Bayside/EP Love is shared

We had an interesting day from the very start. We had one of our team, who has had steady headaches from the first service time on Water Truck day. She was prayed for last night before bed and the headache was gone. This morning it had returned and so we prayed as a team and she said she felt a bit better, then the same person prayed the headache was gone and she had a great day with no headache, and so her word of the day, which is the one word we use to describe what meant the most to us during the day, was dance:)

Today was our second water truck day, where we go and deliver water along with our water trucks, to the area known as Cite Soleil. Having done it on Tuesday, this was one thing, we knew what to expect, so we seemed more relaxed and it went great. People that had done the hose before, wanted to do it again, which will be something they won't likely ever forget. They are the person who actually holds this big 5 inch wide hose and pours/shoots water into this line of buckets, being shoved into place by eager, maybe somewhat desperately thirsty people. Water is life here, just as it is everywhere. So when you have no access to it, guess that's as important as anything. Well we deliver to them for free and then our team helps them carry the water, as Haitian culture mostly women and kids do that tough task. Although, this time we did notice more male involvement:) Those not hauling water are mobbed by kids wanting to be held, aching to be loved. It's really a remarkable thing, and the team said that they had heard from me what to expect, but there really isn't any way to be truly prepared for what the experience is actually like once you are here. At one stop it was actually difficult for us to get down the stairs cuz the kids were so eager they were climbing up to greet us:) It is my job to make sure our team doesn't stray too far, and also to get the best pics of their whole experience. It's a pleasure to try and capture their happy faces as they hold a child or 3, 4, or 5, I think was todays record by Sam:) But more than the pics, will be the memories of the feelings or moments that will change them forever, and brighten someone's life even if only for a moment.

After a quick turnaround to shower and eat, mostly standing, while we got ready for going to
La Pherre orphanage. This is a great experience, where the kids are seemingly happy and healthy and open to our loving them even if for just a few hours. We started with a familiar song with Molly doing great on keyboard and then Emanuel joined in on guitar, and we had a fun singalong time. Then Amida got her photo booth out:) and Noah and Brady took polaroids of the kids, some with big smiles, and poses, and some were being pretty shy. Sam and Amida were doing their best to keep it somehow orderly:) Once the polaroids developed they were put into small frames with the words "Jezi Remnen ou" which means Jesus loves you:)
While this was going on we got out the old favorites, Bubbles, and Jaimie and Laura and Jacob, entertained kids with that, and then the girls got excited as Marcia, Jen and Kristi brought out the nail polish and started getting the girls of all ages with beautiful colored nails:) At the same time outside in a small walled in courtyard, driveway type place, Jake was playing soccer with some of the boys, and then was joined by Jacob and Noah too! Talented kids, even the younger boys, were fun to watch!
Then we got the parachute out, thx soo much to Marcia for bringing it along, and started playing games with Marcia, Sam, Jaimie, Laura, Jen and Amida and ....really got the kids moving:) and smiling!! Before we left, we had the girls from La Pherre's putting on a jump rope display that impressed all!! and included a turn for Molly as well:) We all felt encouraged that there was such a well run place where the kids were being especially well taken care of.

Last special part of our day was a worship session on the balcony of Guest House 2, with Grace, our American long-term missionary leading some of our favorite contemporary Christian worship songs. We had all three Healing Haiti teams, come together as a group to raise our voices in praise to our Heavenly Father, through whom all things are possible, and through his love, we are able to do what without Him, we would not be equipped.

In the book of Romans, it talks about how God's love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who He has given to each of us that believe. It's because of this gift that we are able to show such love and impact lives as we are serving each day here in Haiti.

Feeling blessed and thankful,    Al

Day 3 The spectrum of life

Today was full day. We woke up and went to the apparent project. The Apparent Project was a place of hope for all of us to see. The Apparent Project gives jobs to families that are struggling to keep and provide for their families. The project teaches its workers skills, gives their children 0-3 free daycare on site, 4-5 years old have preschool on site for $10 a month, and finally they have a mini school the adults can choose to learn computer skills and english on their breaks or spare time. This place was amazing. We saw them make paper, clay, and crushed glass beads. They also make pottery on site and screen print the shirts there. After we walked through the onsite production we had the chance to purchase the items the parents were making and also get a great snack. Going to the Apparent Project was such a contrast from yesterday, that there is truly a chance for some to be able to provide a good life for themselves. After the Apparent project we were able to back to the guest house and eat lunch.

