Day 7 and 8 – Beauty from Ashes

Yesterday we went to RendezvousChurch for Sunday worship. It was such a beautiful experience to sing and praise the Lord with our Haitian friends. Even when we couldn’t understand the word, we all understood His love. God was so present in this moment. Normally they hand out headphones to non-Haitian speaking attendees, but they ran out and the Pastor felt so bad. That’s one thing we always notice about the Haitians. They go out of their way to make sure others are taken care of and comfortable. Their goal is to buy 200 more at $25 each, and we are praying they are able to do that so everyone can continue to enjoy the powerful experience. They are also expanding their seating area, which is exciting. However, we all agreed that even without seats or a translator, the experience is so amazing.

After church we took a drive up the mountain to Wahoo Bay Resort. It’s a beautiful resort surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and mountains. As you stand with your feet in the sand, the sun on your skin, and your eyes on the mountain tops, it’s impossible to not feel God’s love. This country has been through so much and in that moment, you can see all the beauty that He has made from the ashes. We often see and hear about the poverty in Haiti, but it’s important to tell the beauty story too. To talk about the stunning views, incredible people, delicious food. To celebrate the hope, growth, and possibility. We had a great time at Wahoo Bay jumping on the trampoline, kayaking, connecting, soaking up the sun, and making memories with no friends. Our goal was no major sunburns – we got pretty close.

We finished out yesterday with spaghetti, worship, writing cards for future goers, and talking about re-entry. The team has seen and experienced some really powerful, life-changing moments and it’s not always easy coming back to our previous lives. Be patient with your friends and family as they transition back into their homes. They’ve seen some really hard things, they’ve had their hearts broken and put back together, they’ve felt love from people they never met, they’ve seen what lack of food and clean water are, they’ve felt God’s love in new ways.

Today we are touring Rebo, a local coffee factory. Then we’ll have lunch at Papillon before heading to the airport. Everyone is sad to leave but excited for what’s next in each of their lives and Haiti.

This is Katie, BTW. The team’s leader from Minnesota. I feel so blessed to have met this team. They are all so kind, God-loving, amazing people. I’ve learned so much from them. In the spirit of word of the day, here is what I’ve seen:

•       Pastor Jacob – Leader
•        Ms. Allison – Selfless
•        Angela – Patient  
•        Krista – Kind
•        Abby – Understanding (and hilarious) 
•        Emily – Loving
•        Cayley – Giving