Bonswa (Good Evening),
We had another amazing day discovering the depths of God's love. We started the day with another wonderful spread including fresh squeezed juice, pancakes, scrambled eggs with ham and peppers, fresh mango and banana slices, and a special oatmeal. We left the table feeling satisfied and energized for the busy day ahead.
We made our way to a local market where artists displayed their work and creations ranging from hand paintings, to wood carvings and jewelry. Most of us walked a way with a treasure to take back home with us.
Before jumping on the tap-tap (our mode of transportation), we lathered sun tan lotion and bug spray on us. Team members gathered snacks for the day, a cooler filled with our water bottles, and two jugs of water to keep us hydrated. A picture of the team and we were off for the day!
Our first stop was the water truck filling station. Once the truck was ready, we headed to Cite Soleil to distribute water to the residents there. As we arrived, we were grateful to see all the people coming with their buckets, pails, and containers to get water to provide for their families. We helped fill buckets, carry buckets, assist women with placing the bucket on their head, and transport the water from the truck to their home (an average bucket can weigh 20 - 40 lbs). We also had the amazing opportunity to hold and love on the beautiful Haitian children living in the area. Their sweet little faces will be forever engraved in our memories.
Following our water truck stop #1 we had the opportunity to visit and tour Hope Church, School and Clinic. As we toured the facility we learned this beautiful place for people to worship, children to learn, and families to come for medical assistance is built on mountain of garbage. Looking at the facility, it was hard to believe. God is so good. We also learned that you can sponsor one of the children for $300 a year and it provides an education, an adorable uniform, and a hot meal daily. We finished our time by playing with the kids, grabbing a quick snack and some water. Before we knew it, we were off to water truck stop #2.
As a group, we walked through the streets of Cite Soleil community to get to our destination. We were greeted with crowds of people in the street and around us. As we arrived we quickly went into action and helped where ever needed. Once finished, hot and tired, we jumped back into the tap-tap and headed back to the Healing Haiti guest house where we are staying.
We were all eager to shower and get refreshed for our next adventure. At 3pm we left for our third and final stop of the day, Home for Sick and Dying Babies. Our time there was spent holding babies, playing with children, and showing God's love to the children residing there. We left feeling grateful for the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
As we arrived back to the guest house, we were all excited to see dinner waiting for us on the table. The food was delicious. After cleaning up and bellies full, we gathered together on our rooftop patio for a time to process the day. Some words that were shared included: connection, love, hope, broken, peace, and intentional. We ended the evening with worship led by one of our talented team members. It was amazing!
Looking back through the day, the verse that comes to mind is
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40, 45, NIV).
To Him be the glory and honor!
Hosanna Team
