Journal - Day 5

Day 5:  October 5, 2010

Once again, we were up with roosters.  The morning came quickly and we found ourselves worn and weary from a short night’s sleep.  The experience of yesterday was still fresh in our minds, trying to find a place to settle in our heart.  It’s funny, when you wake up in a hotel room that is cool from air conditioning, and you can go to the bathroom, and brush your teeth…life seems kind of normal.  You may not have slept in your bed or kissed your kids goodnight, but life is still relatively normal.  But all of that changes when you open up your door.  The sunlight fills your room, but it also illuminates life on the other side of the cement wall.  The view is breathtaking, in a poignant manner.  The hillside is a reminder of real life for the Haitian people.  It is covered with meager housing that barely offers shelter to hundreds of impoverished families.  The sound of muffled discussion echoes in the air, and on occasion you can filter out the sound of a child laughing.  As you look at the horizon, you see a little girl in a bright red smock that sees you right back.  She waves, and runs to hide behind one of the broken walls in her house.  In the patio below, there are 10 little hands reaching thru the opening in the cement wall asking for food.  You cannot see their faces, but you know what they look like.  This is when you realize how far away from you home you truly are.

We met for breakfast and headed out by 8am…back to City Soleil.  The ride into the city was not quite as overwhelming as yesterday.  The sights were becoming typical…crazy traffic, loud horns, and an ocean of people doing their best to maneuver their way thru town.  We passed the same street signs, the same market place, and went to the same location we had been the day before.  However, there was one thing that was new.  Our hearts.  We had knowledge of life in the slum.  God had given us the gift of experience in an area so poverished that you have to see it to believe it.  We were blessed with God’s compassion, which is a required prerequisite to a day in City Soleil.

When we arrived at the school, both classrooms were in session, but there were still many children filtering in.  We received smiles and giggles of acceptance from everyone.   Our activities for today were planned:  Singing “This little Light of Mine”, coloring, giving out “Jesus loves me” bracelets, and of course play, play, play.  Remember—our mission statement says “be Christ, Be Joyful, Be FLEXIBLE”.  Being flexible always seems to come into play.  Instead of us singing to the kids, the kids sang Jesus Love Me to us.  Coloring was the perfect idea, except all of the crayons kept breaking and some of them wouldn’t show up on the paper.  The bracelets were a huge hit, but they were a little too big and everyone wanted one at the same time.  It was a little chaotic, but we indeed adhered to our mission:  we were flexible, joyful, and full of Christ!!!

When our planned activities were completed, we gathered again in the courtyard and the games began.  We played hopscotch, the hand-slapping games (again, like 1000 times), rhythmic games with our hands, and we jumped rope.  The kids were all proudly wearing their “JEZI” bracelets and were squeezing on us as much as we were squeezing on them.  It was truly wonderful.

Today, school seemed a little bit different.  The teacher Maurice was in and out of the locked gate, which allowed the children spare room to act a little more wildly.  They seemed to hang on a little more tightly, and there appeared to be more kids wrapped around you than usual.  In addition to that, the kids from the city that were not students of the school began to sift inside.  This was a bit disruptive, as they all wanted the watch from your wrist, the shoes from your feet, or the shirt from your back.  Sometimes the reality of your circumstances is hard to swallow.  It was amusing to see the reaction of the 200 students when Maurice would return back inside the school.  They scattered, and quickly.  It looked like a herd of deer running from a hungry lion. 

Today was also different for the kids because today they were getting lunch.  They actually got to eat.  Right around noon, the aroma of spices and beans drifted through the air, creating an anxious group of watering mouths.  Our team formed a single file line—going straight from the kitchen to the classroom with  the younger children.  Three, two, one…here come the plates, two at a time, steaming hot, and overflowing with food.  ALLELUIAH!  We worked like an assembly line, delivering the food and filling the tummies of these sweet, precious and hungry little sweetpeas.  After we delivered food to the little ones, we repeated our routine to the 2^nd classroom.  We served 250 children-probably the only meal they will get today.

I was surprised to see the kids waiting for everyone to be served before they ate.  It wasn’t until I heard them saying their blessing that I realized the reason for their delay.

