Day 3 - Cite Soleil: Hope, water trucks and Sakala

Today started off with a delicious breakfast that included pancakes, veggie eggs, and fresh juice.
 We made our way then to Cite Soleil - the heart of the destitution in Haiti. The roads were rough
and journey seemed long in the morning heat.
As we left Dalmas center and made our way to Cite Soleil, we could see the plastic and trash
garbage accumulation increase - it certainly did not help the situation that we had a huge downpour
of rain last night. We could see the water line by where the trash had floated up to.
 Despite all of this and although labeled the worst slum in the western Hemisphere, we found hope
and jubilation in Cite Soleil. We started off at the Hope Complex - it houses the Hope Clinic,
Hope Church, and Hope School.
The church and school were first established 3 years ago and the clinic opened this year.
They offer free services to the people of Cite Soleil and are truly changing lives
- and with the clinic now, certainly saving them too!

The tour of the complex was impressive and we met many of their over 260 students - all dressed in adorable lavender-checkered uniforms. The kids were excited as they were practicing for their end-of-the-year performance with song/dance number that they all seemed to enjoy! When we came into the room where they were, we were about knocked over by their little hands wanting us to pick them up or dance with them.

One of the most interesting aspects to the campus is the Innovation center - it houses workstations and 25 ipads to help teach the kids technology and innovative learning styles and processes. What a great addition to an already impressive project!

We then headed out to the nearby streets to help dispense water, carry buckets, and play with the children. The neighborhood nearby has rows and roads of shacks - made with rudimentary materials of corrugated metal, scrap sheet metal, and broken down concrete. A large water truck parks in the street and we hook up the big hose to fill their buckets, pails, tubs, or whatever they bring. So many words to describe our time with all the people and the water truck - joyous, overwhelming, exciting, and, i think we can all agree, wet. The kids are the best - they are SO EXCITED! They try to catch your eye and once they do, they leap up into your arms or just climb right up you! They giggle, tell you stories, and show you their trinkets. Each of us seemed to even find a special child that we bonded with with. Mine was Rosalinda. It helped I learned the creole word for "name" so we could exchange names with each other. What a special time with the kids and people of Cite Soliel. We all took turns helping with the water hose, carrying buckets, and entertaining kids. In total, we made three water truck stops throughout the neighborhood.

After that we came back to the guesthouse for a quick clean-up and headed back to Cite Soleil to the Sakala project. This is an afterschool program for kids that encourages them to find their dreams and go after them. They have sports programs, a computer lab, and with 20 shelves in their library - they host the largest library in Cite Soleil. They told us schools all over the city come to it and also partner with them to host sports events and competitions. We also learned about their efforts to cultivate Moringa trees - an indigenous tree that has immense nutritional value. They also had a place where they create cool art pieces made from salvaged trash pieces - a painted and textured framed mirror was a group favorite. However, newborn baby goats were equally exciting for some of us animal lovers!

The evening closed with a hearty lasagna meal, that we should note only took us 10 minutes to eat both pans, and a quick trek to the nearby Elite hotel for a dunk in the pool which definitely cooled us off from today's heat. Sounds like another thunderstorm is rolling in for the night as we wrap up our team meeting. I'm sure we will all sleep well tonight.

In Christ's steps,

Heather Douglas

Day 1 and 2

Bonswa,

Yesterday we arrived at the guest house around 3ish, well most of us. Two people from our group had missed their plane because of a delay and did not make it here until today. Besides the one minor inconvenience our day of traveling ended well. Once we had settled in gotten told the rules of the house and our itinerary we had our first meal as a group. The awesome cooks made us tacos which tasted amazing especially after our long day. A few of us decided to walk up to the pool to relax while the others stayed back at the guest house. Seeing we had a long day and another one ahead of us most went to bed early and got a good cool night of sleep. One room actually had their A/C not wok, their night was a little hotter than others.

Today was our first full day in Haiti and it did not disappoint. At 9am we started the day.The first stop of the day was College Baptiste de la Grace. This is a school that starts at kindergarten and goes to 6th grade. When we had gotten out of the tap-tap we were surrounded by concrete and did not look like we were near a school, then we had gotten lead 100ft to this shed with along with another little shed. These two sheds were filled with kids who embraced with ear to grin smiles and hands ready for high-fives. We spent the next 2 hours reading bible stories, doing crafts, and teaching English. The whole time the kids stayed grateful and were eager to learn more about what we had to teach them.

At the end of our time  being there we had prayed over the groups, and in one of the classrooms a young girl stood up and prayed over our group.When it was time to go each members our our group got at least 10 high fives and left with smiling from ear to ear. We also got to experience what the driving was in like in Haiti on our way to the second stop. They do not have many rules when it comes to driving besides watch out for other cars. The horn is a big thing compared to back in the states.

