Days 4 & 5

Day 4: Refresh…

It comes in different forms and we got to experience it in a few separate ways yesterday.  Rather than spending our day ministering on the missions’ field, as most teams do; we served in the Healing Haiti guest house. Through connection, community, and restoration our team was able to develop relationships with each other in the form of worship, bible study, games and an afternoon at the pool.

Day 5: Water springs out of Joy

Isaiah 12:3 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Not every day do we get up at the crack of dawn, beginning our day in worship of Christ at a church service. Today we had the opportunity to worship with the local Haitian people at Church on the Rock. Even though there was a language barrier the Spirit was ever-so present and moving within our hearts.

After an amazing start to our day, we literally piled into the tap-tap and traveled over to Cite Soleit. With many bumps in the road and knots in our stomach; we began to enter into the city to the sound of children shouting “Hey you!” Throughout the week, everyone would say, “Just wait till water truck day.” Not sure of what to expect we went in with eyes wide open and palms up.

As the tap-tap pulled into our first stop, we were directed to the sight of Haitian people lined up with multiple buckets in hand anxious for us to fill their buckets. The tap-tap door opens and what greets us is a flood of tiny hands reaching to be held; little ones wanting to be loved. Just as we are when stretching our hands out to our Heavenly Father. The sheer joy on their faces when you connect through eye contact, a smile, or touch is so raw and pure. Your heart melts as you physically cannot hold every child in sight.

To the Haitian people, water is their life. Even the less fortunate in America have more access to clean water, as a means of survival, than the Haitians do. Streets are flooded with tainted water and trash; the only water available to them is through water trucks or well cisterns (which are far and few between). Within 20-30 mins one water truck holding 3,000 gallons of drinking water is entirely emptied, serving only a very small section of Cite Soleit.

We cannot comprehend the dire need of water. Walking into today our team was shocked to witness this reality. With half the team helping the locals fill and carry buckets, the other half loved on the children, which allowed us to experience first-hand how important it is to not take for granted the blessing we have at home.

The joy we experienced today may not be pretty in our eyes, but God sees it as beauty in the ashes.

-Dorothy & Alexis (From Oregon)