Water Truck Day - Scott/Wermager 10-10-18

Water truck day.  Where do we even begin?

Today we started with our usual morning routine consisting of coffee, prayer, breakfast, and COLD showers to wake us up :)  We packed up the essentials and headed out for another day on the tap tap.

We spent our entire "work day" in City Soleil, which is known as the poorest city in the western hemisphere.  Each stop we had with the water truck was in a different neighborhood of the city.  There is a distinct smell upon entering Citi Soleil and each stop was a different experience. As we entered into the neighborhood the children recognized the tap tap and would jump right on the back. At each stop we were met with Children running and yelling "hey you", the women and children were more prevalent bringing in the 5 gallon buckets, there were some men but it's mainly a womans job in this culture. 

The first two water stops of the day went along smoothly. The children jumped onto the back of the tap tap and as we pulled up and they opened the door, we got out and lined up, the water truck had already started the water hose and we as a team took over the hose and started filling buckets. The line here went fairly well, at times the people would try to butt in and get their buckets filled before others, but overall, it went smoothly.

Many of the children came running up to us wanting to be held, tugging at our clothing, braiding our hair, just wanting any type of loving attention; some had buckets themselves and had to carry the buckets back to their homes, many on top of their heads. There were kids and adults with buckets that after having them filled needed help getting them onto their heads and would motion for us to help them. 

The third water truck run the amount of kids running around was impressive, there were people with buckets trying to get in line ahead of everyone else and there were people pushing to get in to fill their buckets.  There was just mass chaos towards the end of our water truck run.  We found out this stop was known to be a bit more agressive, as there was a little more tension and immediate need for water.  We enjoyed watching the children take bathes in buckets in the middle of the street, you could tell it was a luxury for them.

While waiting for the water truck to go back and get more water, Valerie, our tap tap driver, took us to the pier and our nostrils were insulted with a fishy smell with a mingle of garbage and swamp. After getting closer to the water we pulled up and got out and was able to watch some fishermen with some fishing nets and even helped them pull the ropes to bring in the nets. they only bring it in so far, then they take a small boat out to it and pull up the  net onto the boat. We also saw some boys fishing for sea gulls; they would put bait on a hook, throw the line out into the water and wait for the birds to come check out the bait and hook them and bring them onto the pier. Just as we were leaving, there was a boy who caught a pelican and there was all sorts of comotion when that happened.  We watched two men swimming to catch the pelican and then a man jumped in and almost landed on top of the bird, but started waving it in the air to show everyone he had it. Lots of cheering and clapping. You could tell that this was a big victory for them, and it was very exciting to witness!

We then visited Hope Church/School/soon to be medical clinic. We found out that on this site they had to dig 80 feet with the pilings, and 40 feet deep to pull out the garbage as this site was City Soleil's dumping ground. This site had been a water truck stop for 10 years, then Healing Haiti  started to pray over this land to become the church it is today, along with the school. The idea of this vision becoming a realty was seen to be impossible, but God had different plans.  The process has taken about two years. The medical clinic part of this will open soon, but not certain when. There are currently 300 students that attend Hope church/school now, and their lives have drastically been impacted.

After this we went to the Fleri Farm Plantation. Here we met with Kenny, he took us on a tour of the 28 acre lush grounds with coconut trees, mango trees, papaya trees. It was wonderful listening to his enthusiasm for this Farm and what he and Healing Haiti's plans were for this land. They want to be able to impact the lives of 1000 people with this farm by using his neighbors for resources as well as hiring 40-50 people to work the land. He pointed out that the coconut tree is a male tree, there were two of them, and the line of coconut trees beyond them were all female tree, each producing fruit and that the winds come from the angle of pushing the pollen onto the female trees. He explained that the farm is hoping to produce fruit that can be prepackaged and shipped internationally at some point.

