Stoebner Team - Day 7 (Recover)

 Evolution of Humanitarian Aid

As we embark on our way back to The States, I reflect on how the model of Humanitarian Efforts have changed.  It was exactly eight years ago this week that I made my first trip to Haiti.  We brought with us 600 lbs of donated clothes, as was common back then after the devastating earthquake. We thought we were helping; but we may have been hurting.  Two years later, the local textile factory closed, hundreds of Haitians lost their jobs. Were we taking jobs away from the locals?

Today, the Humanitarian model is much different; it is to CREATE jobs.  You know the saying "...teach a man to fish..."  Healing Haiti has only 3.5 American FTEs and employs 250+ Haitians who are teachers, drivers, chefs, housekeepers, nurses, restaurant servers, grounds keepers, maintenance men, street ambassadors, farmers, Mommas and Pappas in the orphanages, etc.  We help build Haitian owned for-profit self-sustaining businesses.

The model of orphanages has changed as well.  It used to look like separate dorms for girls and boys, a dining hall, and a building for showers.  Now, orphans live in a house with a staff Mother and Father.  They learn how to be a family, how to connect, care for one another, share in chores, eat together as family; they will someday be Mothers and Fathers themselves. 

A study performed asked the same question to two groups of people: "what is POVERTY?  To most of us, poverty is people without water, cloths, and food.  To those impoverished, their answer is to be SEEN.  WOW!  How many times do we pass a beggar on the street corner and look away?  Sometimes they just want a smile; to be seen. Consider giving a smile of acknowledgement the next time you see someone struggling. 

Within a few hours, I will be sucked into my regular life; it is a privileged life, I cannot complain.  But a piece of my heart is with the young restaveks (google it!) whom we help deliver water in 5 gallon buckets, the elderly in the mountains that we deliver meals, and deaf children whom are outcasts. 

Also, I'll be asked: "How was Haiti?"  Some just want the short answer "Heartbreaking and beautiful all in the same moment."  Some want the elevator pitch, which you just read.  And others want to lean in and hear the stories.  Reach out to anyone on this team for those.  Blessings.

Stoebner Team - Day 6 (Grace Church and Haiti Deaf Acsademy)

 Today started off just like every other day. We ate eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, and fruit. Once we were ready we went to start our day

We tried something new, we went to Grace Church and made crafts and colored pictures with the kids there. They ran around from person to person showing off their picture or wall art. That was followed by an amazing message, "if people are beautiful, the world is beautiful". To see how proud they were of their work they were, and how much they loved to praise Jesus was amazing.

Next we went to Haiti Deaf Academy (HDA) where joy and excitement was bursting! The children were eager to ask us questions about faith,  family, work, school, etc. We took out all of the art supplies and toys from yesterday and had a playdate while others got their hair braided. Towards the end they started re-enacting their favorite bible stories, and it was AMAZING!

While wrapping up the amazing time we had, a thunderstorm hit, and we got to dance and shower in the rain. Today might have started just like every other day, but in the end it was amazing!

Stoebner Team - Day 5

The rooster is crowing.  We wake every morning to his enthusiasm for the day.  The smells of food cooking, coffee brewing, and (campfire, it always smells of something burning everywhere here...) fill the guest house and the friendly chatter of the lovely guest house staff.  It's really a lovely way to start the day. LIGHT!

This morning, after a delicious breakfast, we piled into the the Tap-tap to head to Cite Soleil.  With full bellies and full hearts we made the trip to Cite Soleil as a group of 15 friends.  Studies show that it only takes a few days in Haiti on a mission trip to become friends ;) COMMUNITY!

We arrived right on time to Hope Village as the kids were having recess!  Everyone instantly became a kid again and joined the fun.  Some of us played jump rope, some did sidewalk chalk with our eager, smiling playmates.  There were balls flying through the air and shouts and LAUGHTER, so much laughter.  Many of us gathered to play the parachute game with a huge, round, nylon parachute.  As we lifted,  the littles came zipping in giggling and chattering...the parachute would waft down on them and that was equally thrilling for them if the giggles and shrieks of joy were any indication!  ENERGY!

Next up was laundry.  Everybody loaded up the tap tap with quarters and Tide and headed to the LaundroMat.....nahhhhh, just kiddin!  The elder ladies showed us how to laundry their way, of course with the tools and resources available to them.  Clean water is limited so it is all done in a few large basins, minimalist and efficient.  There is a soap bar and a special way of scrubbing and squishing.  There is a method and process.  It's surprisingly hard to get right!  Sitting on the concrete in the blazing sun, those ladies showed us how it's done with patience and good humor.  I wonder if their backs are sore right now, like mine?  Do their hands hurt too?  HUMILITY.