After we experienced the driving we arrived at the second school called teach Haiti. This school was a higher end from CBG. They had separate classrooms with doors instead of tarps. At this school we went into four different classrooms and learned the ages and favorite subjects of the kids. Our group split throughout the classroom and taught the kids some English words. The best part of this school is we were there just in time for the music class to play us songs on their recorders. These kids did an amazing job and did not even need to look at the music for the notes.

The last stop of the day was at Papillon. This is an organization that employs parents so they can afford to take care of their children, they started with 4 employees and are now up to 156. These employees range from making handmade beads to handmade mugs where we got to see the production of these amazing things. They also have a place to order food and smoothies which was amazing. We all loved the store and had a shopping spree inside.  

We made our way back to the guest house. Where we all changed and went out and played some soccer and jump rope with the neighborhood kids who definitely showed us up in the athletics. They schooled us in a game of soccer and we knew it was time to go back inside where we had authentic Haitian food waiting for us. Now we are full and ready for a big day tomorrow.

DeMay / Gainor Day 4 & 5

The past two days have been filled with not only activities, but blessings beyond measure!  

Yesterday started out as we loaded into our Tap Taps and headed out to meet the water truck.  We spent the morning delivery water to Cite de Soleil. While we filled buckets, we played with children and shared Christ’s love with the families.  The smiles and hugs from the children were endless and filled our team’s hearts.

After our time in Cite de Soleil, we toured Fleri Farms, the latest of Healing Haiti’s initiative focused on job creation.  The vision for the farm is to create as many Haitian jobs as possible, both on the farm as well as in the community - selling produce to local businesses and partnering with other growers.  It will also provide an opportunity for vertical integration, feeding the children in both Grace Village and Hope School.

The late afternoon was spent playing with the neighbor children, games of soccer, sidewalk chalk, bean bag toss, and singing together.  The laughter could be heard throughout the streets and was warming to the heart. While language could be a barrier, the smiles are contagious and tell the story of friendships being created.  

We finished out the day by visiting the children’s hospital, where we helped feed the children.  As we held the children, we prayed over them for their healing and comfort. The moments spent holding a child and praying over them are tender, precious, and filled with the Holy Spirit.  

We wrapped up the day by enjoying dinner together and time spent in reflection and devotion.  Our team continues to grow closer, sharing all that God is doing in each person.

We woke this morning with another full agenda for the day.  We once again jumped into our beloved Tap Taps and headed out, our first stop an orphanage.  We were welcomed by the children signing for us. They sounded wonderful, only made sweeter by the smiles that stretched from ear to ear.  We played soccer, colored in coloring books, and painted nails for most of the morning. It was so much fun to learn words in Creole and French as we figured out a way to communicate.  Laughter could be heard all morning and high fives were flying. The special connections made between two people, when language is not common, is not only sweet, but so genuine. It is our hearts that connect through God’s love and each child is leaving an impression on our hearts that we will carry long after we return home.

Our team had the privilege to spend the afternoon at home for children of special needs.  These small miracles were such a blessing - showering us with love and making us smile. We played musical instruments, built structures out of building blocks, played games with the parachute and sang to the children.  The love was immeasurable, leaving all of us forever changed.

As our team reflected this evening, we shared all the places we see God in Haiti:  In the beauty of the country, the eyes of the people, in the friendships created, the smiles of children, in the joy among so many, in the tender moments holding babies, in the new opportunities Healing Haiti is bringing to Haiti and the future God has in store for them.  We feel God moving in this incredible place and we all feel Him moving in us. This week of blessings has forever changed us and it has been humbling to play a small part the past two days.

DeMay / Gainor Day 3

Bonswa from Haiti!

Today was day 3 of our trip in Haiti. Our first stop of the day was at a school called, Teach Haiti. It was started by a woman who wanted to provide education access to children who normally might not have the opportunity to attend school. Our team split up into 2 groups, one group spent time with the 10th graders and the other with the 3rd graders. We helped the kids to practice their English and they helped us to practice our creole! One of the questions that we were encouraged to ask the students is what are their dreams - what do they want to be when they grow up? There were a variety of answers: engineer, nurse, lawyer, police officer, even a pastor. It was a great reminder that we are all uniquely wired by God and given a variety of dreams!

Next we went to Papillon, which is a local artisan shop and restaurant. Papillon was started by a woman and her husband who came down to adopt a child from Haiti. During that process, they realized that many of the children in orphanages actually have parents and are 'orphans' due to economics. From this realization Papillon was born and now employees over 100 Haitian moms & dads. They make a variety of goods: coffee mugs, jewelry, t-shirts, hand bags, dolls, etc. We were able to get a tour and see how things are made - we even were fortunate enough to see some of the coffee mugs being made on the pottery wheel.

