Peace In the Midst

Today, our team of 16 amazing ladies had the privilege of serving at the Home for Sick & Dying (adults). Our drive on the tap tap took us through the city of Port-au-Prince to the hospital. The drive was hot, incredibly bumpy, and dusty! I felt overwhelmed with the heat and slightly unsure of what we would be experiencing upon are arrival!

The mission for our morning was to bring the simple joy of pampering to the Haitian ladies by applying nail color and massaging their hands and arms. The majority of the patients were attending mass when we arrived so our plans were put on hold until the ladies returned! While we waited patiently, I had the opportunity to sit with a sweet young lady called Lovely -- she was truly Lovely! When my eyes looked at her sweaty, fragile body, I could tell that this little girl was seriously sick. I asked Lovely how old she was and I was shocked to hear her whisper ... 15.  My daughter, Lilly, is 15 and serving alongside me on this trip to Haiti. Lovely had no mother to sit on her bed and bring her the comfort that she so desperately needed.  I washed her face and hands with the only thing available ... a napkin dipped in lukewarm water.  Lovely was in deep pain with every breath she took. The pain Lovely was feeling, I could feel as a mother.  I wept as I sat on her uncomfortable bed with her worldly possessions in a small brown purse -- a toothbrush, 50 goudes and her tiny Bible beside her.

Lovely didn't want her nails painted nor her hands massaged since she was far too uncomfortable. I held her hand and prayed silently over sweet Lovely. I wanted so desperately to hold her with a mother's love, to tell her that I would be there until she got well enough to leave, or to stay by her side as she met her Heavenly Father. In the midst and the reality of the sick and dying, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace in this hospital.  Jesus was present.

Before I left for Haiti, my prayer was that the Lord would, "Break my heart for what breaks His." Yes ... my heart has been broken this week, but my heart has seen and felt His peace.

~ Stephanie

(no photos are allowed at the Home for Sick & Dying)

Grace Village, Elder Visits and a Mass Grave

Today, we hopped onto our tap-tap with our trusty guides and headed up to Titanyen, the region where Grace Village is located.  During the drive out of the city, we saw people squatting along the road to sell clothes, food, and even phone minutes!  The dusty, busy roads gave way to a more open countryside and slightly greener vistas.  Soon, we were on a curvy road near the coast, with the blue water glistening calmly down the hillside, seemingly to my American mindset just waiting for oceanfront properties to pop up.  Instead, goats meandered and munched on the wide expanses of desert scrub brush.  A few Haitians seemed to be down in the water, enjoying the beautiful day in the waves. 

We arrived at Grace Village and toured the facility.  We saw an amazing thing:  in the middle of a country where so many people struggle just to survive each day, a place of new beginnings is flourishing.  A fish farm was begun and helps to feed around 500 people a day.  A library was started and it is a beautiful place full of books and ideas just waiting for children to take hold of them.  Family homes were developed to replace dormitories so that children can thrive in a family setting and have a sense of belonging and personal space.  I was amazed at people who can dream these things and put them into reality, even if they have to be changed or improved upon. 

And then ... on to our elder visits.  This was my favorite part of the day.  We visited with three elder Haitians, one of which had their entire village show up.  We washed their feet and then rubbed them with lotion, massaged their shoulders and held their hands.  Then we sang with them.  This was my favorite part because we were doing it together.   As we sang favorite hymns and choruses, some in Creole, some in English, we were no longer rich or poor, old or young, Haitian or American, black or white.  We were all beggars at the throne of grace, brothers and sisters in Christ singing to our God in a simple act of worship.  Together.

Our final stop of the day was at the memorial of the 2010 earthquake, which is where hundreds of thousands of the victims are buried in a mass grave.  One of our drivers told his story of his experiences during the earthquake, which were, needless to say, terrifying.   As we walked around the quiet, unfinished monument, I thought of the frailty of life and how I don't want to leave things unfinished.  And  I thought of the verse "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."  Thank God He is the author and finisher.

~ Erica

Touched

The sounds, smells and sites of Haiti are all too familiar as this is my second mission trip to Haiti, but today I experienced a place I've never been to before and that was "Dare's Special Needs Orphanage." This morning, I was given the opportunity to serve there and it was an experience like none other. When I arrived, I was greeted with many beautiful smiles. My heart became heavy and my eyes started to tear up when I saw many forms of disabilities the children there had.  Some were worse  than others ... some could talk or walk and some couldn't do either. At first, a sweet woman who works there handed me this adorable little girl who couldn't sit up by herself very well.  She had a glowing smile and I massaged her arms for awhile until I gave one of my team members a chance to  hold her. Then, suddenly a precious little boy (who was sitting next to me enjoying a snack) got my attention and wanted me to hold him. He just knew how to steel my heart as we exchanged smiles and he gave me a kiss on the cheek. After sitting with him awhile, he started to get antsy as he heard music start to play, so I picked him up and we found many of the children singing and clapping to the worship music playing (thanks to our leader Grace.) He absolutely loved it.