From here we went back to the Guesthouse and we got on our bathingsuits and walked up a block to the Elite Hotel to go swimming. We all got some sodas and juice and enjoyed french fries! We were gifted some fried plantain, which was a delicious treat.  Laughter filled the pool area as we bounced beach balls and enjoyed the cool water!  We can't wait to go back again!

We came back to the Guesthouse and had a nice Haitian meal.  Our "word of the day" takes us awhile to get through, because our group is so interactive.  We truly value our time to reflect with one another, it is such a blessing being with each of these indivuals.  We had some incredibly vulnerable moments tonight during devotionals.  Our group had the chance to express raw emotions, and it's almost as if the air in the room felt lighter and more peaceful afterwards.  What a true blessing it is when you can feel God's presence so clearly.

Our devotion topic tonight was "dying to self, to become more like Christ"  Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law." 

We go to bed with overflowing hearts, and sound spirits ready for another day to serve.  We can't wait to see what God has prepared for us for tomorrow.

Contagious Joy! 10-09-18 Scott/Wermager Team 2

The morning started off by Rudy the rooster giving us our morning welcome. What an amazing way to wake up in this beautiful country. Breakfast was made by our Haitian kitchen staff and it was DELICIOUS! Our day started off by braiding hair and getting prepared for our first day in the field. We loaded up with snacks, soccer balls, jump ropes, bubbles and activities for the kids, and headed out for the day. 

Our first stop was Sweet Home Orphanage where we were greeted by friendly staff. Small children started trickling out to play. We brought out soccer balls, jump ropes and bubbles for them to enjoy. Then more small children came out to join the fun, we then had a flood of children show up to participate in the festivites. By the time all the kids were there we were outnumbered exponentially. If you were not paying attention, you could easily have been taken out by the kids and their soccer balls. The bubbles were a real hit also. The joy on their faces from such a simple activity was contagious. We were not ready for the kids to leave. 

Our next stop was Dios, an orphanage for high functioning special needs children. We were able to spend quality time and connect with them on a personal level. We were greeted by one special girl who gave each of us a hug as we got off the Tap Tap. This was such a great way to start off this experience at Dios. The interactions we had were on such a personal level because there wasn't a ton of kids, so quality time was much easier to have. One boy was so excited to see us he could hardly contain his enthusiasm. He was jumping up and down squeeling with joy, and it was contagious.  We were able to take a quick tour through their living quarters, and each one of their classrooms, it's incredible to see the difference between back home, and here. 

Our team has fallen in LOVE with the Haitian coffee here, we thought we would miss our specialty drinks back home, but our favorite lattes have been replaced by "Rebo" Haitian brand.  Luckily we were able to stop at the local grocery store to purchase some to bring home, along with other treats to share with our families! 

We ended our daytime activities with the home of sick and dying children.  This was a last minute add-on, but God knew it was meant to be part of our itinerary all along.  We went in not having any idea what to expect.  When someone says "sick and dying" you think lethargic, sad, hopeless, and heartbreaking.  What you don't expect is to walk in and see smiling children eager to take you by the hand and swing with you on the playground, or let you swoop them in your arms to dance in circles!  We were able to help the staff change diapers, feed the toddlers dinner, played on the playground, and we were blessed with a surprise performance by a group of children breaking out in song for our group!  In the midst of what you think is going to be a sad experience, there is so much pure joy that it really makes you take a step back and realize, that despite the Haitian's circumstances, as a whole, they are so full of love.  This was extremely humbling, and we are grateful to have gotten to experience this so early on in our trip, giving us the ability to break down some barriers and letting ourselves be vulnerable.

Winding down the night, we were able to reflect on our personal experiences and share them with the group.  It is so beautiful how close we have already gotten with one another.  It has made this experience that much more intimate.  Hearts have been breaking, prespectives have been changing, and our faith is strengthening. 

