Day 5, Beautiful Things

Beautiful Things

I love the line from the Gungor song, “Beautiful Things”…

“You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust.

You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us.”

No where is this more true than in Haiti.

Throughout this week I have seen God bringing beautiful things out of the dust and the dirt of sin and brokenness and death.

On Wednesday, we visited the Apparent project.  I am not sure I understand the full scope of this non-profit…you can read more about them on their own website, but here is the description of what they are about.  “The Apparent Project artisans guild uses discarded materials such as cereal and cracker boxes, oil drums, and trash paper to create beautiful “upcycled” pieces of jewelry, journals, and stylish home decor.  While redeeming the Haitian landscape, these artisans are also bringing new hope to their families, employing themselves for a brighter future and earning the means to pay for their children's food, shelter, and education. That means less orphans, less crime, less garbage, less stress, and a whole lot more beauty.”

Beautiful Things.  Out of the Dust.

Thursday we visited Grace Village.  Grace Village has established itself in a place that means “less than nothing.” (Titanyen)  And they are doing incredible innovative things that I cannot fully describe in a blog.  They have a school for 380 children, an orphanage to 44 children, a medical and dental clinic, an aquaponics initiative, etc.  After touring the Village it is clear that they are not just “giving a man a fish, but teaching him to fish.”  And they are doing it in incredibly innovative ways.  They are constantly looking at how they can tweak and refine their process, so as to make the most long term impact in Titanyen.  

Beautiful Things.  Out of the Dust.

And throughout this week, as I have gotten to know a team of 15 other people, and heard their stories, and watched them shed tears, it is clear that God is making beautiful things out of this group’s dust as well.

The stories go on and on.  I don’t yet know the full history of religion in Haiti…I don’t know how long ago Christian missionaries came to this place.  I just know that it has a reputation for things such as voodoo.  But it is clear after spending a week here that this has changed and is changing.  It is not just other missionaries and short term mission teams here that are doing the work of bringing beautiful things out of the dust.  In fact one of the most powerful things I was able to see this week was to get up at 6am and trudge down to worship at the Haitian church down the street, and to bear witness to the Spirit of the LORD at work within this beautiful people.

And today…another “water truck” day.  Holding babies and children.  Loving on them, and helping them to see that there is some beauty in this dusty world.  Pouring out water, and pointing them to the “living water” of Jesus.  

And visiting General Hospital where we had the opportunity to drop off care bags for children and families, and to pray with them.  And for the veterans in the group there were signs of beauty out of ashes again…in seeing dramatic improvements in the state of the hospital itself.

And then again back in my mind to Thursday (yesterday), when we visited the mass grave where roughly 300,000 people are buried from a devastating earthquake 5 years ago.  And remembering that some day God literally bring beauty out of the dust at what we call the resurrection.  

Until then, may Jesus continue to restore and renew what is broken…and bring beauty out of the dust.

—Russ Peterson

Day 4!

Today, I will start by saying that we have the most amazing Haitian men by our side. They are truly gifts from God and bless us each and every day. They greet us at the guest house with large toothy smiles that are contagious! You can't help but have your heart warmed by their genuine happiness and love for The Lord. These men are our translators, drivers, security guards, story tellers, joke makers, guitar players and friends. Most importantly, they are our brothers in Christ. Today we were blessed by the presence of Brunet, Emmanuel, Valerie, and Jonas. As we all piled into the tap-tap, laughing and smiling, eager for the day ahead, I took a moment to appreciate the safety and comfort these men provide to our group. 

Day 3 of loading up and heading out onto the bumpy roads of Port-Au-Prince. Our ride was slightly longer than most days as we headed out to Titanyen, the village where Healing Haiti built the Grace Village orphanage. The ride is long, yes, but oh-so-beautiful. God truly was using his best, if not favorite, paint brush when working on Haiti. Looking out on one side of the tap-tap, you see the mountain and ocean backdrop colliding to make the most amazing picture...like one you would see hanging in an art museum. Out the other side, you see tiny little matchbox shacks scattered along the hillside. After 30 or so minutes of staring out into God's beauty, we pulled up beside a large gated area known as the Mass Graves. The Mass Graves is a large plot of land along side a hill that is fenced in all the way around. This is where over 300,000 bodies were buried after the devastating earthquake in 2010. As our group entered the site and gathered in front of the large monument built inside, one of our guides, Jonas, began to share his story of the day of the earthquake. As he spoke, we felt his heart, we felt his pain, but  we also felt the love he has for his land and the people of Haiti. We were honored to be trusted enough to hear this personal story shared by our brother in Christ. 

