Monday, May 2, 2016
Day 1-Watermark Church-Gainor's Crew
Day one is coming to an end and the team is fading fast. A day that started for us all at 3am at the Minneapolis Airport, is now coming to a close in Port-au-Prince, Haiti around 9pm. I can say that I have never seen a group mesh so well, in such an intense setting, thousands of miles away from all things comfortable, than this team of amazing people from Watermark Church.
The last 6 months for many of us, has been the build up and effort of so many, coming to pass in this one week. But seeing the faces of the people on this trip, the moment the plane landed on Haitian soil tonight gleamed the reality that it's about so much more than just this week. There are lives that will be changed here in Haiti because of the Love that the Lord so desires to pour out of this team to the people of this country...but after seeing the looks on the faces of those on the team that He so specifically called for such a time as this... this moment, this day, this week... it is seen with absolute clarity that there is a pruning, a refining, a beautiful work that He wants to do through humbling the hearts of His people, and using us for His glory...His purpose...using this team for His will... and man, has He already started!
Tonight after settling into the place that we will call home for the next 8 days, we all went outside and sat together...with one guitar, 14 voices and the presence of our King and we started our Missions trip here in Haiti with worship. We spent some time resting in the Lord after a long day of travel to the place that all of hearts have come to beat for;) After welcoming our last member to our group tonight, we shared stories, some skyped their children, some wrote in their journals, we talked, we laughed, and we just were. Tomorrow He has something special for this group... and has a Love for the people of Haiti that cannot be contained by this group!
Join us and pray for hearts to be changed, comfort zones to be stretched, and for all of eternity to change in the light of His love!
Till tomorrow;)
Thank you from the Watermark Team for the love and support!!!
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Exceedingly, abundantly....
Today was a wonderful culmination to our week in Haiti. We attended church with the Deaf community in Leveque. The sermon was about Jesus' feeding of the five thousand with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes; a topic we had discussed in devotion time just a few days earlier. We also witnessed a man and a young boy declare their saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Following the service we went to the Haiti Deaf Academy home in Cabaret to play with the students there. They were as thrilled to see us, as we were to see them. The young girl from Cite Soleil who had recently enrolled in HDA seemed to be doing very well. Many of us purchased handcrafted items from the HDA store and had photos taken with the student who had crafted the metal art or painted the picture.
There were photos to be shared with the students from past trips. They were excited to find their own faces in the group shots or realize that they could keep the individual photos. The activity bin was helpful with its supply of floss for braiding friendship bracelets, jump ropes, and bottles of bubbles. The trusty "Elephant Game" was taught and played with much laughter and eagerness by the children, no matter their age.
We all felt sad when the team and the students realized that our time together was coming to an end. At the same time we felt our mission week was now completed.
We will return with memories that will never leave us. We know part of our hearts will always remain here in Haiti.
Ephesians 3:20, 21
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to His power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Following the service we went to the Haiti Deaf Academy home in Cabaret to play with the students there. They were as thrilled to see us, as we were to see them. The young girl from Cite Soleil who had recently enrolled in HDA seemed to be doing very well. Many of us purchased handcrafted items from the HDA store and had photos taken with the student who had crafted the metal art or painted the picture.
There were photos to be shared with the students from past trips. They were excited to find their own faces in the group shots or realize that they could keep the individual photos. The activity bin was helpful with its supply of floss for braiding friendship bracelets, jump ropes, and bottles of bubbles. The trusty "Elephant Game" was taught and played with much laughter and eagerness by the children, no matter their age.
We all felt sad when the team and the students realized that our time together was coming to an end. At the same time we felt our mission week was now completed.
We will return with memories that will never leave us. We know part of our hearts will always remain here in Haiti.
Ephesians 3:20, 21
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to His power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Carpe Diem!
A beautiful, new day greeted us when we got up this morning. Our disabled Tap Tap also was parked in the driveway which was a welcome surprise with our items inside intact! The Tap Tap will be out of commission for a while.
We were eagerly anticipating our visit to Montfort Institute. When we arrived, we were approached by 120-plus deaf students. They were ready to get attention and hugs, and immediately started to play with us. Each of us had the opportunity to interact with the children, playing with the parachute, making bracelets, playing the Elephant game, Rock Electricity, soccer, jump rope, cards, story telling, and just sitting and chatting. Many of the older kids were fascinated about life in America, and how white deaf Americans have jobs and this gave them hope for their future. They were amazed at the different signs in English and French. We also learned a few signs in Haitian Sign Language. The team got a tour of the grounds - they have a farm where they raise goats, peacocks, cows, rabbits and chickens. They also grow bananas, mangoes, plantains, and other fruits.