It’s peculiar—you would think that if these children were so hungry, they would have eaten their plate of food with great haste.  On the contrary, they ate very slowly, some picking out the black beans and tossing them aside.  After everyone had finished, it was time for dismissal.  As the kids began to file out, we noticed that the majority of them had a half plate of food.  It was to give to the rest of their family.

The courtyard cleared, but there were a remaining 9-10 kids.  I found myself sitting with a sweet little princess.  She was 11 years old. Although  I could not pronounce her name, we loved on each other like we belonged together.  I asked her if she had any sisters, and her answer was “yes—I have 7 sisters”.  Whoa.  I then asked her if she had any brothers.  Again her answer was “yes—I have 12 brothers.”  I could hardly believe what I was hearing.  I wanted to make sure my understanding of her answer was correct, so I asked Meshaa to ask her again.  I was right, she had 19 siblings.   Meshaa then went on to tell me that the Haitian people prefer to have a large family, and that often the women will have up to 27 children.  Shocking.

We left City Soleil with several escorts from the school, including the sweet princess I spoke of before.  As we loaded our van and climbed in as a group, I took a long hard look at my surroundings.  This is their life.  This is what these people know to be normal, safe and okay.  It was almost hard to feel comfortable in the luxury of the air conditioned vehicle that was stuffed to the rim with all the water we could hold.  As we drove away, the kids from the city ran beside the van with enormous smiles and waved us farewell. 

 - Fran

Journal - Day 4

Day 4:  October 4, 2010

This morning came quickly, although we had a long night’s sleep.  We were up at 6:30-breakfast at 7…and tried to be off by 8.  When we realized our driver Thierry was not on time, we gathered in Randy’s room for a little preparation and a devotional to start the day.  We knew this would be needed because of where we were going.

Scott led the devotional.  He read from Psalms 9.  We discussed our purpose for being here…not to make judgements, not to move mountains. We are here to move people from a place of sadness and despair to hope and promise of God’s love and grace.  Everyone shared a little of what they were feeling.  We talked about how the suffering we are seeing is allowed by God so that we can see the sin in the world.  The earthquake brought recognition to Haiti so that more people will pray for this country, come to this place and bring God’s greatness to a place so desperate.

This was the most appropriate discussion, because our direction for today was City Soleil.  An alternate name for the city is “the slum”.  And that is for a very good reason.  Only having expectations is not enough to prepare you for the poverty of the city. 

Thierry arrived by 9am.  We loaded the truck and the car and headed out.  The drive into town was a little quicker than usual.  Because we were headed INTO town, the streets were paved and traffic was moving.  Driving in town is only explainable in one word:  CRAZY!!!  We darted around trucks, speeding up and slowing down, maneuvering our way thru a maze of drivers.  There were motorcycles zipping by, horns beeping every second, and three girls in Thierry’s car holding on for dear life.  Glad it wasn’t me behind the wheel.

As we drew closer to the school,  the air grew thick we the smell of septic drains.  The streets went from a market place to a place where thousands of people had homes.  And by homes, I do not mean houses.  I mean, and to put it candidly, shelters.  There were cardboard walls topped with tarps held on by rocks.  There were rusted dividers with tin roofs that had no doors or means of support.  There was a water source nearby, but it ran a dark grey throughout the center of the town.  There were people everywhere.  I saw elders, mothers, daddy’s, brothers and sisters, babies, dogs, goats, and pigs…all sharing the same living space.  The stench in the air took my breath away…and I quickly thought how I hadn’t brought my Vicks vapor rub to put beneath my nose.

We exited the vehicles, and gathered closely to assemble our things.  We walked in a line down a small rock covered path surrounded by disarray.  We got a lot of looks, most of which were smiles.  I couldn’t believe I was so warmly greeted from a people so stunted by progress.  Our crew—10 people carrying backpacks, bottled water, coolers of ice, a suitcase of surprises…we were clean, we weren’t hungry, and we were white.  We were welcomed.

