Day 3--It is better to give, than to receive

Today we visited the Home for the Sick and Dying and an orphanage with approximately 35 children. Two very different places yet both spoke the same thing to me. First, I’ll give you some details. At the Home for the Sick and Dying, women served women and men served men. Each room had approximately 15 beds and the woman’s ward was about 75% full. We came with baby lotion and fingernail polish. It doesn’t sound like much - but God doesn’t require much (you’ll learn that when you come down here!) We donned gloves and lotioned bodies and painted nails of women looking for rest and comfort. Our translator played the guitar, we sang and prayed (silently) over the women and each other. Tears were shared, hands were held, and laughter heard – all for the Glory of God. The second part of the day was spent with beautiful loving children. Lots of laughter and smiles were shared by all. We played soccer, jumped rope, gave piggy back rides and made sidewalk art. Two very different places with very different atmospheres –yet both spoke new meaning to a truth I’ve believed my whole life. It is better to give than to receive. I thought I had a pretty good understanding of this concept prior to coming to Haiti. It’s always been pretty easy for me to give from my pockets, from my hands, from my home, from my lips. Not so easy from the heart. This is what God has taught me in Haiti. It is better to give your heart than to receive - period. I’m not talking about giving with your heart or from your heart and not because of your heart. To give is better than to receive if you actually give away pieces of your heart. I think when we give a piece of our heart away, God’s limitless love fills it up again and it grows and yearns to be broken to pieces over and over. My prayer for us all – God, show us what it means to give our hearts away - to you and each other. With Love, Leanne

Word of the Day Summary

-- Mike captured the WotD

Monday, July 20th

- persistence (Alex)
- the nautical mile (Will)

- oasis (Dobee)

- water (Abby)

- muffled (Ben)

- generosity (Shannon M)

- calm (Shannon W)

- crazy airline lady (Dean)

- beginning (Nicole)

- excited (Natalie)

- goal (Jenny)

- relationship (Mike)

- vision (Reuben)

- epic (Scott)

- patience (Ellie)

- enough (Sue)

- group (Sarah)

Wednesday, July 22nd

- listen (Sarah)

- memory (Natalie)

- relationship (Nicole)

- friendship (Will)

- change (Dobee)

- befuddled (Dean)

- understanding (Reuben)

- heartwarming (Shannon M or W?)

- what (Ben)

- sport (Abby)

- colors (Scott)

- contrast (Jenny)

- team (Shannon M or W?)

- emotion (Mike)

- acceptance (Alex)

- happen (Sue)

- love (Ellie)

Thursday, July 23rd

- recovery (Abby)

- sunshine (Ellie)

- laughter (Shannon W)

- beautiful (Will)

- song (Jenny)

- love (Natalie)

- sacrifice (Dobee)

- jump (Ben)

- relative (Dean)

- hurt (Sarah)

- Amen (Mike)

- soccer (Nicole)

- awesome (Scott)

- remember (Alex)

- holy (Sue)

- learn (Shannon M)

- contagious (Reuben)

Saturday, July 25th

- funny/ironic (Natalie)

- burned (Ben)

- rain (Nicole)

- God (Will)

- privilege (Alex)

- reaffirm (Sarah)

- refresh (Jenny)

- enthusiastic (Shannon W)

- Dougie (Dean)

- overwhelmed (Scott)

- affection (Mike)

- amazed/sad (Abby)

- snorkeling (Ellie)

- tenacity (Sue)

- eyes (Shannon M)

- rest (Gates)

Sunday, July 26th

- see (Scott)

- improvement (Natalie)

- pou toujour (Ben)

- inspiring (Shannon W)

- revealing (Dean)

- hope (Alex)

- stolen (Will)

- Amen (Mike)

- love (Dobee)

- still (Sarah)

- open (Ellie)

- open (Shannon M)

- comfort (Jenny)

- comfort (Abby)

- wonder (Sue)

Huge Success with One Glitch

-- From Abby

The morning starts out at 5:30am when Shannon Maixner, storms into Shannon W, Abby, Natalie, Nicole, and Sarah’s room, asking for a hair dryer. Our alarm then goes off five minutes later for church.  Church was as usual amazing and it was great to experience how other cultures worship. Now our mission this week was sports camp. The past three days we would get up bright and early and make our way to Grace Village and teach the kids different sports and of course the word of God. My group had the basketball/dance station. I played basketball in high school so I was right in my element and loved teaching these kids the sport I enjoy the most. We also would preform skits to spread the Lords word and my skit was about a triathlon. It was so funny and even more fun to act out. So overall the camp was a hit with the kids and a huge success! The most unfortunate part of today was after camp and the museum, we went to the pool and little did we know that the water had copper overload and turned Natalie’s hair BRIGHT GREEN. It was amazing but really unfortunate for her….. that’s one memory no one will forget. MOM- I have been using sunscreen and drinking water!!!! Now I am going to pee because I wasn’t allowed to until I finished my blog according to Shannon Maixner.

Reflections from the Playfield at Grace Village

-- From Mike

Reflections from the Playfield at Grace Village

The playfield is a compacted gravel space with some loose rock which is surrounded by a combination of metal supply containers and concrete walls, with a wide opening for the driveway off of one corner.   The Haitian sun has full command of the entire field, and the wind is fleeting. In a word: HOT!  Takes about one breath to start sweating.  

The view is breathtaking: we are looking over the land as it descends to the water below.  The ocean is ever-present, a swath of amazing blue and green beyond the brown landscape.  To the left, Cite Soliel is smoking.  Always smoking.  