During our sharing time this evening, many of the team members shared that they were touched by their visit to Monfort and how the deaf kids loved our visit. The kids want us to come back soon. Some of the words that were shared by the team included contentment, perspective, love, "proudness", cherish, awesome, fun, and heart touching. We shared how much fun we had and that we did not want to leave. We also shared stories on what we witnessed at Montfort. We especially loved seeing the smiles on the children's faces and the thrill they showed when some of us told them we are deaf. "You deaf??" "White deaf???" "Is he/she deaf? Same??!!" They were surprised that we came to be with them - "really????" When Bob (one of our leaders) was asked what he thought of the day today, he said "WOW".
We wrapped up our evening by picking up dinner from a Haitian restaurant named Kokoye in Delmas 31 in Port au Prince. It was ironic that most of us got American pizza from a Haitian restaurant! We also celebrated Mr. and Mdme. Keslet's 22nd Wedding Anniversary ("marriage birthday").
We had the opportunity to ride the Tap Tap back to the Guest House after dark for the first time - it was interesting to see traffic at night and the city lights in the mountains.
We were eagerly anticipating our visit to Montfort Institute. When we arrived, we were approached by 120-plus deaf students. They were ready to get attention and hugs, and immediately started to play with us. Each of us had the opportunity to interact with the children, playing with the parachute, making bracelets, playing the Elephant game, Rock Electricity, soccer, jump rope, cards, story telling, and just sitting and chatting. Many of the older kids were fascinated about life in America, and how white deaf Americans have jobs and this gave them hope for their future. They were amazed at the different signs in English and French. We also learned a few signs in Haitian Sign Language. The team got a tour of the grounds - they have a farm where they raise goats, peacocks, cows, rabbits and chickens. They also grow bananas, mangoes, plantains, and other fruits.
During our sharing time this evening, many of the team members shared that they were touched by their visit to Monfort and how the deaf kids loved our visit. The kids want us to come back soon. Some of the words that were shared by the team included contentment, perspective, love, "proudness", cherish, awesome, fun, and heart touching. We shared how much fun we had and that we did not want to leave. We also shared stories on what we witnessed at Montfort. We especially loved seeing the smiles on the children's faces and the thrill they showed when some of us told them we are deaf. "You deaf??" "White deaf???" "Is he/she deaf? Same??!!" They were surprised that we came to be with them - "really????" When Bob (one of our leaders) was asked what he thought of the day today, he said "WOW".
We wrapped up our evening by picking up dinner from a Haitian restaurant named Kokoye in Delmas 31 in Port au Prince. It was ironic that most of us got American pizza from a Haitian restaurant! We also celebrated Mr. and Mdme. Keslet's 22nd Wedding Anniversary ("marriage birthday").
We had the opportunity to ride the Tap Tap back to the Guest House after dark for the first time - it was interesting to see traffic at night and the city lights in the mountains.
Friday, April 29, 2016
A Day to Remember
Today started out as usual. We would slowly one by one come out of our bedrooms and join in our morning conversations until breakfast was ready. Our day's plan was to go to Leveque to meet some deaf residents that are in need in the community on our prayer walk.
After our devotion and prayer we ate our breakfast and embarked for our trip. There was some concern about making the crossing near the fallen bridge as it was about 2 feet under water. We approached very heavy traffic as trucks, buses, Tap Taps, motorcycles, and SUVs fought to get in line to reach the flooded crossing. There was a lot of people milling about watching and also directing traffic. When it was our turn, there was trepidation as the other team had some trouble making the crossing yesterday when their tap tap stalled out just a few feet from reaching the other side, but luckily they were able to get out eventually. Our driver, Max, started the crossing and it went well until we got about 10 feet from the other side when the engine stalled. He tried to restart it several times with no avail. Several men started coming towards us and we became a little nervous of what their possible intentions were as we were helplessly stuck in the water. In the Tap Tap, we all prayed for safety for ourselves and for the people around us. As it turns out, they were simply being kind and trying to be helpful and worked to help Max get the truck started for several minutes. When that failed, several men got behind the Tap Tap to push it forward a few feet. We were amazed they could get it moving with our team still inside! Then an ambulance SUV got behind us and was able to push us out of the water onto the dry land. Unfortunately, the engine and the muffler were full of water. Several Haitian people came and helped push the Tap Tap back and forth trying to flush out the water. A Mack truck pushed us to a different area out of the way of the busy traffic. While waiting for the Tap Tap to be fixed, we were overjoyed to be reunited with both deaf girl and boy on their way to Haiti Deaf Academy (HDA). One of our team members said "We were stuck, but God gave us 'Hope.'" This helped us put our experience in perspective.