The school, if you can call it that, was located about 100 yards from the main road.  It was a still-standing cement building that had a metal gate at the entrance.  There was no floor.  There was no roof.  There were no bathrooms, no electricity, and no running water.  There was a lot of nothing, but there was also a lot of happiness inside.  When we entered the school, we heard the children.  There were two classrooms, both located to the right of the building.  The first room was for the older kids…ages 5-13/14.  The second room was for the smaller children…ages 1-4.  The office, which was the only place the kids could not enter was to the left. 

Upon our arrival, we dropped our belongings in the office, and headed towards the classroom.  Initially, we entered the classroom for the big kids.  When we walked in…there they were.  100 adorable faces, sitting in desk chairs repeating words given by there teacher.  They all looked at us with anxious eyes, chomping at the bit to come and hug our necks.  It was amazing.  We entered the classroom, and within seconds, these kids, these perfect, sweet,  precious little kids, were holding our hands, asking our names, and laughing with excitement. 

The teacher called order to the classroom, and the kids in perfect synch and harmony loudly sang Jesus Loves Me.  It was a joyous moment.  And guess what…Jesus was there.  In the slum, in the sludge, in the school with no ceiling or floors…Jesus was there.  He was with us.  He was our arms, our tongues, our smiles and our heart.  He was there.  

After the music, the big kids got back to learning their French, and we went to the second classroom to visit the babies.  There were probably 30 tots in this room.  There was no teacher, but they seemed pretty controlled.  Before we could even get in the room, they were on top of us.  They would look up at us with reaching arms begging to be held.  They would smile at us and take a hard look at our earrings and watches.  And although they were so eager to be loved, I was absolutely astonished at how well they took care of each other.  They were so little, and so self efficient. 

Within minutes, the big kids had been released from class, and we all gathered in the courtyard.   Now typically, when one hears the word courtyard, we think of a grassy knoll with beautiful pink flowers and kids running around playing ball.  But in Haiti, the word courtyard has a different meaning.  The courtyard at this school was so opposite of the typical it is hard to explain.  Again…there are no floors in this school.  So the courtyard was a cement slab in the middle of the school, with sky on top, and rocks on bottom.  The floor was wet with urine and spilled water, and the air was heavy with stench.  The kids did not know the difference.  Some of the children had no shoes, and some of them had no pants.  But all of them had a heart for God and the rare opportunity to be in school.  And you know what we did?  We played.  We played the hand-slapping game (like 1000 times), we played ring around the rosies, we held, we squeezed, we kissed, we loved these children.  Some of them kept asking for water, or for our watches, but most just wanted our affection. 

It was quite apparent how “lucky” these kids were.  When we looked at the gate that opened into the city, it was lined with feet.   There were so many children outside of the gate that wanted to be in.  It was quite eye opening.  As it turns out, school is truly a privilege here….it is not free.  As a result, 80% of the Haitian people are illiterate.  That is pretty hard to comprehend.

Towards the end of our visit, we gathered the candy lolly’s we had brought to hand out.  The teacher had the kids line up in four rows, and we walked down the line handing them each a lollipop.  I was glad to give a treat, but my heart wanted to give them so much more.  If I could, I would give them the clothes on my back or the shoes from my feet.  Even a bag of Hanes would make a difference in this place. 

The kids grabbed a cup of juice, said “au revoir”, and off the went. 

The team was hot, tired, smelly, and standing in feces.  We were surprised at the quiet calm that took over the school when the kids left.  We picked up lolly wrappers and stems and any remaining trash from the cement floor and took a moment to breathe.  The quiet did not last long.  Within minutes-people from the city began entering the school.  There was a water barrel in the back of the school that was apparently for local families to use.  They were coming and going with buckets of water balanced atop of their heads. 

Just before our departure, a few of us gathered on the roof of the school.  This put things into a more realistic perspective.  For as far as you could see, there were these tin roofs.  There were naked babies everywhere.  There was black smoke from burning trash filling the sky with a trail of soot.  The waterway, which is their source of food (fish) was surrounded by trash.  So much trash, so much pollution, so much poverty…I just can’t explain it. 

We walked back down the rock-covered path to the car.  The girls left, the boys stayed to work on the foundation of Pastor Diesel’s new school.  I will never be the same.