After praying over the land and taking our last few memory-snapshots (no cameras allowed!), we moved back out to where our tap-tap was parked. We were met by the rest of our translators and they had 3 Manna Pack boxes that we brought with us on this trip. For those of you who are unfamiliar a Manna Pack, it is the meal that is packed at Feed My Starving Children. As we started opening boxes, we noticed children and adults alike running down the hill to receive a packaged meal. The line outside the tap-tap started in a single file and ended in a mosh pit. Can you imagine being this excited over a packed meal? Many of us were touched by the impact these meals made and knew that packing with FMSC was more than just worthwhile, it was life sustaining. (Thanks Deb!)

We then moved onto Grace Village! The amazing sanctuary that not only houses 40+ children but also educated 400+ children. The things GV is doing in the community amazed us. We received a tour and learned so much about what goes on and how things work. We also got to see a few kiddos in their adorable purple uniforms running around at recess, all over the beautiful  playground. Once our tour was over, it was time to move on to our elder visits. 

Five elders were on the list for today, but we only saw three. As someone put it, the ones we missed were on a "spa day". What I CAN say is that the three we visited were all so touching. All in different ways, but equally impactful on our hearts. These are people who struggle to get out of bed, or for some them who do not have beds, it is hard to wake up off the floor. The men and women in the elderly program amazed us. All of us. The faith within them POURED OUT and overflowed into others, including us. What a blessing it was not only to minister to them, but also to be ministered to by such wise and Godly men and women. 

The first woman we encountered lived with her sister and brother- in-law. She was a sweet, small woman who wasn't afraid to share her toothless smile with us. She was quiet and peaceful, and allowed us to massage her feet and arms, and love on her with song and prayer. Before leaving her home, we were blessed with Godly words of encouragement and love from her brother-in-law. He reminded us that we are all just concrete blocks, cemented together by the blood of Jesus. Meme was our next elder visit. He is a man who struggles greatly with his vision and with other bodily pains, but believes that with God, healing is possible. You wouldn't know he was in any pain by the way he praised The Lord with us today. Clapping, singing, worshipping and praising with childlike faith. He was an example to us all. Lastly, we met with Izna. A woman who is small in size but big in love. When I visited Haiti with a team in August, we saw her. I noticed her shoes were all torn and tattered...withering away with every step. I decided I had no need to keep my Crocs with the Minnesota fall/winter approaching, so I left them with her. After being told she struggles with having things being stolen from her, I figured I would never see those Crocs again. Boy was I wrong! This woman walked out of her house with the same pair on her beautiful feet. I was overcome with immediate joy and gratitude to God. I had one of our translators tell her I was so happy to see she still had the Crocs I gave her and she lit up. I had never seen her so happy. Not even when I gave her the shoes back in August. Brunet said that in the 4 years of visiting her, he had never seen her so full of joy and love. I was blessed to be loved by a woman such as her today. I will forever hold her kiss in the palm of my right hand. 

Today, our team truly showed what it was to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I am so blessed to serve alongside such incredible men and women. We are blessed to have been in the presence of such wisdom and grace of all the people we encountered today. I'm not sure how else to say it but, God is good. God is so good. 

I will leave you by sharing a verse given to US by the elderly brother-in-law...he ministered to us by sharing this: 1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Again...God is so good.  Thanks for reading and please continue praying for us and the people of Haiti!

LOVE, Nikki <3

Day 3: We are the Body

“If we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching, why aren’t his hands healing, why aren’t his words teaching?” (If We Are the Body, Casting Crowns)

We are the Body.  

I love the Body of Christ, and I am experiencing the Body of Christ in full action right now.  Haiti January 2015.  

In so many ways.  Only in the Body of Christ, can 16 people come together from 4 different states/provinces and start unifying and gelling together within 2 days.  Of course, we all have our quirks and idiosyncrasies.  (As tempted as I am to share some of them from this team, I will resist that temptation.)