We all stayed near the Tap Tap while waiting for the guys to attempt to fix the vehicle and talked with both kids, and their mothers. At that point, we abandoned our plan for the day and focused on getting back to the guesthouse. Some of the Healing Haiti staff from the guesthouse came to the rescue and got us home safely.
After a delicious spaghetti dinner prepared by our staff, we had our nightly devotion. The main focus was on trusting God and having faith in God as He kept us all safe. Many of us shared our experiences and word of the day. Some of those words included patience, chaos, teamwork, trust, adventure, blessed, reason, and Hope.
We had plans for today, but God had other plans for us. We had to learn to go with the flow and trust God. Plans were made that were changed every few minutes. We may never know why these plans changed or did not go the way we wanted them to, but God had other plans and God has his reasons. He alone knows the plans.
Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
After our devotion and prayer we ate our breakfast and embarked for our trip. There was some concern about making the crossing near the fallen bridge as it was about 2 feet under water. We approached very heavy traffic as trucks, buses, Tap Taps, motorcycles, and SUVs fought to get in line to reach the flooded crossing. There was a lot of people milling about watching and also directing traffic. When it was our turn, there was trepidation as the other team had some trouble making the crossing yesterday when their tap tap stalled out just a few feet from reaching the other side, but luckily they were able to get out eventually. Our driver, Max, started the crossing and it went well until we got about 10 feet from the other side when the engine stalled. He tried to restart it several times with no avail. Several men started coming towards us and we became a little nervous of what their possible intentions were as we were helplessly stuck in the water. In the Tap Tap, we all prayed for safety for ourselves and for the people around us. As it turns out, they were simply being kind and trying to be helpful and worked to help Max get the truck started for several minutes. When that failed, several men got behind the Tap Tap to push it forward a few feet. We were amazed they could get it moving with our team still inside! Then an ambulance SUV got behind us and was able to push us out of the water onto the dry land. Unfortunately, the engine and the muffler were full of water. Several Haitian people came and helped push the Tap Tap back and forth trying to flush out the water. A Mack truck pushed us to a different area out of the way of the busy traffic. While waiting for the Tap Tap to be fixed, we were overjoyed to be reunited with both deaf girl and boy on their way to Haiti Deaf Academy (HDA). One of our team members said "We were stuck, but God gave us 'Hope.'" This helped us put our experience in perspective.
We all stayed near the Tap Tap while waiting for the guys to attempt to fix the vehicle and talked with both kids, and their mothers. At that point, we abandoned our plan for the day and focused on getting back to the guesthouse. Some of the Healing Haiti staff from the guesthouse came to the rescue and got us home safely.
After a delicious spaghetti dinner prepared by our staff, we had our nightly devotion. The main focus was on trusting God and having faith in God as He kept us all safe. Many of us shared our experiences and word of the day. Some of those words included patience, chaos, teamwork, trust, adventure, blessed, reason, and Hope.
We had plans for today, but God had other plans for us. We had to learn to go with the flow and trust God. Plans were made that were changed every few minutes. We may never know why these plans changed or did not go the way we wanted them to, but God had other plans and God has his reasons. He alone knows the plans.
Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Water Day #2 and Visit to Montfort
Today is Thursday! It was a sunny morning that we woke up to see. We started the day with a good breakfast and a devotion about how we are often stretched in our personal lives like rubber bands. We prayed for wisdom to know what our priorities are in life and to take care of our own health as we serve others. We took off at 9 am to Cite Soleil to meet water trucks at the areas that needed water the most, areas #19 and #21were filled with children happy to see us and lots of buckets to fill. We went back to the Guest House and changed our clothes quickly to go to the Montfort Institute and visit with the deaf students. We were excited to see them using American Sign Language with us and many shared happy moments learning how similar we are. We were lucky enough to catch the kids together celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of their school. We stayed to watch their celebration with the partner hearing school and donated 2 suitcases of clothes, soccer balls and children's French books. From there we went to a local market that sells metal art that we all enjoyed. We had Haitian food for dinner tonight - Chicken wings, Haitian Meatballs, Rice with beans, Potatoes, Beets, spicy Cole Slaw, and fried Plantains. It was a good dinner for us all to try. We had our evening devotion and our daily words to share. After a short rest we went out for an evening swim at the pool. We will be heading to Leveque tomorrow for the day. Have a good night!