After lunch our team split into two groups. One group went to Gertrude which is a special needs orphanage. Al, Amida and Jake had a good time spending time. Al was able to reconnect with some children he knew from before. They were able to play with the special needs children and the abandon children that were there. The second group that I was apart of went to the home for the sick and dying babies and children. We all had been trying to prepare our hearts for this place all week. When we entered into the compound there were two rooms our group spilt into, half went to the toddler room and the others went into the infant room. Each room had around 50 cribs. They were all full. There was so many different issues with all of the children. Some children were able to stand and yell and jump as we entered, and the other end of the spectrum was some children were so weak they couldn't lift their heads and had iv's. As soon as we came in we went straight to work. The nun's gave us bowls of food to start feeding babies. Some ate and some didnt. After all the children were fed we worked on holding as many babies as we could. They all craved love and attention and there was not enough of us to hold everyone at the same time. We all made special connections with at least one child. Our lives were forever changed because of these little ones fighting for their lives.

I had an experience today that rocked my world. I was able to find hope in this special place because i could see children being fed, loved and their medical needs were being met. I was often told that "this child improve". That brought joy to my heart in the midst of all the tears. I then met a young lady that didnt fit with they other. I was in the infant room which is generally 0-2 year olds. This girl was about 5-7 years old and was lying in the bed calling for her mama. She had an iv and was very uncomfortable. I tried to help her but i couldn't understand what she was saying. I gave her a hug and helped a baby that was screaming behind me. I then came back to her and tried again. She was motioning for food and i asked to feed her but they told me she couldnt because she so malnutrition she couldnt handle food. I was crushed. I tried to help a few more kids and when i came back to put one back i found her on the floor. She was trying to go potty in a bucket on the floor and didnt have the strength to hold herself up. I quickly put the other child away and lifted her out of her mess onto my lap. As we sat on the floor cuddling i sang to her and pray with her. She finally relaxed and fell asleep. We sat there for awhile until i was called to leave. It took every ounce of me to put her back in her bed and say goodbye. This young lady will forever be in my heart.

Today was filled with a spectrum of emotions and life situation. We all grew because of today. We all learn that we could do something to change the world but we have to learn that we cannot save everyone. I think that is the toughest lesson i have learned here. If I cannot fix this situation i need to leave it to God and just pray. If you feel led to help out the apparent project you can order online at apparentproject.org. We still have a few pray request. One of our guard dogs Bacon has ear mites and has sores all over him. The vet did come today but he seems ill and doesnt move much today. Jaimie would like pray for a pulled hamstring and I am still not doing well with the heat and have a constant pounding headache.
In His love,
Samantha

Bayside/Tonka Day 2: "Hey you! Fight to Receive!"

The temperature is finally cooling down a bit as we calm down and relax after a full day of ministry.  During the day we did have ample opportunity to cool down because we were delivering clean water to City Soleil.  I'm so excited to share about our activities today but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.  Allow me to rewind to my personal devotional this morning.  As I read 2 Timothy 1, I was reminded to seek out God's hand in everything and not stop searching until I have found it just as Onesiphorus did not stop seeking Paul until he found him.

Fast forward, our ministry today was delivering clean water to City Soleil as I said before.  What a joy and privilege it was for us to be the hands and feet that carry one of the most basic needs to all mankind.  Yes, the ministry in itself was fulfilling.  In some ways, I found this ministry to be heartbreaking.  The truth of delivering water in City Soleil, the poorest city in Haiti, is that the people only receive water about once a week because there are 36 districts in the city that need water to be delivered.  Thankfully, there are 2 water truck under the care of Healing Haiti's organization.  Today, however, one of the trucks is out of commission.  Please pray for speedy repairs to be made.

Another thing that made my heart break was watching many of the people, mostly women, fight over the water.  More than once, we had to shut off the hose to settle the people down and reform a single line.  Looking back at how sad that made me, what's even more sad is that they were not all fighting for the "ultimate" basic need of all mankind:  to know Jesus.  How many times do we reject the good things that God wants to do in our lives because we don't think it's in our best interest when in reality, we should be fighting to receive all He has for us because we need everything He gives.

Enough sadness, let's talk about some of the joys of the day.  None of us have heard the words, "Hey you!" more frequently than we have in a single day driving in the Tap-Tap.  At each stop, the children would run alongside the vehicle yelling "Hey you!" at us because they were so excited to see us.  Before we even open the back door, the children would swarm around just waiting to be held and loved.  It was not difficult to choose one to pick up because whoever got to you first would already be clinging to you.  So much joy on each of their faces.