After the singing, I pushed him around in the wheelchair and he had a blast, as I pushed him and saw others being pushed.  He would light up with smiles and all the children would laugh and smile at each other and to us like they had no care in the world. It was truly beautiful. It wasn't until the time I had to say my goodbyes that I almost completely lost it in tears.  I felt like my heart was ripping out of me as this little boy grabbed me so tightly that he never wanted to let go.  He gave me a few kisses on my cheek and then said "I love you, I love you, I love you" in Creole.  I said it back to him and then and one of the caretakers walked over to me and gave me the biggest smile and tightest hug as she whispered to me, "Bless you."  I quickly gave one more smile and kiss to this little boy and got back up on the tap tap feeling overwhelmed knowing God used me to touch this boy's life in so many ways in such a short period of time, but also just awed by the fact that the boy touched my heart in ways he will never know.

In Haiti, children with disabilities are viewed as a curse, but Dare's is a place of love and hope that gives these children a chance to be loved and cared for, and more importantly they are God's precious children and perfect in His eyes!

~ Brianna

A Day with Children

Today, our team was separated into two different groups ... one group went to a special needs orphanage.  However, we were in the group that was fortunate enough to go to the Home for Sick & Dying Children.  The scene was a little chaotic when we arrived.  The children that were feeling well enough to get out of their cribs were running around, playing and wanting to be held.  The many children were tended to by a handful of nuns and staff.  Malnutrition seemed to be one of the biggest issues.  Several of the children were half the size they should be or even less.  It was hard to just hold them when you wanted to do so much more to help.  The only thing we could do was hold them and love them.  They just wanted to be touched and noticed.  Some of the babies laughed and smiled, while others had no expression or they looked so sad.  At one point, Hannah was trying to comfort four babies at once on her lap, and with her loving touch, they all fell asleep on her.  It was hard to say goodbye to the beautiful children, they all cried when we put them down to leave.

Later in the day, we visited Papillon aka The Apparent Project that provides Haitian parents with employment so they can provide for their families; otherwise, some of the parents would have to give their children up because they couldn't afford them.  We got a tour of the production area where they hand-make all of the products.  Then, we had the opportunity to shop in the store and buy their beautiful creations.  It felt good to know we were helping all these parents support their families.  It was another wonderful day in Haiti.

~ Joann & Hannah (mother & daughter)

Bèl

Today was water truck day! At our second water stop, I met a few older kids around 10 years old.
The little ones were adorable and plenty, but there were also a lot of older kids who would love some attention.

I started playing hand clapping games with one girl, which turned into us slow dancing while she sang a beautiful song in Creole ... that led into her teaching me a dance with hand and body motions. We did this for the entire time I was there ... slow dance, fast dance and back to slow. People passed us by and smiled. Of course, a few kids tried to join us, which she was having nothing to do with ... she wanted me all to herself.  I wish we could have spent more time there since it was hard to leave my new friend.

I hugged her tightly and she followed me back to the tap-tap. I wasn't aware that she followed me until the interpreter told me.  She came around to the side of the tap-tap and held her hands up towards me as I held mine out to her (even though we couldn't reach each other).  She said something in Creole that I thought was my name. The interpreter said she was calling me beautiful. She was the beautiful one!!

~ Kelly

Buckets of Love

Today, we stopped in three different areas in the poorest slum of Haiti to help the people get clean water. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. As soon as we began to step off the tap tap, the kids grabbed us, reached for us and loved us in any way they could. They smiled so beautifully and they each had so much admiration in their eyes. "This person will help me. This person will listen. Please, love me." ... that's what I could see in their eyes. I've never felt so much light in one place, and what a place to find it! They were fascinated by my curly, long hair. I witnessed children who are stronger than I will ever be. Children with swollen stomachs and bared ribs, carrying buckets of water on their heads. They had no shoes, and I could barely stand a minute in that heat without mine. They sang, danced and played games with us, but nothing could top the thankfulness in an elderly woman's face when someone would carry her water for her. The kids showed me various bracelets or rocks that they had, beaming with pride. My heart broke as we had to let the kids go and head to the next stop. They would watch us with tears in their eyes. "Orevwa." Goodbye.

- Anika (15 years old)

New Reality

Today was one of the most surreal days of my life. We landed in Haiti at about 7:30 PM. When I looked out the window of the airplane and saw the city lights in Port-au-Prince, it finally clicked inside of me. This is a country with a community, a culture, and a thriving lifestyle. I was almost ashamed at myself because I didn't even realize that they had highways, a lot of cars, and tall buildings. I had belittled them in my mind. They are not on this planet to just be helped by other people. They have a purpose and a drive to live, just as we do. I've learned to open my heart and mind, and also to drink a lot of water!

- Anika (15 years old)