- Fran

Journal - Day 3

Day 3:  October 3, 2010

Awake at 6—breakfast at 6:30--& off to Pastor D’s church for a morning of worship.  The drive up the mountain was bumpy, but calming at the same time.  We were so excited to see God at work—feel his presence and see the smiles He delivers with his love & grace.

The church, in its physical sense, was broken.  The three-story cement building was in a crumbling pile—with only the bottom level solid enough for people to gather.  There were probably 50-60 people present—including Pastor D and the choir.  Our team quietly gathered in the back of the church—hoping to add no distraction to our fellow Christians.  We received many glances—all holding smiles—the atmosphere was obviously God.

The sermon was from Esther:  chapter 4 verses 15-17.  It was delivered by an 89 year old elder who has been a Christian since his early twenties.  Although it was delivered in French, we were able to read our own Bibles and be engaged in the message.  It was truly amazing.

Now—when you take such a powerful sermon and couple it with a wall-trembling choir—the end result is an emotional connection thru Christ with 50-60 new brothers and sisters.  It was pretty awesome.  The choir was composed of both men & women—but there was only one holy spirit—and He rocked it out!  The congregation was completely engaged—all singing as loudly as they could.  There was an echo--& with Lord’s help—I am certain it was heard down the mountain and throughout the city.  I just can’t say enough about how impactful, how moving the worship was.  Simple, heart-felt and sincere.

In my opinion-although their buildings have crumbled, the spirit in the Haitian people has not.

After the sermon had ended—the congregation stood up and began to filter out.  We received many handshakes, kisses on the cheek, and winks and giggles from the adorable little kids.  The crowd was dressed to the nines—many of the men in a full suit.  Many of the little girls wore lacy girly frocks—and they all had on shoes with socks covered in ruffles and lace.  Too cute!  The boys in the churchwere very well manicured wearing pressed khakis and clean popo shirts.  Everyone was in bright colors and happy to look their best in God’s house.

A little over half of the people made their exit and went on their way.  The remaining crew sat down for another small sermon—and then communion.  We stood up one row at a time and made a line to the front of the church.  We each took our body and blood (some of us took more than others, Scott) and returned to our seats.

As we waited to take communion, Barbara noticed the female ushers and was able to identify their true role in the church…and that would be to bust people (jk).  These ladies would nudge the sleepy heads back to consciousness.  They would tell the little girls to be quiet, quit playing and to pay attention.  They even took away a ringing cell phone that went off during the service.  HEEHEE.  Kind of funny! 

Pastor Diesel spoke again in French, but we all understood the message:  we were at the Lord’s table giving thanks, asking for forgiveness, and celebrating the love of Christ.  It was moving and a truly unique experience for all of us.

After church in Haiti (I love saying that—church in Haiti)—we began making our way towards the Baptist mission.  We drove thru the center of town—which was a hustling market place.  There were so many people in the streets-our truck was more like a passerby than a mode of transportation.  The goods for sale varied from one vendor to the next.  There was jewelry, engine oil, sticks, mops, bread, raw chicken, live chickens, fried fish, clothing, furniture and more.  It was very busy.  It was very impressive.

We stopped for lunch at a Domino’s Pizza.  How crazy is it that in the middle of a dirty, deficient, needy society, there would be a Domino’s Pizza…and it was G-O-O-D!  We ate, climbed back into our vehicle and headed up the mountain.  We drove around the curvy hillside, passing vehicles…speeding up and slowing down.  As the elevation grew, the temperature grew cooler, and the poverty grew to be less and less.  About ½ way up the mountain, it started to rain, and rain, and rain.  This wouldn’t have been too big of a deal had the boys not been in the back of the truck.  They were getting pelted with rain, which can be quite painful when you are traveling 45 miles per hour. 

When we arrived, there was no complaint from the guys, and excitement from all of us.  The ride, the rain, the trip was worth it.  The view was amazing.  You could see all of Port au Prince.  You could see the ocean.  You could point out the different parts of town…see the tent villages from a topical view.  It was almost like the devastation was gone, and this beautiful place was just there…wrapped in a beautiful mountain range.  Breathtaking.