Only in the Body of Christ, can 16 completely unique people use their specific God-given personalities/gifts/abilities for a common purpose.  Only in the Body of Christ can 16 people people come together and share tears and stories of how they are seeing the Spirit of God move.

That common purpose is to “be” the Body of Christ to the world that Jesus is “dwelling” in.  Specifically, for us on this trip, it means being the Body to every man, woman, and child, that God sets across our path for this week in January 2015.  It means looking in the eyes of each of these individuals and seeing that every one of them was “fearfully and wonderfully made” by their creator, has been rescued and redeemed by Jesus, and is hungering to know Him.  But they are also hungering for other things along the way…for human touch, and their “daily bread” too.

But the mystery is that while we are the body of Christ, we also are touching Jesus.  

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  As we fill buckets, and hold orphans, and talk with elders, we are coming into contact with Jesus as well. Not only are we the conduit at these times for others to come into contact with Christ, but amazingly, they are the conduit for us to know Jesus more fully and to share in His sufferings.

But I think the greatest comfort for me in the midst of this week is that the body of Christ is bigger than the 16 of us on this trip.  I say this because there is the part of me that is crushed knowing that the half hour I spent holding and hugging this or that child just wasn’t enough.  But what I take hope and comfort in is that as we are flying out next Monday, another team will be flying in to take the baton and continue the work of the Body.  They are the Body of Christ as well.  And together, with them we are the Body of Christ.  Along with our churches, and sponsors, and family and friends at home who are supporting this work in their own way…with their prayer, and financial support…and their specific God-given personalities/gifts/abilities as well.  

We are the Body!

--Russ Peterson

Welcome to Haiti Day 1-2

Praise God! All 16 team members made it here safely! We arrived at Healing Haiti and jumped right into dinner and preparing the care packages for General Hospital, our team worked together and instantly started forming a tight bond! We went to bed very early after a long day of traveling. I got to wake up to the most beautiful Haitian sunrise. In that moment, at 5:30am, I really started to see first hand the power of the Holy Spirit in Haiti which I have heard so much about from seasoned goers. That feeling was amplified all day long as I experienced my first water truck excursion. You really cannot prepare for what you see and feel as you drive up to the first stop....there are precious children flooding the streets to greet us! Immediately after stepping off of the Tap Tap all I could see were hands reaching up from every angle wanting to be held. The strong embrace of these children is indescribable, the love that seeps out of their hearts was breath taking. All 3 stops that we made today we just as powerful as the first and I am sure I speak for the whole team in saying that we will never forget those eyes, hands, feet, smiles and hearts that we experienced today. One of the most moving moments for me was at our first stop, after we had emptied the water truck we walked with all of the children into a large fenced plot of land which will soon be the brand new church in Cite Soleil !! We gathered and said a prayer over the land, the future church and all of the beautiful people that will fill it each day. To top it off we sang Bless The Lord Oh My Soul to the kids and then they sang us a Haitian song!! The whole day was beyond powerful, the presence of The Lord was incredible and I cannot wait to see what else He has in store.

Tonight we ended our evening with an authentic Haitian dinner followed by a night of team bonding. We spent time working through our travel journals and just opening up, crying, laughing.....laughing some more and sharing our lives with one another. I feel so blessed to have been chosen to come on this trip with this team. Its truly amazing how God worked to hand pick every person here as He already knew each of our hearts and has a plan for all of us in this journey together!

Prayers for a day full of blessings tomorrow!
With Love, Denise

Ready to roll?!

Just over two weeks until we leave for Haiti! Please follow along and lift us up in prayer as we continue to prepare. 

This team is a mixture of friends and family, first-timers and return goers ... some of whom will meet face to face for the first time in Miami! While some of us may know where our gifts and strengths lie, others might discover on this trip ... and we may all find ourselves serving in ways we never thought we could.  

Pray as we set out to be the hands and feet of Christ, and use our God-given gifts wherever needed. Pray that we love whomever God puts in front of us, and serve in whatever moment we are placed.  

Thank you! 

From The Purpose Driven Life: 

While knowing your gifts is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant's heart, you will be tempted to misuse your gifts for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs. 

God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we're not shaped. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, "I don't have the gift of mercy or service." While you may not be gifted for a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one gifted at it is around. 

Your primary ministry should be in the area of your gift, but your secondary service is wherever you're needed at the moment.