Once we got the chores done, it was time to head to the water truck stop.  Pile in the tap-tap, load up on sunscreen and water.  Mop the sweat from your brow.  Clear your mind for the next experience.  We arrive to curious and excited faces, so many people already gathered with water buckets.  Children zipping around but always aware of each other and us; they are "polite", respectful. The occasional motorcycle that comes right through the crowd beeping as the people part the way.  There is a musical quality to the combined sounds of voices, the pump generator, water splashing, the "Hey you, Hey you's".  It is hot, there is no shade.  We pile out and get right at whatever it is we are drawn to do.  Watch.  Fill buckets. Haul buckets.  Pick up littles who eagerly present themselves.  Hold a hand, or two or four.  We have talented photographers on this team who are stealthily capturing amazing moments and simple moments and profound images from perspectives and novel vantage points.  Time flies when you are just being present.  Scratch that- time is irrelevant when you are truly engaged.  We get the signal it's time to go after being there only a few minutes, or that's what it felt like.  We were there for almost 2 hours.  PRESENCE.

To wrap up an exhilarating and to be honest, exhausting day, we showered and went to Max's Pica Pollo restaurant for dinner.  A shower after a day like that is truly glorious!  The little restaurant behind the door was surprisingly cool, and very welcoming and smartly decorated with twinkle lights.  With  a  brightly painted wall on one side and bamboo, open air walls in front, and upbeat Haitian music playing, you feel festive and eager to re-engage in this kind of group activity that has been so missing from our experience over the last year.  We happily chatted and recounted the days events as we await our chicken or spaghetti dinners.  Max prepared the whole meal behind an iron door in a space that was not more than 5x5feet.  He had the most proud an happy smile on his face.  I know that feeling too, being happy to have people in my kitchen.  The food was dee-lish!  The fellowship was natural and fun.  It was the perfect end to a perfect day. CONTENTMENT.  

Stoebner Team - Day 4 (Grace Village, Elders and Fleri)

 

Have you had a moment where you realized that what everyone wants and needs in a moment is the care and attention of someone who sincerely sees you?

We spent time today in the amazing grounds of Grace Village and then with four of the elders that Healing Haiti cares for. Whether it was the children moving from school room to the cafeteria in their joyful and playful manners with their brightly colored uniforms, or listening to the stories of lives well and hard lived of our elders, the impact on the team was tremendous. To sit in wonder as a woman with years and wisdom expressed how the teams presence in her home was a gift from God was a strange turn. It was turn from feeling like we had started there to serve her and yet walked away like she was the one delivering grace and love to us.

Mr. Rogers out it best when he said "treat the person right in front of you like they are the most important person in the whole world."

What if.....what if we each spent our days, busy as they are, trying our best to live that mantra. Treating every person, at work, at home, at the store, like for that quick minute they were the most important person in the world? What might change? What pain might lessen? What confidence might be bestowed? What conflicts might be averted?

Not easily done, but perhaps massively impactful. And, nothing was ever promised to be easy. 

A friend once asked, "why do you always take the hard road?" I replied, "what makes you think I see two roads?"

Do better by each other. Kids, elders, everyone. Treat each other like the other is the most important in the world for that minute in time and see what happens!

Stoebner Team - Day 3 (In house)

An Unexpected Day!  

We all awoke with excitement and expectant hearts.  We had a full day planned - Another day to hold and love on the 'bell' Haitian people.  We plan in our hearts the course, but the Lord established our steps today.  Unexpected situations turned into unexpected blessings.  

Stories of who we are defined by God.  Your story - My Story - God's stories!  We paused to listen to God's stories within the 2 teams!  Community shared between two teams turned into Unity that only could happen because God established our steps today.  

We experienced and shared in the cultures of Haiti right within the walls of the Guest House of Port au Prince.  I think they thought they were only sharing their secrets of Haitian cooking and cleaning, but again Communities coming together turned into blessings. They have a Joy, Passion and Love for life that is so evident in their beautiful eyes and smiles and SO willing to share with us.  

The night was ended by the Guest House staff in preparing a Haitian Feast at one table for both teams!! 

What an amazing AWE some filled unexpected day!   Our hearts are full - can they get any fuller!   

It was a good day to have a good day!

    

Stoebner Team - Day 1 (Travel)

 Uncertainty and Excitement! 

Our team is a mix of primarily Minnesota folks and an Illinois goer. Experienced team members who've been to Haiti anywhere from one time to more than 20! With the times being what they are in the pandemic world, our flights were fairly smooth until we hit Ft. Lauderdale. The reporting needs for Covid testing to fly into and out of the country left us late arriving into Port-Au-Prince which made for a very long day We left arrived to meet the team at 0600 at MSP and didn't arrive into Port-Au-Prince until about 7pm. Just enough time to get slightly unpacked and settle into the guesthouse after a quick team meeting. 

So much to look forward to in the week and we can't wait to walk alongside the people of Haiti and to see the amazing in-country staff of Healing Haiti.

Stoebner Team - Day 2

 Grateful, Mommas, Belief, Laughter…these are only a few of the words that our team used to describe or summed-up in one word what today meant while they experienced our first full day on a Healing Haiti team.   