If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along . I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely care about your welfare. All the others only care for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:19-21 

Our "word of the day" responses tonight were: Surprising, Overwhelming, Word-less, Veterans (seasoned trip goers), God, Love, Strength, and BUBBLES :)

Thank you to everyone following our story and sending your love, prayers, and support.  We look forward to checking in with you tomorrow :) Blessings!

We made it! 10-08-18 Russ/Wermager Team 2

The day began before the birds were up at 2:30AM.  Feelings of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety were felt by all.  Overall, the travels for the entire team went very smooth, with no major hiccups!  Looking out the window when landing in Haiti, it was clear that "we were not in Minnesota anymore."  The landscape is absolutely breathtaking.

We were greeted by friendly faces and their native music.  The smell of Haiti is something you will never forget, it was then that it set in that we were immersed in a new culture. We jumped in our caged "tap tap" and headed toward our guesthouse.  The drive there was interesting, as they seem to have their own way of driving.  There seem to be no "rules to the road" but they still manage to make it work, this will definitely take our group some time to get used to. 

As we arrived to the guesthouse we were immediately drawn to the beauty of the vibrant flowers.  We met our guard dog Bacon, and we are confident with his ability to protect the door, we love him already!! The animal life here in Haiti is refreshing. Baby goats walking with their moms on the side of the road, roosters cock a doodling all day long, we even made a friend, his name is Rudy the Rooster and we are sure that we will become great friends throughout the week. 

The weather has been amazing, not as hot as we were imagining, which was a blessing from God. We had the opportunity to dance in the rain, and play like children, not a care in the world. God knew how many of us needed that simple enjoyment. While some of us were dancing, others were making haitian coffee. This is not just regular coffee, Haitian coffee is the sweetest most delicious coffee you will taste. The first taste is something we will never forget. 

At dinner we were asked to sum up this day in one word, our words were "beginning, perspective, surreal, surrender, trust, busy, chaotice, gratitude, and present" These words were perfect for how we were feeling and we can't wait to see what develops as the week goes on. We end the day exhausted but oh so greatful for the opportunity to be here and to see what God has in store for us.  

Birthday shopping

We are sitting at a nearby hotel pool watching the Vikings game with sweat dripping down our backs. There is just no relief from the heat.  We miss Autumn!!

Today was a nice midweek reprieve, so different from yesterday. We moved up in digits, which means a better neighborhood.   Once again we had hope!

We first visited a place called Peace Cycle. In Haiti water is sold in many different sizes but the most common is individual 8 ounce bags.  8 million of those 8 ounce bags are consumed EVERY DAY!!!!!!  There is no garbage collection so those bags are everywhere.  Peace Cycle up-cycles the plastic bags into various products such as bibs, bags, purses, wallets, etc.  So cool! Check them out here to learn more about their story....http://www.peacecycle.com/

Next we headed to Papillion, (Karen's personal favorite!!).  Shelley Jean is amazing! She is the founder of Papillion, a dedicated advocate for the poor working in Haiti.  You can learn more about Papillion and Shelley right here;) http://shelleyinhaiti.com/. Papillion employees 200 + Haitian artisans during peak season.  We toured the production area and saw all the proud craftsman making everything by hand... from the clay beads to the pottery to the hand sewn stuffed animals.  So much pride in their work. The best part is their children were being cared for nearby for free and mothers were encouraged to leave as needed to breast feed their babies.  One of Shelley's founding goals of keeping families together.  Across the street from production was the retail store where we could buy the artisan made items.  Many of us bought beautiful gifts for friends and families. It felt so good knowing how we were helping by doing this.  We also enjoyed smoothies and snacks in the upstairs restaurant which uses its profits to buy items such as sewing machines to reinvest into the business.

After enjoying a traffic jam with our amazing driver Valerie we finally arrived at the Croatian Relief Services Orphanage.  The most joyful part of this orphanage was that the children were not starved for love. They were not desperately longing to be touched and love. This spoke volumes to our group as we realized this group of children had received more love and affection than many other children we had encountered thus far. The stickers were a huge hit!!