Our team (Dean, Shannon, Sarah, Alex and I) has prepared well - appropriately flexible with plenty of ideas and an understanding that the execution will likely be very different from the plans going in.  

Our group on Wednesday is ~12 kids, ages 7-15 years, a mix of boys and girls.   The first activity is sharks and ships (or sharks and minnows) requires the kids to start at one side of the field and run to the other without being eaten by the shark (tagged).  It is so fun to see the kids transition from observing, questioning, waiting, to engaging, laughing, smiling.   Fast forward to late in the session and a football keep-away game...turns out our group of kids are world-champion keep-away players!   They enjoyed our hopeless attempts to intercept as they went from person to person and worked together.  

Play, like love, is universal and essential.  I am so blessed to be able to spend time with these kids.  

Going Where God Asks Us to Go

-- From Dean

On Monday, our team traveled through four airports over twelve hours to arrive at the Healing Haiti guest house.

First impressions of Haiti: Hot!

First impressions of guest house: Very pleasant.

After some team bonding and devotion, we all went to bed. I didn't say anything at the time, but as a first timer in Haiti, I had a fair amount of anxiety about what we planned to do the next day.

On Tuesday, we were up early, had a terrific breakfast, boarded the "TapTap" (seventeen people packed in the back of a truck), and were off to Cite Soleil. It was my first chance to really see Haiti. 'Shocking' isn't the right word. I've seen images on television, so I knew what to expect. Actually being here to see this extreme poverty in person made it real. 'Revelation' is the best word to describe it.

When we arrived to Cite Soleil with the water truck we'd met along the way.... Well, that's when I'd use the word 'Shocking.' I was way out of my comfort zone. Kids came running to the TapTap like American kids might rush a famous singer arriving to their concert in a limo. But, we aren't famous. We have little talent. The kids only wanted water and to be held.

I was apprehensive at first. The kids were dirty, desperate, and many weren't wearing clothes. Yet, it was one of those moments where you forget about your comfort zone. All seventeen of us were holding at least one child before we were two steps out of the TapTap. Two and three kids at a time would hold onto our necks so tightly while others begged to be picked up too. It was heart breaking and heart warming at the same time.

When the water truck was ready to go, the moment turned into mayhem. Buckets emerged from everywhere. Water poured from the hose so fast it could fill a five gallon pail in 1-2 seconds. It was like a fireman's brigade with buckets coming in and being taken away so fast, it was impossible to keep track. We never turned the water off.... We just moved from bucket to bucket until the water was all gone.

The strength of the Haitian women is amazing -- but of course they carry the buckets more efficiently that we do. When we weren't holding a child or helping fill buckets, women and children asked us to help put these huge buckets on top of their heads... and they would walk away without spilling a drop. It was exhausting, humbling, and motivating.

My greatest heartache came after an hour of so of intense working and holding many children. I was extremely hot and feeling the faint effects of dehydration. I desperately needed some water myself. And my heart cracked. All I had to do was walk to the TapTap for my water bottle. I thought to myself, 'what do these people do when they feel this way?' I didn't like the answer.

By the time we left Cite Soleil, my apprehension was gone. I felt a genuine love for these kids and wanted to hold them and play as long as I could. It's amazing how God can transform the human heart in a matter of minutes. We just have to go where he asks us to go. This week, God has asked me & this entire team to be here in Haiti.

Word of the Day: Memory

----- From Natalie

Every night we have our "Word Of The Day." We go around and share the first word we can think of and its significance. Last night, my word was "memory". 

When I returned to Grace Village (the orphanage) for my first time since last year, it seemed like no time went by at all. All the memories from last year returned. And I recognized almost every child's face. There was one boy in particular named Edwins that is now 14 years old and was my best friend last year. I spotted him across the room and we made eye contact. He looked away and then did a double take realizing it was me. Then he got a huge smile on his face and gave me the biggest hug. It was such an amazing moment to see him (and all the other kids) and how much they've grown and even how much better their English has gotten.

Another special thing that triggered the word "memory" for me was when we decided to go through the gates of our guest house and walk to the hotel pool down the street to cool down. As we walked we were joined by four neighborhood boys that held our hands and talked with us. I looked at one boy and asked his name. He said John. That's when I had a flashback to last year. He was the high school soccer player who made me a bracelet to remember him by. I promised him last year I would come back and bring my sister (Nicole) who was his age and also played soccer. I predicted they'd be best friends. 

As it turns out, this year's chance meeting was special because it was John's birthday. So we decided to take all four boys with us to the hotel for a soda and a swim. John said it was his best birthday ever. I kept my promise and introduced him to Nicole. He remembered me telling him about her and they spent the rest of the day together inseparable and are the best of friends already.  

God is doing amazing things here in Haiti; like creating relationships within our team, but also with the kids of Grace Village and the neighborhood boys -- opening up more and more opportunities to share His Word.

Day 1 of Haiti Sports Camp at Grace Village

Hey Haiti Sports Camp Fans

Limited tech connections continue for the Haiti team this week ...

I can give a couple of updates regarding schedule...

• Today is the first day of Sports Camp at Grace Village.  Pray for an effective day. The team will be doing Sport Camps at Grace for three days.
• Some of the sports activities today include: Basketball, Kickboxing, Skateboarding, Soccer, Kickball ..
• Each day begins with large group worship time, skits and a message
• Attached a photo op from the airport
• Also included a copy of Skits used each day at Sports Camp.  Pray that they might be a fun communication vehicle for the kids to learn of God's love.  

-Pete