Tuesday

What a full day! We hopped on our tap-tap this morning and began our day with a stop at Elder's school where we were able to visit with the children and share our cross necklaces.
Our tap-tap met a water truck at three different stops in Cite Soleil. As people saw the truck coming, they came out of their homes with empty buckets waiting to be filled. Some of us filled buckets with water while others helped carry full buckets back to homes and others of us were able to play with & love on the children who were so full of joy.

We had the privilege of visiting Hope Church which has been a work-in-progress for the last couple of years and the first worship service was held this past Sunday! The site where this church was built is unreal - like nothing I've ever seen. Built on the site of a dump inside this slum, construction crews had to dig down through some 40 feet of trash and an additional 40+ feet just to find ground solid enough to build on. Healing Haiti's vision for this beautiful church is to pass it on to the Haitian people now that it is up and running.

We were also able to stop at the Haitian Initiative where young boys come to play soccer, receive meals packed by Feed My Starving Children, and spend a couple days each week learning English.
We are all so thankful for the incredible opportunities we had today and are excited for what God has in store for the days ahead!

The eagle has landed.

The team arrived safe and sound to our home away from home in Port au Prince! Fortunately our many bags did too! We were welcomed with friendly faces, a cozy ride in the tap tap and a lovely dinner! The team each shared a word representative of the day's feelings and we enjoyed listening and taking in the individual experiences.

 Hope, joy, anxious, people, comfortable, providence and tears were among the words shared.

We look forward to awaking to a new day and new experiences as many of us will see for the first time Haiti in the daylight.

Pictures to follow, stay tuned!  What is a tap tap? You shall find out tomorrow 😋
Ke Bondye Beni'ou "His hands, His feet, His work, His love!"

Today's words brought to you by Jenny on behalf of our team!

Anne & Brian McNeill

We find so much joy and purpose in bringing people to Haiti, helping them develop a deeper understanding of serving one another both near and far.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Tony Lambertz

 

This will be my third time to Haiti and I am very excited to go back and experience more of what God has in store for me and the team. Why do I keep going back? Because it is too easy to live this comfortable life where you don't have to worry about where water or next meal is going to come from and this is a great place to make me realize just how fortunate and blessed I am. It still amazes me each time walking thru one of the poorest parts of the world and yet nearly every person you meet still has a smile on their face and all you can do is be thankful for the little or much you have in health, having a job, etc. There is nothing quite like Haiti and that is why I'm going back!

Melanie DeJong

Hey there! My name is Melanie and this is my first trip to Haiti! I'd always hoped to travel and serve in Haiti, but had no idea when that time would come- I'm excited that the time is now! As a graduate of Bethel University, I had the wonderful opportunity to study and serve in Guatemala for 4 months where I naively thought I was going solely to help the people there. In reality, God had so much more planned for me. The joy and deep faith of the people, in spite of the extreme poverty, broke my heart and convicted me of the need to care about every single one of God’s people, hence the reason I was drawn to this trip to Haiti. I honestly don’t think I can even comprehend or begin to imagine what the Lord has in store for our team. I have no idea how, or where He will begin to teach. However, I am expecting the Lord to continue to break my heart and excited to see how He reveals Himself in even more ways through the Haitian people. 

Kallie Thoreson

My name is Kallie, and this trip is my first mission trip.  I was a senior in high school when the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010.  My heart broke for the people there, and I knew right away that I wanted to help.  I headed a fundraiser at my school, but I had no idea that six years later I would have the opportunity to travel to Haiti to serve the people there.  I am so grateful for this opportunity and am excited to see how God will work through our team as we serve His people!

Raeann Mysliwiec

My name is Raeann. I have been in the Mortgage industry for 25+ years. I have a loving family and friends. My life is full with activities most every day from running, biking, skiing, softball, broomball, hiking, camping, hiking, and volleyball. I have jumped out of planes and off of cliffs. I love to travel and have visited many countries. This is my 2nd Haiti missionary trip. I did not think I could be blessed with such an opportunity to go again and share it with my mother. I have a wonderful family and am surrounded by fantastic friends. I also work as an Office Manager and a Firefighter/EMT. I feel blessed in all ways.