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
