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

Day Six - Elders and Pizza

It’s Ms. Allison writing today. Today we visited four elders from Hope Church. This is one of my favorite acts of kindness we do in Haiti. These four ladies live in extremely small living quarters with several family members. Each one of these ladies greeted us with a kiss on the cheek and invited us into their homes. We washed their arms and feet, put lotion on them, and painted their nails. Some of the group sang worship music outside while Brother Jacob played guitar. The more we sang, the more neighbors came and joined us. Then we took the ladies’ pictures with their grandkids. We left them with the picture and wished them “bon fet mama” because tomorrow is Mother’s Day in Haiti.

We then went to Rosie’s Boutique for some shopping and a cool treat – ice cream and iced coffee. Last stop of the day was Fleri Resto, which is a bakery that makes homemade bread, pastries, and THE BEST pizza. I love this place because of what God is doing here. The young man that manages the bakery, Jake, was called by God to use his business degree to help the Haitians. He uses Haitian people and products to operate the bakery. The people are so proud of their product and to have a job to support their families.

As our week is coming to an end, we’re reflecting on our time here. We agree we’re all glad we came and can be a small part in God’s big plan for Haiti.

Day Five - Beauty with Brokenness

Day 5 has been a long day. It began around 5:30am when my alarm reminded me of how tired I was and how much I needed coffee. Coffee would soon be made, thanks to Ms. Allison. It would also be quickly consumed as we left for Church on the Rock just before 6am for a morning worship service.

As we left the guesthouse, the streets, just like me, were slowly awakening. As usual, it was a beautiful morning, breezy, cool, refreshing. There were a few scattered clouds strolling leisurely through the sky. There were a few people moving about, some light traffic, but mostly calm. We made our way to the church service and were greeted with smiling worshipers, good music, and a wonderful time preparing ourselves for the day. We would need it. It’s been a long day.

Day 5 has been a hard day. We delivered water for the second time this week to Cite Soleil. It’s hot; water is heavy; children need to be loved and held. All of that leads to physical and emotional exhaustion. Pair that with our afternoon trip to the Home for Sick & Dying Children, and you get to have your body and soul torn at the seams. Haiti has a way of doing that to you. There is a such a mingling of beauty with brokenness, of strength with weakness, of happiness with sorrow. From moment to moment, it seems that we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).

Day 5 has been a good day. Our team sang the children’s song This is the Day as we sat down to eat breakfast this morning. This line is significant, “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” No matter how long or how difficult the day may be, it is the Lord’s day, and the Lord is good. I will choose to rejoice in Him even when there are things I cannot understand. Today has been long and hard, but it has also been good. I am grateful that His grace is sufficient for every kind of day.

God bless, 

Jacob