After 20 minutes of oohing and ahhing…we bartered for braclets and got back in the car.  Back to the luxury of our home for the week, the Habitation Hatt.

Our evening was spent back at Pastor Diesel’s house.  Once again, Magda prepared an amazing meal:  lasagna, BBQ chicken, regular chicken, mashed potatoes, grilled bananas, slaw…and believe it or not….sweetened iced tea.  They have truly been so welcoming and made us feel so loved when we are so far away from home.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, a wonderful evening, and another testimony to God’s good work.

-Fran

Journal - Day 2

Day 2:  October 2, 2010

We are here, in Haiti, and now Haiti is in us.  The poverty in this place is blatant and in your face, but the people are seemingly satisfied.   Today is Saturday, and there were people everywhere.  It was hot, but not overbearing.

Let’s just start at the beginning…

We gathered for breakfast here in our hotel:  Habitation Hatt.  Breakfast was very American—eggs, toast…and DELICEOUS coffee.  We talked about our duties for the day and reminded each other of our mission statement:  “Be Christ, Be joyful, Be flexible”.  Pretty good advice in Haiti.

The team split up—Randy, Scott, Tom & Adam went into City Soleil to do construction, while Barbara, Sean, Shelly and I went into Afca Village.

The trip into Afca was truly enlightening.  We were driven by Pastor Maxo.  We traveled down broken roads—rocks and rubble not only created holes and trenches, but also gave life to large mounds and speed bumps.  The air was filled with dust and smells of devestation faded in and out throughout the entire 30 minute drive.

There were people everywhere—people of all kinds—young, old, boy, girls, some laughing, some crying…all kinds of people.  Every inch of the street was lined with vendors…people selling whatever they had.  There were men carrying wrapped wood on their heads—women carrying huge bags of rice.  There was even a alday carrying a basket of chickens on her head-not missing a step.

I can’t explain the feeling…the desire I have to help.  I am so glad God brought me here.

The devastation from the earthquake remains.  The families here reside in tent villages.  The tents are different-but all very much the same.  Some families had material coverin their entrances—acting as a door.  I saw one tent that used large white window shutters as their door.  The tents were side by side—leaving no privacy--& no peace and quiet.  There were children in and out of the tents, dirty, but not complaining.  There were dogs running about in the streets, and random goats baaaing and chewing on whatever they could find.

I saw buildings that had collapsed—with only metal rods and broken cement remaining.  I saw people living on top of those remains in tents or cardboard boxes.  There is no running water—no electricity—but thousands of people.

We arrive at the Afca Orphanage to find its exterior to be no different than many others.  It was behind a large cement wall with a large metal gate at the entrance.  The 1^st thing I saw was three little girls curiously spying us from behind the gated entrance.  They were smiling from ear to ear—obbviously excited to have visitors.

We were greeted with smiles—kisses—and overwhelming gestures of “glad to see you”.  No time was wasted as the precious little girls adhered to their guests.

Deborah walked across the room and immediately took my hand.  She gave me many hugs and wouldn’t let me out of her sight.  She gave me a tour of the orphanage and proudly explained her way of life in here in Afca.  With my broken French—I was able to learn about her.  She is 12 years old and has lived here in the orphanage for a while.  I do not know what happened to her parents.

We had so much fun playing with these girls.  There are 18 girls ages 8 to 18 living here.  We gave them a party with party hats, blow horns, cookies, and lot of presents.  Barbara read a story & Pastor Maxo gave the translation (Barbara is good)!!!.  After things settled-Theresa (the Mami of the girls) came in.  She got all of the girls ina group…and they sang.  It was absolutely beautiful, truly bringing tears from my heart.

After a three hour visit, it was time to leave.  We gave tight squeezed and heart-felt kisses to our new friends.  So innocent—so sweet—God’s perfect children.

We returned to Habitation Hatt with an awkward feeling of contentedness.  Content that we spent time with young girls needing love?  Content that this is Haiti, and NOT home?  Or perhaps just contentedness inknowing this is all part of God’s perfect plan.