We wrapped up the day by going to Sakala, which is an after school ministry that seeks to provide a space for kids to come play and get help with their homework. Sakala was started by two friends who grew up in Cite Soleil and know firsthand the reality that some of these kids face with gangs in the area. We were able to get a tour of the ministry and it was inspiring! They've turned an area which used to be full of garbage into a garden which grows a variety of plants and trees - including moringa trees. The gardener, Frank, grew up in Cite Soleil and after going to university and spending some time in the US he decided to come back to Haiti because he wanted to make a difference in his country - now he works with the kids to teach them about gardening. On top of seeing the garden, we also saw the library, as well as the chess and ping pong area. We learned that one of the elementary school age girls is amazing at chess and will be competing in a competition in the Dominican this coming weekend - needless to say she absolutely schooled our goers who attempted to play her. Lastly, we also saw where some of the kids who have a passion for art and creativity make picture frames out of wood and garbage. They take things such as old nails, wires, bottle caps, etc., and use them to construct picture frames. It's a relatively simple thing to do, however as I stood back and admired the creativity I was reminded about how the Lord specializes in taking all the garbage in our lives and makes something beautiful out of it. I once heard it said that we are never more like God than when we create - today our team had the privilege to witness and be reminded of this first hand as we interacted with our Haitian brothers and sisters.

Glwa Pou Bondye!

Gainor/Demay Day 2

Salut zanmi!

Today was our second full day in Haiti. On the agenda was traveling to Cite Soleil to deliver water, and then we dispersed into two smaller teams to visit the children's hospital and an orphanage.

Today we were immersed in love, joy, and hope. As soon as we stepped off the trucks we were swarmed with smiles, hugs, and empty water buckets. Fresh drinking water is a scarce resource in Cite Soleil that is often taken for granted in the states. The families in Cite Soleil gathered their empty buckets to be filled. Our job consisted of helping carry the full buckets to their homes, and our personal favorite: love on the Haitian people. While the adults focused on carrying the water to their homes, their children played and danced in the water. It was touching to see the joy that was shared by everyone.

Our next stop was Hope Church, Clinic, and School. The name "Hope" holds a deep meaning. The church was constructed on over 80 feet of garbage! What used to be lifeless is now radiating in love, joy, and hope. The clinic serves up to 100 people every day, while the school educates about 260. It was fascinating to see the opportunities the Hope community offers. One of our team members had the opportunity to meet the school girl her family sponsors for the first time. The pictures don't do justice in capturing the joy that was felt in that moment. Like this little girl that was sponsored, Healing Haiti provides hundreds of other children with the ability to receive an education.

Our team split up in the afternoon. Half of went to the children's hospital and the other half visited an orphanage. We arrived during meal time and were able to feed many of the children. We were able to share moments of love and laughter with every child we engaged with. Time with the children was both an emotional and challenging experience. These babies were so affectionate and content, simply by being picked up. To give these babies the love and attention they deserve was warming to say the least. The day was full of love, joy, and hope.
At the orphanage we painted the girls nails, played soccer, colored, and the children tried to teach us a few dances. They are really good dancers!!! A few of the of girls taught one of our leaders a new card game.  She said she was pretty sure they let her win. The children were full of smiles as we played with them.

Glwa Pou Bondye!

Gainor/DeMay Day 1

Bonswa from Haiti!

Today was our team's first full day in Haiti. On the agenda was traveling to Titanyen to visit our elders, stop at Rosie's Boutique for ice cream and souvenirs, and a drive up to Grace Village for a tour of the campus.

The experiences here in Haiti are almost indescribable to those who cannot be present. Simple things fill you with love and appreciation. Our team was split into two groups, each visiting four Haitian elders at their homes. We washed their feet, massaged their hands and shoulders, sang to them (along with ukulele accompaniment), brought them food and drink, and prayed for them. Many asked for prayers to be healed from sickness and for the wellness of their family. God is so alive in these people. After talking to the elders (through translators), both groups met up at Rosie's, a shop full of Haitian-made crafts, cards, clothing, you name it! Much of the team cooled off with a bowl of ice cream or lemonade from Rosie's before heading off to the next location. Next we visited Grace Village, which includes a school, lunchroom, and clinic. The students, all dressed in uniforms, are taught primarily in French. Some even live in family-style homes on the campus. Interestingly, there are no public schools in Haiti. As we wrapped up the tour it began to rain, and once we got on the road it began to pour...perfect timing! Once back at the guesthouse we enjoyed a nice dinner cooked by Healing Haiti staff and welcomed five more members to our serving team. At the end of the day, the team comes together to discuss the events of the day and the plans for the next. Each person picks a word to describe their day, and why. After 8 pm everyone is welcome to do as they please, which is a perfect opportunity to get to know each other better. Everyone here has God in their heart and it's warming to be in a group of people who carry such love and faith. What a wonderful start to this journey. We are excited to see what God has in store.

Glwa Pou Bondye!
(Glory to God!)

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