Ke Bondye Beni'ou
God Bless You

It's our last day!

What an amzing week! Yesterday we went on two water stops and then spent two 1/2 hours at Mother Teresa's. The water truck stops had a completely different feel this time. As the team stepped off of the Taptap they were confident and excited, they had jobs and they knew what they were. Our first stop was #21 which is filled with children. We were swarmed with them as they looked for love, touch and their photos taken (they don't get to see themselves so its a real treat to show them their photos on the back of the camera). Jeff's wife Karen had come down in November and had her picture taken with Cece, a little girl that she had fallen in love with. Jeff had carried that picture around to each water truck stop to find her and show her the photo, he finally found her at 21. They were all amazed that he had a picture of their Cece. Just a simple photo that we take for granted and they couldn't get enough. It was a great way to end our water truck mission

After a short break we returned to Mother Teresa's. Gina had spent a lot of time on Wednesday holding a little girl named Michalove. She's a one year old little girl that is so malnurished she weighs only 6lbs, and that's after having been at Mother Teresa's for over a month and a half. Gina held her and was able to feed her an entire cup of formula. She was more alert and more active than she had been on Wednesday. I went to the littel girl I held all day on Wendesday, Angelika. She had an iv in her arm and her hands were wrapped in cloth to keep her from tearing out her iv. Wednesday she wouldn't look at me, but she would lean her head and be still. Jeff was holding her yesterday and she smiled at me! How amazing to see prayers and hard work helping to heal those little children.

Our last event of the day was to have our water truck "boys" come over. They are 5 of the most wonderful men that watch over us on our water truck. They were so incredible grateful for a meal of spaghetti and french bread. They each told us their story of how they came to work for Healing Haiti. How awesome our God is, he is able to meet all of our needs when we let him be in control!
This day was our full circle day.

The Blessing of the Gifts

We had the honor of presenting goats to 3 widowed Hatian women yesterday, one of the women had an injured leg from the earthquake.  The team had been looking forward to being able to bless someone with the gift of a goat.  In Haiti goats are valuable for their milk and reproduction.  In the Hatian culture, expressing thanks for a gift is not as expressive, as we are in the US.  They will quietly say "merci" (thank you).  God had a surprise for the team - after presenting the goats, team members were brought to tears as the women came to each team member and gave them a hug and a kiss expressing their thanks for this gift of a goat. We who had come to show Jesus' love to these women were the ones blessed by the outward expression of their thankfulness, that God had answered their prayers.
~~ Lisa

Whose Joy?

This is Gina.  Eleven-year old Isaac stole my heart today.  It all began during one of our stops at Guiliame's Orphanage in Cite Soleil.  We were greeted by many curious and smiling children when we walked into the well-shaded courtyard. We were there to play games with them and provide a fun experience for the children.  Everyone enjoyed games of pin the tail on the donkey, blowing bubbles, batting balloons, bean bag toss, and throwing balls.  Christi,  Lisa and I blindfolded the children and steered them toward the wall with the chalk-drawn tailless donkeys.  The boys in my line were amazing at this game and their accuracy of pinning the tail in just the right place was mind-boggling!  It took me only 2 boys to realize they were coaching one another in French Creole, to go up, right, more right, down a little.  Yes!  After an hour or so of games, we sat down for some quiet time of coloring and drawing pictures.  I felt a hand slip into mine and I looked down at big brown eyes. Isaac Thomas and I sat down to draw.  He spelled his name for me and I spelled mine.  Then he motioned for me to draw.  As Isaac sat quietly, I drew his portrait and captured his beautiful face.  He just beamed!  I was there to bring happiness and fun to his day, but the happiness and joy that he brought to my day far surpassed what I did for Isaac.

No Cheating!

Isaac Thomas

Before we left the children sang and we all joined in clapping.   Their beautiful voices sang praises to Jesus.      Thank you, dear children, for showing the love and joy of God!

See our beanie babies!