Another huge joy was being able to see Hope Church.  This church is literally built upon an old garbage dump and restroom area.  Hope Church is a shining example of the word hope because it proves that beautiful things truly can come out of the dust, grime, and ugliness. Needless to say, the only place people go to do their business is now the indoor restroom.  Actually, the facility is also used as a school for kindergarteners.  Hope is found in the eyes of these sweet children because it is a free school for approximately 50 students.

Amidst the sorrow, poverty, and joy, hope and love can easily be found when one asks God to reveal it to them.  As a team, we have all been learning in our own ways that God does not call the equipped.  He equips the called.  God does not ever promise that things will be easy, but He does promise that we will never be alone going through it.

Your prayers are much appreciated!  The water truck to be repaired quickly, and also Samantha has had some painful headaches due to the extreme heat, and Amida to continue hearing God's leading and guidance as she steps out of her comfort zone by being in Haiti.

Thank you all for your support back home!

Jaimie

Bayside/Tonka Day 1 "God is in the unexpected"

This was the message of our sermon Sunday, and was oh so fitting for our journey to Haiti! For the Bayside goers, we had to patiently deal with road construction(or impatiently) that put us through security just in time to board. Then nice flight to Miami, and then we find we had to claim our donations bags which were maximum weight and haul them with to the hotel, and back. Had great shuttle helpers and actually turned out she was from Haiti:)
A late dinner at Ihop and most of us were full and smiling as we finally called it a night. Kristi and kids, though, slept at the airport, or should I say in Kristi's words, "it was an adventure". But not really sleep.
Things went smooth in every way to finish our trip to Haiti, and we ended up getting in early, around noon to the guesthouse. We then took care of our organizing for the week, and checking out the guesthouse and grounds. We had a refreshing trip to a nearby hotel which allows us to use their pool in exchange for just buying a beverage:) It's hot here and I've never seen people get into the pool so fast in my life:) A relaxing, reenergizing time and finished with shepherd's pie and soccer with the local boys.
We have some other new friends with Team 3, and enjoyed games, talking and the soccer time with them too. We finished with a devo, and the word of the day, which is where we all pick a word that describes our major thought for the day. Some examples, beautiful, grateful, peaceful, and relieved.
Now early to bed and rest for our big day delivering water with our water trucks to City Soleil. Tomorrow the adventure goes to the next level! Thx for prayers and interest in our team.   Al

Hamilton/Loween Day 7

Today was our last full day in Haiti…and we were looking for opportunities to serve, so we got lucky enough to sneak one more orphanage visit into our day!!  First…we had church.  We walked back to the same church we were at the other day…Church on the Rock and enjoyed an inspiring service.  Today’s service included an American pastor who spoke some of the message in English, so that was fun to be a part of it.

From church, we loaded up in the TapTap and went to a new affiliated orphanage with Healing Haiti. The Cardinal Stepinac Children’s Center [by Croatian Relief Services] includes about 60 kids. The property was very nice…they had the first patch of green grass that we have seen in all of Haiti.  Of course…we played soccer! We joked it was skirts v. skins because we were all still in our church clothes.  The kids had a blast.  The property had quite a few mango trees, bunnies, kittens, and a great water filtration system.  The kid’s age ranges appeared 5 to 17.  They were all very well-mannered and loved the time we spent with them.

Last stop for the day was to a local grocery.  People stocked up on Haitian coffee which is delicious.  Once we got back to the guest house we walked over to the pool and enjoyed a little relaxation time.  Fun Fact we learned about our team: Tammy is the acting mayor of her town!  We will know call her Madam Tammy😉

Tonight, we are wrapping up with group time and worship with the other teams on the compound.  This trip is coming to an end sadly…the week has flown by!  We are staying in the moment and will continue to learn and listen to what God has as he continues to influence us all here in Haiti.

Looking at a brochure we got from the orphanage today – it reads: Mathew 24:40 “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  For us this is a simple summary of the work we have done all week. 

AND in conclusion…we owe many thanks to the Healing Haiti staff and all the Haitians that have been extremely hospitable to us during our stay.  To our team members specifically – we have learned a bit about each other and now will have a memory to cherish for a lifetime.  To our leaders – the little things did not go unnoticed from packing us up for the day to uploading all of our photos…you truly lead by example!  To the HH staff, your work ethic and kindness exceeded expectations!  Merci, Merci!