We end the day as always, dinner and group time.  We always contribute a word of the day to sum up our day.  There were so many and I did not write them all down.  The 'defiant' Denise gave the phrase of the day instead of the word of the day and I think it sums up this amazing journey so well........ "Do small things with great Love".

This has been an amazing journey.
Linda and Karen (the Birthday Girl!!)

Water truck day

WOW!  That was my word of the day today.  You know how we've seen on TV third world countries, countries that are impoverished, with the children running around naked and no shoes?  It's real life.  It's what we experienced today.

Our day started off like it has the last couple of days; waking up, enjoying coffee and eating a nice big breakfast.  Breakfast consisted of pancakes, scrambled eggs, avocados that are HUGE, bananas, oatmeal and fresh squeezed juice.  Our ladies (we have two ladies who work here at the guest house who cook our meals for us) treat us very well.  We loaded up into the "Tap-tap" aka an enclosed truck.  Our first stop was at the Elder School.  This was a school located in Cite Soleil, which I've learned is the poorest city in the Western Hemisphere.  Driving through the streets of this city brought a flood of emotions.  It's real.  It is an area that is highly populated, with garbage and smells you can't fathom.  The school had kids of all ages, most of the kids are SO EXCITED to see us - they immediately cling to someone and just want touch.  We talked with and played with the elementary and middle school aged kids. They love games, dance, and music.  There were teenagers here and honestly, they're not much different than our teenagers back home.  They have attitudes, inside jokes and some even had cell phones!  They were learning calculus and English.  One of the girls even tricked one of us to help her with her homework.

After this stop we went to a zone to help deliver water.  This was the moment that I personally felt a flood of emotions.  Seeing these shacks, naked bodies, kids as little as 2 years old running the streets barefoot.  Running after our "Tap-tap" and immediately clinging onto us as we got off the truck.  The water truck was already onsite and there seemed to be hundreds of people - of all ages - lined up with buckets.  There's a method to how they get water and they know this.  They are supposed to stand in line, but it's not uncommon for a small child, and when I say small, I mean like 3 years old or someone we would consider a very elderly grandma "cut-in-line" with a sense of desperation for water.  Each one of us did something different.  We learned that the part of serving was to hold the children, who seemed to climb on you like a little monkey.  Another part was to hold the water hose as there was mass chaos of people trying to get their buckets under the hose, to people like me (and a few others) who tried to help by grabbing buckets, filling and QUICKLY pushing them out of the way.  Part of this was constantly yelling at people to get to the back of the lines.  Some of us carried 5 gallon pails (or larger) in both hands back to the homes.  But what was a sight was watching kids who are maybe 3 years old and up putting these buckets on top of their heads and walking barefoot back to their homes.  It is hot, roads are pebbles and rock, and they walk barefoot.  Could you imagine walking with a 5 gallon bucket on your head, barefoot, walking on rocks and pebbles in 100 degree heat?

After this water stop, we went to Hope School.  To go to school here you have to pay.  Not all kids go to school.  Again, the kids are so excited to see us.  We helped serve them their meal and learned more about the construction that is currently taking place on site.  The school was built on a landfill.  There is so much garbage they had to dig down many many feet to bury garbage to build on top of it.  It was exciting to see that they are building a clinic that will employ many more Haitians.

After this stop, we had two more water stops and visited a farm.  The water stops were pretty much the same as the first as in what we were doing.  Luckily the staff who are employed through Healing Haiti were incredible in guiding us, ensuring we're safe, and taking charge during the water stops because things can easily get out of the control.

At the Fleri Farm which was developed through Healing Haiti we walked part of the land, learned about the purpose of the farm and enjoyed fresh coconut and sugar cane.

