Unforgettable Day

It was an amazing experience today. We all headed down to the general hospital and the ride there was an experience in and of itself. When we arrived we handed out care packages and visited with the people.  We prepared the care packages before we left for Haiti.  One care package includes a bar of soap, wash cloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, hotel shampoo, snack, diaper, and a package of apple sauce.  At first it was a bit overwhelming distributing the care packages to one per crib/bed.  Most of the people would place them under their pillows and come back asking for another.  It was challenging to say no but we ended up having plenty left over to give everyone a second care package.  Once we finished giving the care packages we had the opportunity to visit with the children and the parents.  It was emotional seeing some children in pain wishing there was something we could do.  Comforting and holding the children was enough to show how much we cared.  I walked up to a mom who placed her little daughter in my arms. The little girl grasped around my body and eventually fell asleep in my arms.  It was a challenge to leave them behind. 

We then went to help feed and play with special needs kids at Gertrude's Orphanage. It was an amazing experience to walk in and see all the kids singing and happy.  We pushed their wheel chairs around and played with all the kids on the playground.  When it was time to eat we each fed a child with a hot bowl that contained rice, chicken, and gravy.  A little boy came to me in the beginning and I picked him up.  He fell asleep in my arms and I carried him around the majority of the time.  He did not want me to leave and was holding on to me until I walked out the door.  He was trying to escape with us. 

Marcia, Debbie, Josh and JoAnn went to help out at the wound clinic. They assisted with cleaning wounds and changing people's dressings. 

Back at the guesthouse Ray saw the neighbor boys for dental screenings.  They will get treatment on Saturday at Grace Village.

Over all today was an unforgettable experience that I will never forget.  I am so grateful and blessed for this opportunity. 

Jenessa

P.S. Here are some photos of our travels in Haiti. No cameras allowed in the places we visited today. 

Colossians 3:12

Cloth yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col. 3:12

This was our verse this morning as we headed out to the Home for Sick and Dying Babies. Our anticipation was that it was going to be much harder than it actually was. We are sure that it was all the prayers, and we felt the Lord's presence with us the entire time. The babies were all so tiny for their age and they enjoyed being cuddled and held. We were trying to share our love for them for as long as we could. There was one young couple that stayed in the nursery the entire time with their sick little baby. The daddy was holding a picture of their other little child and said, "My children."You could see the desperation in his eyes and his love was evident for his child. It was a very tender and touching moment. A bell rang and all the parents that were there had to end their visit for the day.
(we were not allowed to take photos here)

Though it was difficult, "God's call will always take us beyond our comfort zone and into vast unexpected and explored reaches of His grace and mercy."

Then in contrast, in the afternoon we went to visit GraceVillage for a tour and witnessed many happy, healthy children. We enjoyed sitting at the family table with Elisa in one of the Grace family homes. The children who live at Grace no longer live in dormitories; they now live in family homes with a mama and papa. The home we visited has 10 boys who live there. While Elisa answered our questions the mama was preparing dinner for the family. Some of the boys hung out with us and told us their favorite thing about living at Grace. It was a blessing to see that these boys now have a family.

Our last stop was at a little orphanage where we played and did crafts with 11 children.

We had a great day together!

JoAnn and Debbie

P.S. Church Ladies…I named you all as I held and whispered in those babies ears!

Safe Arrival

We had a long but good day of travel today. After a short delay in Miami we made it to Haiti in the late afternoon. Marcia was a pro leading us through the airport process as quickly as Haitian time allows. It was so great to see the smiling faces of Valery and Jonas in the parking area and we took off for guest house 1.  After a quick drop off and partial settling in at our home for the week we took a brief tour of the guest house properties and went out to say hello to the neighbor boys in the lot next door. Seeing their smiling faces and getting big hugs is a wonderful welcome to a week in Haiti. We ate dinner with Gates while she filled us in on the rules for the week. The shepherd's pie, veggies and cold sodas hit the spot. After dinner clean up we had our first in person team meeting and word of the day. It was nice to all be in the same room for a discussion and we're looking forward to being a team of servants and learners this week. All of us are tired from a long day of travel and starting to adjust to the Haitian warmth so it's a low key and early bedtime night at the guest house tonight. We are so thankful for your prayers and for our safe travel today, and are looking forward to what God will do through us in Haiti!