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Miracles and Smoothies
This morning, our devotional was about putting our trust in the Lord and letting His plan happen. This was an inspired message because nothing went according to our plans today. The day started out with three team members very ill and unable to get out of bed. As a result, we had to change all of our plans, but God knew where He needed us to be.
First, we headed to The Apparent Project: www.apparentproject.org
This is an amazing company that provides jobs for local Haitians that otherwise would not be able to support their families. We were able to take a tour around the building and see how they make the beads, pottery, and sewing projects from recycled materials that they sell in the shop. An amazing part of the production facility is the daycare, where parents are able to have their young children close by during the work day.
Our team leader told us about a man named Mario, or "The Smoothie King", who in March had been robbed and shot twice in the face. You can read more of his story here: https://www.crowdrise.com/mario-castins-road-to-recovery---medical-and-recovery-support-
We didn't think that we were going to be able to meet him because he has been recovering, but the Lord has a plan and Mario showed up and talked with us. We were able to support him by purchasing bracelets that the Apparent Project makes and donates the money to Mario's recovery. We also got the Mario Special smoothie at the Clay Cafe above the shop. Yum!
After a brief lunch and a check-in with our sick teammates, we visited an orphanage for children with special needs. As soon as we entered the gate, a few of the children who could walk came up to us and gave us hugs. We went inside to see the rest of the kids and were met with many smiles and hugs as we walked around and interacted with the children. Many of the children there couldn't walk because of physical disabilities, but that didn't stop them from scooting across the floor to say hello and get some attention. One little girl had he most amazing smile. When she looked at you, her whole countenance lit up. It was so beautiful. They sang for us and made us smile. Looking from American eyes, this small, overcrowded room would seem tragic. Yet, there was so much love and appreciation for the small things in that little room that we left feeling full of hope and love. These kids truly are lucky because they have a home and people who take care of them.
When we returned to the guest house this evening, we were incredibly blessed to have our three teammates up and feeling so much better. It was such am miracle that their sicknesses were short lived and that none of the rest of our team became sick. So many prayers were answered today in ways that we weren't expecting. We know that God is watching out for and performing miracles for our group as we yield to His will and follow the plan that He has for us.
First, we headed to The Apparent Project: www.apparentproject.org
This is an amazing company that provides jobs for local Haitians that otherwise would not be able to support their families. We were able to take a tour around the building and see how they make the beads, pottery, and sewing projects from recycled materials that they sell in the shop. An amazing part of the production facility is the daycare, where parents are able to have their young children close by during the work day.
Our team leader told us about a man named Mario, or "The Smoothie King", who in March had been robbed and shot twice in the face. You can read more of his story here: https://www.crowdrise.com/mario-castins-road-to-recovery---medical-and-recovery-support-
We didn't think that we were going to be able to meet him because he has been recovering, but the Lord has a plan and Mario showed up and talked with us. We were able to support him by purchasing bracelets that the Apparent Project makes and donates the money to Mario's recovery. We also got the Mario Special smoothie at the Clay Cafe above the shop. Yum!
After a brief lunch and a check-in with our sick teammates, we visited an orphanage for children with special needs. As soon as we entered the gate, a few of the children who could walk came up to us and gave us hugs. We went inside to see the rest of the kids and were met with many smiles and hugs as we walked around and interacted with the children. Many of the children there couldn't walk because of physical disabilities, but that didn't stop them from scooting across the floor to say hello and get some attention. One little girl had he most amazing smile. When she looked at you, her whole countenance lit up. It was so beautiful. They sang for us and made us smile. Looking from American eyes, this small, overcrowded room would seem tragic. Yet, there was so much love and appreciation for the small things in that little room that we left feeling full of hope and love. These kids truly are lucky because they have a home and people who take care of them.
When we returned to the guest house this evening, we were incredibly blessed to have our three teammates up and feeling so much better. It was such am miracle that their sicknesses were short lived and that none of the rest of our team became sick. So many prayers were answered today in ways that we weren't expecting. We know that God is watching out for and performing miracles for our group as we yield to His will and follow the plan that He has for us.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Water Day #1
After a fun evening of games and laughter, we are getting settled in for another good night's sleep for our trip to Montfort tomorrow. More on that tomorrow, stay tuned...
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