We ended our day with our third water stop and headed back to our guest house.  We had Team Time while it down poured before dinner.  We'll probably end our evening at the pool decompressing or playing an intese game of Mafia with the other teams here.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

We each have to give a word of the day.  This is suppossed to sum up our day.  Here are our words from our team:  Desperation, frustrating, judgement, wow, mannerisms, guilt, "hey you," strength, happy, survival, humor, joy, and heart-warming.

Sara W

Day 2 Orphanages and Metal Market

9-25


Today was the first day that we went out on a true mission.  It started like a normal day with breakfast and conversation, getting to know the team members,if they had kids, if they are married, career and all the small stuff that you talk about to make that awkward silence leave the room.  Once that was done is what I am calling dessert, the part of meal that you wait for the whole day to savor and hang onto till the next day.

We left for our mission trip at 9am.  We loaded into our truck called the "tap tap", and drove into the unknown.  As we drove, I learned that they do not honk when angry, but rather as a way to communicate with traffic due to no traffic light.  As we drove further,  we turned into an alley way, the gates opened and our new reality began.  We sat in a Gazebo and waited for the kids to take a break from school and join us.  All of a sudden you could hear little voices signing a song in a foreign language and a train of kids smiling and singing.  With the look that I can only describe as what my own children looked like on Christmas morning.  The kids came to the top step of the Gazebo, eyed us all up, and chose who they wanted to love on them.  We as the adults waited in anticipation until we each had a child or three, hugging, jumping, pulling our hands to follow us all while smiling and giggling. We had about an hour to do crafts, played soccer, held them, and some of us just cried knowing that this was there home.  I was amazed to watch these 4 and 5 year old children help each other find their shoes, put them on, grab one of us to tie them then when back into their train line singing happily and walking back to class. We all got back into the tap tap and off we went to the next stop.

We drove to a Metal Market where the workers pound out tin into amazing designs.  They work 12-14 hours pounding, scraping and begging us to choose their projects.  They hold the tin with their feet and most of these men's toes were permanently curved due to holding the tin for so long.   We got back into the tap tap after buying lots of decorations and onto the next location.

We drove to out next location which was Dio's, an orphanage for special needs/disabilities.  they opened the gates and we had the happiest kids greet us with smiles.  We kind of all stood there in awe not really knowing what to expect yet again.  In about 5 seconds we had kids in walkers and crutches playing soccer, coloring, dancing, rapping into the speaker and loving life.  We think that we go there to help them, but in reality, they helped us.  They Changed us.  They opened our hearts and our eyes to what love pure love is.  This experience at this home was so huge for me that I honestly cannot explain it in words. Probably one of the most humbling intimate experiences that I have every been shown by the Lord.  Everyone reading this and knowing anyone that came here, ask them about this experience at Dio's.  Everyone's story in unique and amazing and full of love.

As we left, the children's faces that were filled with anticipation and excitement was now gone.  They all stood there and waved as we left.  It broke me.  It hurt my heart and soul.  We loaded the tap tap and drove away, crying, questioning God "why",comforting each other and just digesting what we just witnessed.

I will close with this.  I and my team are blessed.  We are blessed to experience this.  We are blessed to be here to help and show these children that they are important and loved.  We are blessed to witness the power of love in each other and these children.  All in all, WE  ARE BLESSED.

Lisa

P.S. Hopefully pictures tomorrow. Internet has been a little dicey here!

Arrival Day! 9/24/18

We made it!!!!!  It is HOT!  

Our tap tap ( our secure vehicle) drivers brought us safely to the compound- the secure gated place where 3 guest houses are located and a couple other houses for the long term missionaries and the guy that runs the place.  The "ladies" Ulta and Phaunis made us a fabulous taco dinner for our arrival.  We were able to go over the rules and get to know one another.   A few of us even went to the hotel down the block and went for a swim to end the day.  As I sit here writing I feel really safe.  I can hear the guard dogs barking occasionally keeping us safe.  Tomorrow is our first full day of being the hands and feet of Jesus.  Off to bed in our bunks.  Until tomorrow.

Linda