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
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