My best friend invited me on this trip and although I had always wanted to go to Haiti on a mission trip, I had said no in the past a couple times when asked.  Why did I say no, I’m not sure, but maybe it was that I just had not felt called at the time to go or my life seemed to have more important things going on, so I thought.  Nevertheless, as I prepared to pack for Haiti, I sat down and prayed asking for God to help me understand why. Why now, when we are still in the midst of a pandemic and people are afraid and travel is tight, complex and you just never know what might happen with expectations of tests, flight changes and countries potentially closing and so on. As I continued to pack, I had an overwhelming sense, and the word “Watch” came over me. My bestie, (the one who invited me) and I prayed for God to open our eyes to why now, what does he want us to see and learn while we are there.

Our first day was filled. We started our first full day with a beautiful sun rise over the city of concrete buildings and a mountain in the background. We all jumped in and grabbed our seat in the “Tap, Tap”.  That is what they call the trucks we all travel in, all chatting as we made our way to our first day of serving and learning. Today was  Water Truck Day! Sounds fun right?   As I sat in the Tap Tap, the chatter became white noise that was distant, and my eyes were focused on what was around us as we traveled into City Soleil. The world around me just changed. The beautiful, flowered trees faded away, the concrete ground we drove on turned into a floor mixed of refuse, soot, water and things that looked like it was degraded food and clothing. The smell was of something I can’t describe, but definitely a scent of smoked plastic and rubber and maybe even spice. The grounds were covered in small creek beds of green water and litter. Amongst several concrete buildings were many make shift homes created on top of mountains of litter we might call their rolling hills and out of them came beautiful ivy that gave them some greenery. It was profound, but what was more wondrous was the smiles and waving of hands as littles came running out and yelling the words “Hey you!” That is their way of saying Hello! The excitement of their little faces grabbed a hold of my heart instantly and I could not wait to jump out of the truck and wrap my arms around them. But there was more. We continued to make our way into the city and the faces on the people there of the community were serious and yet, amongst them I also saw smiles simply come alive as they saw our truck filled with many green shirts coming. It was if their smiles screamed “their back!”   My Body is full of emotions, and as I write this, I hold back the tears. We all jumped out of the truck and toured the first village named Hope Village, we then made our way into the city where we provided water. Healing Haiti has started an amazing program at Hope Village. Hope Village provides teaching to small children as well as medical needs. Then they showed us the beginnings of an innovation program from a partner that is from our side of town in Wisconsin. This caught my eye and heart and I have been praying to God why.

We all headed to the water truck, and instantly between the entire team, we all took our spots. From loving on kids, carrying and directing the water hose, pulling and pushing on buckets to ensure they were in line to get water to carrying water buckets to people’s homes,, we did it all as a unified community. The sense of care, serving and loving on kids was an experience I can’t even begin to describe. I took a moment to pause, and look around and watch, what God showed me was incredible. I immediately saw pain, hurt, starvation, despair… and yet, in the same panoramic view I saw joy, community, care, hope and best of all a tremendous amount of Agape Love. I instantly got goosebumps all over, (I call these Holy Goosebumps). I knew I was supposed to be here. I’m still learning why.

 

As we made our way through our three stops, serving, loving and spreading hope to so many, I realized that we too were being changed, being given hope, love and community.  The hugs from children, the smiles from their mommas and watching my teammates, seeing that they were all in love as well as watching and learning also, I knew my life was about to change.  I got a sense that today, I would start it as the person I knew I was, but at the end of today, I can tell you I am a different person.  

These people I came to serve, love on and provide care for, are my sisters, my brothers and in God’s eyes, we are all one community. We are a unity, all in pain, all broken, all still learning and in the midst of our lives, we have blessings, joy, peace, and hope.  God is gracious, he loves us unconditionally and sometimes he takes us to places to help us see just how deep, how wide and how strong that love is.

 

My word today is “Wonder”.   A feeling of amazement and admiring all that God showed me today. Nothing I have ever seen…sure, but there was so much more than what was on the surface. It was the depths of what God showed me that broke my heart, but also gave me so much more than anything back home has given me. Today I learned that although I have eyes that can see, have I really seen what I should see? What have I missed all these years?  Do I really watch for opportunities to provide love, hope or something more? Our sisters and brothers here taught me that my brothers and sisters back in the states need love, need us to lean in and listen, talk, touch and laugh with them. We are all one body and we get so caught up in “our” own lives, and if we simply just pause and watch for moments of wonder, we will continue to grow, transform and be all that we were always meant to be. This is day 1. What will God continue to show me? I'm really not sure, but I’m going to focus on one day at a time, watching, learning and my goal at the end of this trip is to learn why and how to apply it in my life…after. Tonight, I rest, tomorrow is a new day. Am I ready for tomorrow? Probably not, since I don’t know what it will show me, but what I do know is that I am not alone, and together “we” will step into tomorrow already blessed in it.