 

Jill and Emily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton/Loween Day 6

We can definitely say that today was a full day.  For some of our team, the day started early with an opportunity to serve at Haitian Initiative. Haitian Initiative is an after school soccer program in Cité Soleil. This is a place where the children in the community of all ages, boys and girls, are given opportunity to play soccer, and so much more. They have the opportunity to go to school, be coached and mentored by peers and adults who care about them and their development. They are fed a meal, and get to play the game they love most. The athletic trainers on our team were able to run a sports injury clinic this morning. We saw about 20 kids and coaches today with a variety of ailments, from blisters and lacerations to knee and elbow sprains, and fractures. We know the need is greater than what we were able to provide today, but we just pray we were able to be a blessing to those we did treat.

After that, our team served in Cité Soleil delivering water at two different stops.  The first stop was one of the same stops from Wednesday.  The second stop seemed to have so many more young children than our other stops.  The need also seemed much greater today.  At both stops, there was still a line waiting for water after the truck was empty.  For many, today was difficult.  The lines were longer, the buckets seemed heavier and the desire from the children to be held and loved was so much greater.  We struggled with trying to fulfill the needs of carrying buckets and loving on children.  It was a good reminder that we, as human beings, cannot be and do it all.  We need to rely on God for every need…and ironically that is exactly what the Haitians are doing – trusting and relying on God to provide for all their needs.  And in a very small way, we had the privilege of being part of that plan today.

Our next stop was back to the guesthouse for a quick and much needed shower before heading to a nearby orphanage.  The orphanage that we visited has around 35 kiddos ranging in age from 6 months to 18 years old.  The children were well cared for and genuinely excited for our visit.  They welcomed us with open arms.  We did a variety of activities, including sidewalk chalk, jump ropes and of course soccer!  Our time there seemed to fly by and before we knew it, we were saying good-bye to some amazing kids. 

Lastly we had the treat of going to Fleri Restaurant for dinner.  Our server was one of the kids transitioning out of Grace Village.  The transition program is for the kids that have reached adulthood and are in process of finding a trade to allow them to become independent.  We ordered appetizers, pizzas and of course some amazing desert!  Fleri is such a great example of the hope and beauty that comes from empowering the Haitians to flourish.   

~Amy and Marcia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton/Loween Day 5

“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” Mark 10:13-15

 

We started this morning out by attending a Haitian Church on the Rock.  It was amazing to see the love that these people had for God.  Most locals spent the service standing or walking up and down the isles with their hands raised in praise. Although the service was all in Haitian Creole, it was still very moving to see the passion that these people have for our Lord.

 

Next for the day was the Metal Market.  It was here where we saw metal transformed into beautiful pieces of art.  The Haitians rely on the sales of their artwork to support their families so buying from them was a win/win situation for all of us.  While some of us waited for the others to finish, we took out a soccer ball and started playing soccer with a group of young kids who had gathered outside the tap tap.  The smiles on their faces as they played were priceless.

 

We had scheduled 2 visits to local orphanages: Monfort and Dios.  Monfort is an orphanage and school for the deaf.  Upon arrival, we were given a tour of the farm and the classrooms.  The animals on the farm were raised for the purpose of feeding the children of the orphanage.  And finally what we were all anxiously awaiting…..playtime with the kiddos!  We had brought soccer balls, jump ropes, and dry erase boards for interacting with the children.  They were so curious to know our names and ages and to write (in beautiful cursive) their names and the names of their friends.  We played tic-tac-toe, drew pictures, and some of the kids even had us doing math problems.  We wrapped up our visit at Monfort with one last visit through a room housing furniture and other wood products made by the these very talented deaf kids. 

 

Last visit for the day was to Dios, an orphanage for children with special needs.  We brought along a craft project to do with them—a foam visor and stickers to put on them.  The kids had fun putting the stickers on their visor, themselves, and others!  After completing the project, we took out the soccer balls, which is always a hit with the children.  Disabilities?  Did someone say disabilities?  We watched as they kicked the ball back and forth with us and others.  To watch one child play while on crutches was amazing!  The children in wheelchairs got in the action too by throwing the balls back and forth to us.  We wrapped up our visit with singing.  One of the little girls had the voice of an angel as she sang, “Lord, I need you.”

 

We are here to help the people of Haiti as best as we can.  Our team stay is short and our impact minimal relative to the need in Haiti as a whole.  The reality is that the beautiful people of Haiti have no idea how they have forever impacted us. 

 

Glwa pou Bondye!!  Glory to God!   ~Tammy