Barb, Shelly and I spent the rest of our day sorting thru donations.  We had FIVE SUITCASES full of give-aways.  AMAZING!

Dinner was spent at Pastor Diesal’s house.  His wife, Magda, spoiled us with an authentic Haitian meal:  pork ribs, black rice, spicy salad, green beans, and rolls.  One word:  YUM!!

When we returned to our hotel-we debriefed as a team and had a small devotional.

Now—it is 11pm, and I’ve been writing for an hour.  This story is to be continued…

Goodnight!

-Fran

Journal - Day 1

Day 1:  October 1, 2010

Well here we are…in the Miami airport…1/2 way to Haiti.  We’ve made thru the 1^st leg of our journey.  Me, Barbara, Sean, Adam, Tom, Scott & Shelley.  Our flight into Miami was short-approximately 2 hours.  But our wait for export is the total opposite-4 hours long.

We all gathered this morning at PTI…the team, our spouses, & our 14 bags of luggage.  The sunrise was timid-not showing its face until we boarded the plane.  The airport was calmly hustling with the few traveling patrons darting here and there.

After our initial greetings to each other, & our hug-filled farewell to our families, we decided we should get the trip on its way.  Barbara (a.k.a. “boss”, “big mama” & “sweet thang”) led the way to the ticket counter.  When the American Airline ticket agent saw our approach (remember, we had 14 bags), she asked if we were going on a missions trip.  The answer?  YES!!!  I wonder what gave us away?

Sweet Diana, patient, kind, giving-hearted Diana, delivered us our first blessing.  By not charging us the $60/person baggage fee, she saved our team $420.00.  AND…she also gave us a handful of well-packed toiletry bags to be distributed where needed.  I tell you-God’s grace is everpresent!  Who knew we would encounter one of His angels within the 1^st forty-five minutes of our trip!

Once our bags were well on their way, God’s 2^nd angel showed up:  Pastor Lynn!  He walked into PTI (looking very well-pressed, I might add) wearing a smile and handing out hugs and well-wishes.  We held hands, prayed as a family and off we went.

Now, as I said—here we sit.  Waiting for the call to oard our plane…anxiously waiting to start our mission…serve God…and love others.  Let the 2^nd leg of our journey begin!

HERE WE COME HAITI!  HERE WE COME!!!

-Fran

We have arrived!

The team arrived safely this after noon and reunited with Randy.  Tom said they were taking in all the sites, sounds and smells that comes with entering a country such as Haiti.  No doubt the team is in sensory overload.  The hotel is, as one person put it "a little tropical paradise", very clean and comfortable considering the conditions out side the walls of the hotel.

Randy is working hard with our contacts there to work out details of the construction portion of the relief efforts.   Please pray that God will show them what He would have them do while they are there and long term how to best come along side NDI and the nationals.

Continue to pray for the team, that they would be unified, healthy and seek God's heart in all things.

Please also pray for the family that was left behind. Pray that all the details of the "day to day" would be worked out and that they would sense God with them daily.   I told Tom this evening that it has been a humbling experience for me to be on the other side so to speak.  I have been the one to travel the past 2 years and he has stayed home, knowing the only comfort he had was to trust God completely for my safety.

Hopefully by Saturday they will have the computer working and the team will be able to post updates.

God is good all the time!

Posted for the team
by Sharon B.

Team Departure

 The team left this morning for Haiti and all went well in Greensboro. Actually better than "well".  God is blessing the team already.  The ticketing agent for American airlines that check them in has been to Haiti and her heart was broken for the people there.  She told Barbara that she wanted to be sure and check the team in personally as she would not charge for the checked bags since it was a mission trip, the other agents would charge.  The team was able to check 14 50# bags at no cost! She also gave the team personal hygiene care kits to give out while there... God is always going before us and paving the way!

In my devotion time this morning I read from "Jesus Calling".  The following is an excerpt from today

"WORSHIP ME ONLY".
I am King of kings and Lord of lords, dwelling in unapproachable Light.  
I am taking care of you! I am not only committed to caring for you, but I am also absolutely capable of doing so." 

Sharon B. for the team